What do you think of the boy suspended for doodling a gun on his assignment?

Question

Overkill? A sign of the times? Prudent action?

The story:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0822gunsketch22-on.html

Answer 1

Arbitrary and capricious. Certainly taught the kid a valuable lesson about authority, and not the one they would hope for.

Answer 2

Wait those quick to judge...

Have you ever read "Nothing But the Truth" by Avi??

If the story happened exactly as told - that he "just doodled a gun on his paper" then it IS overkill. Somehow I doubt that it was as innocent as that. In our school, we would have just asked the child to redo the assignment.

There is probably more to the story, and because of privacy laws, the parents can only get their side out. If the school tells their side of the story, they are breaking privacy laws.

What did he do when confronted about it??
What exactly was the nature of the drawing??
What is the history of behavior with the child?? Has it happened before??

All answers would need to be addressed before we threw the school under the bus.

We'll never know????

Answer 3

It sounds like a violation of the First Amendment to me. Unless the intent of the illustration was meant to be threatening, obscene or insulting, it would be covered by the First Amendment.

You have to realize that in today's politically correct climate. We are supposed to cower before authorities who would have us believe, that insulating that we looked favourably on such a "controversial" Constitutional Right as the Second Amendment, was criminal. What should happen is the parents of the student should threaten the school board with a lawsuit. At the same time, they should make as much noise as possible about this. They should make the attacks personal. It is not the school board, it is some individual on the school board. That person should be identified as an enemy of free speech, as well as the Second Amendment. People should be given the idea that either we let these arrogant SOBs control our thoughts and our actions, or we put them in their place.

Never defend- always attack. If you haven't done anything wrong, why would you feel the need to defend yourself? At the same time, you need to make an example of people who we pay to serve us, who forget that they are public servants, not our masters.

Answer 4

Overkill.

Answer 5

There was probably more to the story. Had the student been in trouble before? Why would he draw a gun on an assignment? Did the teacher feel threatened? I mean, had anything gone on between the student and the teacher before this was turned in? There are way too many questions to consider, but speaking as a teacher, there must have been more to this story.

Answer 6

My son used to do this in middle school -- he was ADHD - he loved the civil war and so to concentrate he was allowed to draw during lectures to keep him still. He drew civil war rifles. We got called in, talked to the social worker, talked to my son. The outcome was that he could doodle but not guns --- ok, so he drew super hero's and now he has graduated from college and is a storyboard artist. This was 8 years ago - but things have changed and since we weren't there we don't know all the details.

Answer 7

Overkill, definitely.

Answer 8

The rule of lesser minds who are unable to make rational judgments, and therefore make blanket decisions.
Boys do find guns and weapons to be fascinating. That doesn't mean they are making a "threat." Ridiculous!!!!!

Answer 9

I think its over kill.....I used to doodle things like that on my paper all the time......but I never got suspended for it.....

Answer 10

Yup, overkill. Isn't it amazing how far these people will go?