Boy points finger like gun, gets suspended
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Dude Abides
Banned
This is dumb. It'd be one thing if this specific kid was doing this all the time and was individually warned, but this seems to just be a blanket policy aimed at toy guns stretched to apply where it doesn't fit.
Edit: apparently there had been some kind of rash of pretend gun play they were trying to get at, which makes it a bit more understandable, but trying to get American boys not to pretend to use pretend guns seems like a fool's errand.
Edit: apparently there had been some kind of rash of pretend gun play they were trying to get at, which makes it a bit more understandable, but trying to get American boys not to pretend to use pretend guns seems like a fool's errand.
Especially so when we have a culture that is so pro-gun. Everyone that's awesome has a gun -- even Captain America used a gun in the Avengers. Then we have all the adverts about joining the marines, etc...
To have a zero tolerance policy is dangerous as it is because it doesn't allow any room for common sense. But to include making a finger pistol? Thank god that kid wasn't raised in Japan, or he'd end up in jail for kancho.
To have a zero tolerance policy is dangerous as it is because it doesn't allow any room for common sense. But to include making a finger pistol? Thank god that kid wasn't raised in Japan, or he'd end up in jail for kancho.
Austriacus
Member
Hey pedagogy student, psychology student(looking to specialise in kids) here. Not sure if you are aware but any rule that limits preadolescent kids expressing themeselves in non harmfull ways are a no go and serve no purpose. They can scar the kid in different ways going from him hating school or just flat out not wanting to atend. Kids in that age absorb stuff and interpret it in really problematic ways so you have to be carefull of the stuff you enforce. It is better to reinforce good attitudes rather than punishing bad ones, it gives greater results and creates an enviroment of happines rather than fear.
On principle this rule is simply not conducive to a healthy enviroment for a kid to learn and socialise.
Simply let kids be kids.
How about that, I minor in psychology. I wasn't arguing about the rule per se, my argument was that the kid knew it was against the rules and he still continued with this behavior, so my post was solely weighing the disciplinary actions that were taken. "Kid broke school rules - got suspended" has now caused an outrage.
My personal opinion is that the rule is overly protective of the kids. However, can we honestly, without a doubt, say it prevents them from "expressing themselves in a non-harmful way?" Again, I'm just theorizing here, but by doing this gesture, wouldn't the kid be imagining holding a real weapon? How does that make the student on the other end of the finger-barrel feel? What would make this kid pick this student in particular?
There are too many unanswered questions here to jump into conclusions. Maybe the school had a problem with kids "shooting" kids they don't like and that's why the rule was in place? I know, in that case the proper course of actions would be to tell kids to accept others etc. to nip the behavior in the bud, but still, we can't jump into conclusions without knowing the details.
All of the choices done in schools are done to better work towards the target, and to better the group's development as a whole - as opposed to a single individual's. Of course, in an ideal world these choices would not have to be made, but because of the classroom environment, you have to make compromises.
Rubbish King
The gift that keeps on giving
Me and my friends used to play gungame at school where we'd pretend to shoot eachother with fake guns (our hands)
I'd like to come forward to the CIA and FBI to be locked up, I'm clearly a madman
I'd like to come forward to the CIA and FBI to be locked up, I'm clearly a madman
Austriacus
Member
They do certainly have a problem with kids shooting imaginary guns, it says it became an epidemic of sorts in the article. The problem is that, as you probably are aware, banning a kid from doing something they enjoy doing doesnt always gives the best results. If the kid is taught why in real life that specific action would have consequences and making sure he/she understands then its enough. Theres no need for punishment. Also if you read the article, the teacher in charge agreed with the father that the boy the kid pointed the "gun" at didnt feel any offense to the action so i assume she knows much more than both of us to get to that conclusion.
I agree though that we dont know enough, but as a general guideline, the way they are enforcing this rule is not good for the kids, while its true we cant know what is going on within each kids mind while doing this, if they can take the time to send letters to each parent and give the lectures to the kids telling them how bad it is they can also aproach this case by case and not simply ban the action altogether. Its possible some of them do it out of spite to kids, but its also possible that a lot of them could for example do it to a girl to be playfull and interact with them int he only way they know. I think at the end you lose more than gain with this and totalitarianism is simply not the way the real world works anyway.
We live in a society that is bound by rules, but its also one were we dont accept ones which ban our freedom of expression, and thats exactly whats going on here. All rules are not equal and the act of defying them should not be punished in all cases.
dapperbandit
Banned
Yeah the kid was warned and broke the rules.
But the rule is fucking stupid.
I mean what has this kid actually learned? That he was punished for playing?
Kids play at pretend violence all the time, it's not an early warning sign that a child is actually a sociopathic killer.
But the rule is fucking stupid.
I mean what has this kid actually learned? That he was punished for playing?
Kids play at pretend violence all the time, it's not an early warning sign that a child is actually a sociopathic killer.
Heh
The Smoking Bun
Banned
Rules should be followed to the letter and never challenged no matter how backward or oppressive they may seem. Now if all the black people will kindly ONLY use the water fountains marked FOR COLOURED, it would be great, thanks!
That's the gist I got from the comments here.
That's the gist I got from the comments here.
Where are the bodies!!
Broder Salsa
Banned
Children shooting imaginary guns is a problem now? I used to remember it being called playing. I remember one of our pedagogues making fake guns for us in the after school thing, was the best thing ever.
ResidentDante
Member
Is this "cinematic" 30 fps?
LanceVance
Member
BrokenEchelon
Banned
Imagine if she pointed her bully fingergun at another kid. She would rip the self-esteem right out of their fragile little mind with her weapon of terror.
You were about to create a monster.
sleeping_dragon
Banned
I agree with the Principal, at least he try to stick to his principles!
Slackbladder
Member
I see two types of posts in this thread; one where people accept authority regardless of how dumb it is and another that criticises authority because of how dumb it is.
I just want to know what the actual harm is of usng your fingers as guns. Someone explain it to me. I mean when I was at school I was beaten up by bullies using their fists! Maybe hands should be banned from school completely!?
I just want to know what the actual harm is of usng your fingers as guns. Someone explain it to me. I mean when I was at school I was beaten up by bullies using their fists! Maybe hands should be banned from school completely!?
Mammoth Jones
Member
Man, fuck that. I remember playing pretend cops and robbers in school and we had awesome pretend handguns. Imagination is awesome. We ran, and jumped and made guns out of our fingers and yelled "got you!!" All in front of teachers and somehow we never shot up our schools and learned just fine.
This policy of no pointing is stupid and is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist unless we are going to say that somehow mass shootings are somehow caused by youg children making imaginary guns with their fingers in early education.
This policy of no pointing is stupid and is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist unless we are going to say that somehow mass shootings are somehow caused by youg children making imaginary guns with their fingers in early education.
The harsh punishment wasn't the first response.
TruckDriver
Neo Member
There isn't, It's a school's blanket-wide system of covering their asses, in case a parent complains of a kid "finger shooting" their child.
The whole thing is ridiculous. We have kids coming to school getting physically beaten up, who can't defend themselves because of anal-retentive rules. But if a kid makes a fake gun with his finger? THROW THE BOOK AT HIM! smh.
What anime has a handsome, buff Colonel Sanders in it?
Pointing anything and making noises should be banned in every school in America and treated no differently than having an actual weapon. Mandatory week detention for first offense, week suspension for second offense, expulsion for third. Parents should do jail time after the second offense. We need to train kids at an early age that guns are completely evil and tools only to be used for killing. No one needs them. Scare it out of these kids from an early age!!
TruckDriver
Neo Member
When do you think the NRA will step in for Finger Gun Rights?
Not sure if serious....
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Just curious..how many of y'all here homeschool? I'd imagine quite a few. I must just be a spineless pussy. Maybe it's just the fact that I've been harassed by the police and strangers, so I make up rules to follow to avoid confrontation..because I was born in the wrong. If my kid brings me a note from school saying he needs to stop playing pretend guns, I tell him to fucking stop..because fucking mathreadingscience n shit.
It's ridiculous..fine. I watched Wild Wild West and Gunsmoke with my pops. Starsky and Hutch on a daily. My slingshot was in my pocket, until my bb gun ran empty. Things fucking change..have you seen this..Macklemore??? Look, I was told my kid was too young to read Anne Frank around the same age I read it..completely laughed it off. He read it, at home, and kept it to himself. I didn't force him to take it to school to prove a point. They didn't want to see it. Ok, they didn't. He has a home.
If these parents wanna make the kid feel better, they should hold an imaginary shoot out at a local park with like-minded people. Some burgers and dogs..couple of brews. They can do that shit anywhere else..this shit isn't the catalyst for reinstating "colored water fountains" for fucks sakes LOL! I live in a world where friends get pulled over LIKE CLOCKWORK because I'm in the car and they're white in a black neighborhood..stupid rule of life..they're obviously buying drugs.
It's ridiculous..fine. I watched Wild Wild West and Gunsmoke with my pops. Starsky and Hutch on a daily. My slingshot was in my pocket, until my bb gun ran empty. Things fucking change..have you seen this..Macklemore??? Look, I was told my kid was too young to read Anne Frank around the same age I read it..completely laughed it off. He read it, at home, and kept it to himself. I didn't force him to take it to school to prove a point. They didn't want to see it. Ok, they didn't. He has a home.
If these parents wanna make the kid feel better, they should hold an imaginary shoot out at a local park with like-minded people. Some burgers and dogs..couple of brews. They can do that shit anywhere else..this shit isn't the catalyst for reinstating "colored water fountains" for fucks sakes LOL! I live in a world where friends get pulled over LIKE CLOCKWORK because I'm in the car and they're white in a black neighborhood..stupid rule of life..they're obviously buying drugs.
AlimNassor
Banned
Man, I remember when a kid brought an actual gun (wasn't loaded) to school and all he got was a 3 day suspension. Nowadays he'd be looking at 25 to life.
Mammoth Jones
Member
8/10 - Would read again!
On the off chance you're serious I think it'd be stupid to do all that just to support an anti gun agenda. I think educating kids in gun safety would be better. (Stop, don't touch, get an adult).
The Smoking Bun
Banned
Oh they will ban finger guns and make a mountain out of a molehill but will they ever ban/control ACTUAL guns or hold gun owners and the NRA responsible for anything ever? NO!! Because those targets have teeth and will ferociously bite back to hold dearly onto their metal dicks. Not to mention, they have political backing so they are pretty much invincible.
But innocent, harmless children? Sure, rip em apart. Bunch of hippocrates.
But innocent, harmless children? Sure, rip em apart. Bunch of hippocrates.
styl3s
Member
I don't think there was a kid in my elementary school that didn't have pretend shootouts or people in my middle school that did finger gun winks because it was the mid 90s and people were silly.
A finger gun doesn't always mean the kid intends to bring a fucking AK to school and murder everyone. He was warned? He's a fucking kid. If you told me not to do something when i was a kid i was going to do it just because you told me not to because i was a stupid kid like all stupid kids. Finger guns are harmless and people needed to loosen up their buttholes.
They do hold gun owners accountable for things all the time. A father in Florida was just held accountable following the death of his daughter.
Mammoth Jones
Member
The fuck are gun owners supposed to be responsible for regarding this? Lol. That's silly. When I made pretend gun fingers when I was a kid I was imitating my favorite shows/cartoons. Not the nra or gun owners. We going to hold tv responsible? Lol once again that silly. The school should simply not be suspending kids over it. If you catch em just tell em to knock it off. That's all that's needed. Or you know, let them be children for 5 minutes.
QuicheFontaine
Member
MikeBreezy92
Member
....you sound like you've been home schooled lol
The rule is stupid in the first place.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Mammoth, serious question..how many warnings? How many times should they tell them to knock it off? Should they use the red line strategy? *Benghazi led to Crimea..a pushover shows weakness.
I kid..
Mammoth Jones
Member
I mean kids goof off. It's actually REALLY healthy and really required for emotional growth. Kids aren't adults and it sucks that schools want to treat them as such and reject children that are doing what children do: make mistakes. It's such a minor, petty, and arbitrary thing. Kids need to vent and running around is a way for them to do it.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
How's that?
MikeBreezy92
Member
Because the entire post sounds like "I bend over to authority despite how silly it is" kind of sheltered living that Home schooling I feel like tends to lead to.
Moral Panic
Member
Just because you made a rule, doesn't mean the rule, or the punishment for breaking it is justified.
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