Zero Tolerance Strikes Again

Has anyone else noticed how zero tolerance often looks a lot like zero common sense?

A single mother said the school district overreacted by suspending her 7-year-old son for drawing a smiling stick figure shooting another smiling stick figure with a gun.

Shirley McDevitt said her son, Kyle Walker, was suspended Thursday for one day after school officials found out about the drawing, sketched on a piece of paper.

Kyle attends second grade at the Dennis Township Primary School in Cape May County.

McDevitt, of Belleplain, said she was told he was suspended because of the school’s zero-tolerance policy for guns.

Okay… A… Why do we need to know she’s a single mother? Oh right… Because if some people did think he did something was wrong, that’s your instant mitigator; as if single moms are incapable of raising children and need our constant sympathy and support. How condescending.

B… This “zero tolerance” shit has gone entirely too far already and it keeps going further and further day after day. It’s one thing to have a zero tolerance policy about actual guns. You know… Real ones… Made of metal… With bullets… But a drawing of one in a stick figure’s hand?

Here’s the drawing that caused all the problems…

Picture 1-13

If you want to make the argument that this is threatening, then you have to explain to me why both “kids” are smiling. You can’t employ only some of the symbolism in a drawing then suspend a kid for it. If the symbolism implies that Kyle shot David, then why are both Kyle and David smiling? What does the smiling imply?

It is really silly how much both parents and schools wigged the hell out after Columbine, but at some point we may want to take hold of common sense and drag it, kicking and screaming, back into our schools.

[tags]schools, school, zero tolerance, bullshit[/tags]

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  • Joe

    That woman should go through her child’s history textbook and find every picture depicting a gun and raise holy hell about it. That is, assuming, history textbooks still talk about war.

  • Joe

    That woman should go through her child’s history textbook and find every picture depicting a gun and raise holy hell about it. That is, assuming, history textbooks still talk about war.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Vinny

    *cough*

    War?

    That’s assuming they talk about history :-)

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    *cough*

    War?

    That’s assuming they talk about history :-)

  • http://lonesophist.com/ trish

    Good point about the single mother. I notice that is always something that is pointed out in these types of stories.

    And I always tell the story of how my son went to preschool at one of our local churches and they were not allowed to bring any toys that were considered “violent,” like toy guns. Some of those kids had never played with other kids or were even allowed to watch television. Guess what they did at play time outside? Picked up sticks and started shooting each other.

  • http://lonesophist.com trish

    Good point about the single mother. I notice that is always something that is pointed out in these types of stories.

    And I always tell the story of how my son went to preschool at one of our local churches and they were not allowed to bring any toys that were considered “violent,” like toy guns. Some of those kids had never played with other kids or were even allowed to watch television. Guess what they did at play time outside? Picked up sticks and started shooting each other.

  • Bridget

    Maybe that was just a picture of two 2nd grade students who had a play date which involved summer play with water guns? Could that be why they are smiling??

  • Bridget

    Maybe that was just a picture of two 2nd grade students who had a play date which involved summer play with water guns? Could that be why they are smiling??

  • Joe

    I personally believe that the problem is that most US Americans don’t have maps, everywhere like such as, and we should build up our eduction in South Africa and The Iraq to build up our future.

  • Joe

    I personally believe that the problem is that most US Americans don’t have maps, everywhere like such as, and we should build up our eduction in South Africa and The Iraq to build up our future.

  • http://lonesophist.com/ trish

    What did Joe say?

  • http://lonesophist.com trish

    What did Joe say?

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/ Dad

    Lets carry it one step further what if they drew the picture of someone getting shot with a water gun, how can you tell so much in that kind of picture. How in the world can you suspend a 7 yr. old for drawing stick figures. The picture show both figures smiling, how can they conclude something so bad from it.They have a zero tolerance for guns. They should have a zero tolerance for stupidity because they are not teaching education and expression. Did anyone ask the kid what he was thinking about at the time he drew the picture. And now how does he come back to school his mother promises he wont do it again, How do you tell a 7 yr. what to think. I would take this kid out of this school and tell all where they could go.

  • http://www.insignificantthoughts.com Dad

    Lets carry it one step further what if they drew the picture of someone getting shot with a water gun, how can you tell so much in that kind of picture. How in the world can you suspend a 7 yr. old for drawing stick figures. The picture show both figures smiling, how can they conclude something so bad from it.They have a zero tolerance for guns. They should have a zero tolerance for stupidity because they are not teaching education and expression. Did anyone ask the kid what he was thinking about at the time he drew the picture. And now how does he come back to school his mother promises he wont do it again, How do you tell a 7 yr. what to think. I would take this kid out of this school and tell all where they could go.

  • Bob

    I think the stick kids look cute – they’re playing!!!

  • Bob

    I think the stick kids look cute – they’re playing!!!

  • http://lonesophist.com/ trish

    Go Vinny’s dad! I totally agree.

  • http://lonesophist.com trish

    Go Vinny’s dad! I totally agree.

  • Joe

    Trish, I’m not insane. I was just paraphrasing Ms. Teen South Carolina (I hope you’ve seen the video), in response to Vinny’s claim that they don’t teach history anymore. We can be sure that her history class talks a lot about South Africa and The Iraq. I guess if you have to explain it, it isn’t funny. :)

  • Joe

    Trish, I’m not insane. I was just paraphrasing Ms. Teen South Carolina (I hope you’ve seen the video), in response to Vinny’s claim that they don’t teach history anymore. We can be sure that her history class talks a lot about South Africa and The Iraq. I guess if you have to explain it, it isn’t funny. :)

  • http://nonannystate.blogspot.com/ The Other Mike S

    LOL, I got it, Joe!

    If I had small children, I do not think I would send them to public schools. Either home school or private, depending upon the cost. This utter contempt for the individual and the focus on “the village” and group-think are both very disturbing.

    Can’t get an aspirin without also consenting to condoms.

    Girls strip searched for Ibuprofen.

    Toddlers being encouraged to “play with themselves”.

    I’m tellin’ ya, this country is sliding down a greased chute, and at the bottom is a honey-pot.

  • http://nonannystate.blogspot.com The Other Mike S

    LOL, I got it, Joe!

    If I had small children, I do not think I would send them to public schools. Either home school or private, depending upon the cost. This utter contempt for the individual and the focus on “the village” and group-think are both very disturbing.

    Can’t get an aspirin without also consenting to condoms.

    Girls strip searched for Ibuprofen.

    Toddlers being encouraged to “play with themselves”.

    I’m tellin’ ya, this country is sliding down a greased chute, and at the bottom is a honey-pot.

  • The Masked Rye

    Wow. I played “army” all the time. I brought my swiss army knife to school. I wore a necklace with a chinese star attached to it (in case ninjas attacked my school). I was constantly drawing guys shooting guys, big army battles, crap like that. My friend would bring his Megatron Transformer who transformed into… a gun… and after all of that, none of us tried to kill anyone, none of us ended up being maladjusted (ok, ok, only slightly maladjusted). This is just stupid. If this had happened, my parents would have kicked some ass at that school.

    With an 8 month old at home, thinking ahead, I’m slightly frightened as to what to do with her come time for school. The world is definitely going downhill, because everyone is becoming more and more stupid. Eh, maybe I’ll make it her daily homework to read this blog. That outta help highlight normal versus stupid.

  • The Masked Rye

    Wow. I played “army” all the time. I brought my swiss army knife to school. I wore a necklace with a chinese star attached to it (in case ninjas attacked my school). I was constantly drawing guys shooting guys, big army battles, crap like that. My friend would bring his Megatron Transformer who transformed into… a gun… and after all of that, none of us tried to kill anyone, none of us ended up being maladjusted (ok, ok, only slightly maladjusted). This is just stupid. If this had happened, my parents would have kicked some ass at that school.

    With an 8 month old at home, thinking ahead, I’m slightly frightened as to what to do with her come time for school. The world is definitely going downhill, because everyone is becoming more and more stupid. Eh, maybe I’ll make it her daily homework to read this blog. That outta help highlight normal versus stupid.