Saturday, October 20, 2007
Nitwit watch: "Zero tolerance" once again violates First Amendment
The brainless dolts who administer the schools in New Jersey's Dennis Township have suspended a second-grader for drawing a stick-figure holding a gun.
A second-grader's drawing of a stick figure shooting a gun earned him a one-day school suspension.
Kyle Walker, 7, was suspended last week for violating Dennis Township Primary School's zero-tolerance policy on guns, the boy's mother, Shirley McDevitt, told The Press of Atlantic City.
I have a question. Setting aside that the officials of Dennis Township have humiliated themselves, how is it conceivable that the First Amendment permits a government official to discipline a student for a drawing?
9 Comments:
By 
Purple Avenger, at
Sat Oct 20, 09:26:00 PM:
We used to have "schools". They would be more accurately described as indoctrination centers today.
By Angevin13, at
Sat Oct 20, 10:58:00 PM:
The student also drew a skateborder, King Tut, and a cyclops. What, no cyclops zero tolerance policy in Dennis Township?
We didn't just draw guns in elementary school, we "played" guns, too. But that was all the way back in the 80s, when kids could actually do that sort of stuff. You know, be kids...
By 
, at
Sun Oct 21, 12:47:00 AM:
Zero tollernce is zero intellegent i mean suspending a kid for drawing a stickman with a gun, i suppose they will approve of two stickmen kissing. ZERO TOLLERENCE IS STUPID
By Purple Avenger, at
Sun Oct 21, 02:29:00 AM:
We didn't just draw guns in elementary school, we "played" guns, too.
By high school, we were sporting pocket flame throwers. I suppose today I would have been arrested and charged with terrorism or something and lead away in leg irons.
Back in the 60's and early 70's that sort of thing was good clean fun. Officially frowned on of course, but not so much as to shut down our "engineering activities".
School officials in those days knew when they had this country's next generation of engineers on their hands and weren't going to do anything to stamp out our creative spirit. Not so much today...
By , at
Sun Oct 21, 06:35:00 AM:
I remember those days very well. Model rockets, chemistry sets, soldering irons and electronic kits were considered toys. The lawsuit industry put most of the cool companies out of business while the PC crowd considered most of what I did as a youth "boy stuff" and eliminated it from school.
My brother and I were considered pretty good artists in our day. I was asked to draw a tree, a lake and a hill and I did that. I also added a 4 barreled self propelled anti aircraft gun. My brother did an image of a man who had just gotten his head cut off (it was near Halloween). I am now an architect and he is a commercial artist. The teachers (Catholic nuns!) asked our parents questions about us and my parents reassured them that we were normal, just better able to draw what we imagined and not afraid to do it. When I graduated from the school I received the Science medal. When my nieces graduated from the same school not one boy earned a single award. Not all change is good.
By , at
Sun Oct 21, 09:47:00 AM:
I guess they'd rather that little boys draw pictures of fairies and pixies and flowers and all that sort of things?
Boys used to be allowed to be boys. And adults used their heads to exercise discretion and set sensible limits.
No wonder parents who can find a suitable alternative to the public schools choose to leave.
By , at
Sun Oct 21, 09:56:00 AM:
Best comment of the week:
"i suppose they will approve of two stickmen kissing."
Great comment, Birdman. Wonderfully perceptive and (unfortunately) probably very true. I'm presuming you used "stickmen" on purpose, as referred to "stick figures".
Stick figure holding gun = suspension
Man and woman stick figures kissing = C grade
Two male stick figures kissing = A+ for compassion, diversity and understanding!
BTW, I presume you guys [and gals -Ed] understand that this particular incident isn't anything new. A kid was suspended for drawing a gun in some grade school in the Southwest (Arizona?) a month ago or so. There's a web site out there that lists these things, but I never saved the link simply because it's too depressing to go there.
Tyree, that was a great comment. Can you imagine giving a mere 12-year-old ("He's just a baby!") a Gilbert Chemistry Set today? You'd be arrested for "child endangerment". The first day the kid brought a couple of chemicals that fizz and bubble when mixed together to school for Show & Tell, the Department of Homeland Security would be called. Not to mention the local HAZMAT team.
I remember being disappointed when the Gilbert chemicals didn't blow up.
Your story of the picture and the nuns reminded me of the time when my parents were worried I might be a "firebug" and sent me to a psychiatrist. His verdict? Nope, just another normal kid who likes playing with matches!
Those were the days.
By D.E. Cloutier, at
Sun Oct 21, 11:42:00 PM:
"I'm presuming you used 'stickmen' on purpose, as referred to 'stick figures.' "
You are giving me the impression you are an insufferable bore, Dr. Mercury.
By , at
Sun Oct 21, 11:55:00 PM:
Thanks for the comments.
My son took chemistry in high school. The first day his teacher made something explode. All the student understood they were not to tell anyone! The class was so much fun my son took AP chemistry from the same teacher and won a college scholarship for his science scores on the standardized tests. School doesn't have to be boring, but it is hard for teachers to cover the cool stuff these days.
