Newly recruited for cub scout
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=It’s%20a%20spoon,%20its%20a%20fork,%20its%20a%20….weapon&st=cse
This 6 year old first grader was suspended from school and faces a reform school for 45 days. Zachary Christie’s offense was taking a camping untensil that has a spoon, fork, and a knife, to school. He violated the school distric zero-tolerance policy on weapons. In Newark, Deleware the Christina School district adopted The zero-tolerance policies on the possesion of weapons on school grounds. Because of the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings many school around the country had to adopt the same policies.
When are we gonna finially relize that the laws that are being formulated needs to be comb through with a fine tooth comb. There needs to be a process where the fine tooth comb can eliminate words that could change any unessicary judgements made on innocence. So I say less legislation and more brain thinking people in government.
I understand that this age group is not so good at rationalizing or reasoning that this new tool could be recognized as a weapon. I’ve wondered had I given in to my 5 year old the oppertunity to take a toy to school would he have wanted to taken his new toy a bow and arrow that was given by an uncle and maker of the toy weapons, which he would not part with, would he have been treated the with the same reaction. I am a firm believer of not taking toys to school so but just the thought had me quivering. So we should make an example of this story and the six year old. What has the world of parenting come to these days, we should also remind ourselves as parents, that we want the best for our kids. That means say no to what might get the child in trouble.
October 29, 2009 at 10:24 pm |
I think that the school administration went too far on the six year old boy. I don’t think that they should have punished him to the point where he has to attend a reform school for forty-five days. The suspension from school should have been enough for him. You would think that they would consider that he is not fully grown or shall I say his brains are not fully developed, and he is only six years old. Usually, they don’t even punish murders that bad in our country today, some of them get let go or they either say that a couple of years for them should do, and they think that just by putting them through that will help them to not do that again. They don’t think that they are fully grown men and women who know their rights and wrongs, so they treat them this way, on the other hand this six year old who is still in the process of learning, automatically gets kicked out of school. Another thing is that they should have punished the parents also. I think this because, first they should have watched their child, that includes looking through their back pack before they leave to school, and that shouldn’t just include during that time but wherever they may go. Also, another thing is that they should have been telling him the right and wrongs on what should or shouldn’t be taken to school and other things that are illegal. I think that parents should be more cautious with their children because kids these days are capable of doing anything.
December 2, 2009 at 1:06 am |
I know that with children that young it’s not good to give them any sort of weapon without supervision. Like you said, it’s best not to bring any toys to school. I don’t have a child so I don’t know for sure if my thinking is correct. But I think this is was way overblown. I mean, come on, he’s so young he’s not going to rationalize such a thing. All he’s probably thinking is “hmm, I think I want to show my cool toy to everyone.” Just take the thing away you don’t have to suspend him and put him through all that. He just 6 years old. I think if he has a history as/against a bully then maybe this would be more suitable. But I don’t think a 6 year old would think of revenge if raised properly. Though I guess that’s not always obvious. And now a days there are a lot of bullies. But I think just simply taking it away would be sufficient enough. Perhaps a weeks worth of suspension and a talk would be enough. And this boy sounds “stable” enough for you to know it was an innocent action.
I guess I think this way because I once brought a Swiss Army Knife in my backpack on accident ( I had been playing with it in my backpack with some friends) to school, in 4th grade. I told the teacher and she said it was fine but I was so scared because I didn’t want to get in trouble. My face was all red and I was ready to cry. But they took the offense lightly.
This kid on the other hand didn’t know that this was a bad action. If he was just told that it was wrong and be stern, then he’d get the picture. Or his parents could have told him not to. Though I think that they didn’t think it would be any harm to take.
December 4, 2009 at 9:06 pm |
They suspended a six year old from school? That’s kind of dumb, right? I mean he’s still a little boy, I’m pretty sure that his brain hasn’t fully functioned yet. I’m not saying that he’s stupid or anything like that, I’m just saying that he’s still a little boy and I don’t think that he knows that kind of stuff yet. He may know that what’s right and whats wrong but I don’t think that he would know anything about weapons yet. Especially at that age, I think that they should have just sat him down and told that’s wrong and tell his the reasons why. I do that to my little nephews, and after that they know its wrong to them. I know that there has been bad things that happening. Like at Virginia Tech, and at other places. But I don’t think that he would do that because he is still a little boy. I wouldn’t think that he would do that, like I said his brain hasn’t fully functioned well. If I were that kid, I wouldn’t know what to do. I probably wouldn’t even know what to say. I bet that kid thinks that when he did this, he probably thinks that he is a bad kid now. That’s what I would think; I wonder what his parents said. I bet they didn’t like it, they probably thought that it was stupid, or something. That’s what I would think if I were that child’s parent. But then again, I would think that it is part my fault also for not talking to him about that.