Second Grader Suspended for Drawing a Gun
Posted on October 21, 2007
When did the First Amendment stop applying to 7 year olds?
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.
Kyle gave the picture to another child on the school bus, and that child’s parents complained about it to school officials, McDevitt said. Her son told her the drawing was of a water gun, she said.
A photocopy of the picture provided by McDevitt showed two stick figures with one pointing a crude-looking gun at the other, the newspaper said. What appeared to be the word “me” was written above the shooter, with another name scribbled above the other figure.
What has happened to this Country! They’d thrown me in jail for some of the things I drew as a kid if this is worthy of suspension. Our schools have lost their minds! Zero tolerance on guns equals suspension over a piece of notebook paper? More like zero common sense. I wonder if they would charge him with possession of a deadly weapon if he folded it up into a paper airplane? Meanwhile they want to hand out BIRTH CONTROL to eleven year olds!
Wait! Here is more details of lost minds in New Jersey!
The case is not the first in New Jersey in which students were suspended for depictions of weapons.
Four kindergarten boys were suspended in 2000 for playing cops and robbers, even though they were using their fingers as guns.
I don’t know about you, but I feel much safer. It is so comforting to know the adults are in charge and have the wise judgement to be able to differentiate between real threats and children’s imaginations.
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?
Granted drawing this type of picture is kind of troubling seeing that he is pointing the gun at someone else and has their names on it, but come on, the kid is in the 2nd grade. This could indicate a problem up the road but there are other ways at this age to get the point across I would think.
Well, Kyle Walker, let that be a lesson to you. Undoubtedly, this will be on your school file. There is no telling what data bases you are listed on now. You might have trouble with airline travel. And future security checks for work may be a very unwelcomed surprise for you. And how can you check which security data bases have your name? You can’t. It’s a matter of national / international security.
Wow! This happened before in Arizona too!
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, 2nd Amendment, ACLU, News
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7 Responses to “Second Grader Suspended for Drawing a Gun”
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I am old enough to remember when it was not against the rules to carry a knife to school. A knife was a tool not a weapon. I have no recollection of anyone being assaulted with a knife but I recall having sometimes half the boys in class with knives. I also recall that every boy had a toy gun now it is rare. We had dreams of being the good guy with a gun that saves the innocent victims. Now to have a gun is not politically correct.
But this kid DREW A PICTURE, for crying out loud.
Oh for Pete’s sake, how stupid! I’m glad I homeschool. My kids would be knee deep in trouble all the time, since they like to draw. I’ve got a good one here with airplanes, bombs, soldiers, guns … How are we supposed to raise boys into men if they can’t do this kind of stuff?
Good for you, Peggy.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Public schools are completely and totally worthless and evil.
http://ogresview.mu.nu/archives/243668.php
Our freedoms are being taken. We need to start fighting back against these anti-Americans by all means necessary. We are losing our country. Exercise your second amendment right and buy lots of guns.
Let’s put the blame where the blame belongs, on on a child that is drawing what he is being taught. We as a society, including children, are bombarded by TV shows depicting people having guns, holding guns, killing others with guns. Why is it that we allow commercialism to prosper with movies, video games, computer games, etc, but then want to turn around and suspend a child for being artistic in what he is exposed to. Either get get real with what we are exposing our children to and deal with it or put the blame where the blame belongs.
The school is overacting since the picture itself is not rumored to be a threat. If we had evidence it was a threat of some kind then I would see reason for the school’s action.