Gun Play

Recently, when an 8th grader wore an NRA t-shirt to school and refused to take it off at the request of a teacher, he was then suspended from school. When he showed up after the suspension, he wore the same t-shirt, (many other students wore the same shirt in support) and was subsequently arrested. He was charged with obstructing an officer - he had refused to stop talking.  He wasn't violent nor did he make any threats. Now he faces up to a year in jail and a $500 fine.  http://reason.com/blog/2013/06/18/teen-faces-500-fine-one-year-in-jail-aft

In May, a five year old boy was suspended for 10 days when he brought a cowboy-style cap gun to school to show his friend. The kindergartner was interrogated for 2 hours over this until he wet his pants. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/31/interrogated-until-he-wet-his-pants-and-suspended-for-10-days-this-is-what-happened-to-a-5-year-old-who-brought-a-cap-gun-to-a-school/

In March, a seven year old boy in Maryland was suspended from school for eating a pop tart in the shape of a gun.  Since then, this story got so much attention, the NRA awarded the boy a junior membership into the organization. http://www.inquisitr.com/682190/pastry-gun-boy-becomes-nra-life-member/

A ten year old boy in Virginia was arrested and fingerprinted for bringing an orange-tipped plastic toy gun to school. He was also suspended for six days and faced possible expulsion. The 10 year old is potentially facing a permanent criminal record.  http://www.infowars.com/ten-year-old-arrested-for-toy-gun-has-probation-officer-lawyers-and-second-court-date/

A six year old girl came to school with her brother's clear plastic toy gun for show and tell and was expelled.  http://www.wltx.com/news/article/219116/2/6-Year-Old-Expelled-for-Bringing-Toy-Gun-to-School

Two six year old boys were suspended in Maryland for playing cops and robbers during recess and using their fingers to make imaginary guns. Another six year old boy was suspended for pretending to fire an imaginary gun.  http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/01/15/parents-furious-after-young-boys-suspended-after-playing-with-imaginary-weapon/

And just the mere discussion of a toy nerf gun between 2 twelve year olds, forced two schools in New York into a lockdown, in which armed police officers came, weapons drawn, to hunt for the weapon. The brightly colored nerf gun wasn't even in school - it had been left at home.  http://www.prisonplanet.com/discussion-about-toy-nerf-gun-causes-lockdown-at-bronx-elementary-schools.html

A young elementary schoolgirl in Pennsylvania had a paper gun in her pocket.  When it was discovered, she was not only chastised in front of her classmates, she was threatened with arrest. She then started having nightmares because her classmates had been calling her "murderer."  http://www.prisonplanet.com/discussion-about-toy-nerf-gun-causes-lockdown-at-bronx-elementary-schools.html

Two seven year old boys were suspended for making shooting noises while pointing pencils at each other.  http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/05/07/2-va-boys-suspended-for-using-pencils-as-guns/

The list goes on and on. Is it really necessary to scare and intimidate our children like this? Is the fear of another Columbine or Sandy Hook causing us to lose common sense?  Why are these children being punished this way?  Do we want our children to grow up afraid of guns?  Do we want them to be defenseless?  Is there some reasonable middle ground here?