Real, Strange News

This is ridiculous. Young boys play war, make gun noises, set up G.I. Joes and have them attack each other; this picture merely represents boys being boys and is harmless.

When are we going to realize that the best way to raise our kids is to realize they're KIDS? Imagination and creativity are important parts of brain development. The kid who drew the picture doesn't understand that he was suspended for the gun in the picture, what he knows is that he drew something for a friend and got in trouble for it. The next time someone asks him to draw a picture, he won't. Ever.

Schools need to stop instituting "zero tolerance policies" and start instituting common sense.

This is totally obsurd and I don't know of any young males who did not grow up playing 'guns and robbers' from time to time. Suspending children for what has become an issue within our society, and around the world for that matter, does not even scratch the surface when seeking a solution.

Yes, imagination and creativity are important parts of brain development, but imagining that you are shooting another child is neither creative nor good development for the brain. I would be concerned if my child were imagining something this negative. Is he watching too many violent television programs or playing violent video games?

Playing war or a version of the Cowboys and Indians game of the 1950's is one thing, but playing at shooting another child is cause for concern. "Boys will be boys" doesn't get it in this day and time.

This child should not be treated with hysteria or harshness, but he should be made to understand in no uncertain terms that there is a policy of zero tolerance for pretending to shoot someone else. Perhaps this will be so imprinted on his psyche that when the testosterone kicks in in adolescence, he will think twice before giving in to any urge to violence.

I guess the only thing we can do is jail parents who let kids watch TV. Yep, that oughta do it.

That picture seems to be depicting a run-of-the-mill operation by the companies the State Department habitually hires to do its "security" work. So, rather than suspend him, just figure he is a budding asset on the so-called War on Terror, or Terror War, however you like to put it.

It needs to be pointed out that the picture depicted above is much more violent and descriptive than the picture that Kyle Walker drew, and is extremely misleading.

There are more appropriate ways to handle this then suspending a 7 year old for a day. If the child is using his drawing to portray some inner turmoil it is better this way then others. Adults should be listening to him and giving him what he needs rather then ostarcising him and hurting him further.

Yes, kids, boys especially,. play with these types of things and draw pictures with guns etc. My nine year old does it, though it isn't an anger thing. It is about Police men, and army, heroes and those that help others. Communication works wonders, the school should be there for him instead of shutting him out.

These types of things are why I am thinking of taking my son out of public school. The schools are not there for children, a parent can only do so much when once a child reaches school age the school becomes such a big influence in their lives.

I think this is ridiculous, to suspend a young child for that stick figure gun picture. Counseling this child and parents would be a much better solution. If a child persists in drawing them, that is different.

WE are at WAR it is on every TV screen and
at every corner. This kid is luck he is just drawing it - there are second graders around the world LIVING IT!

I feel that gun safety should be tought starting in Kindergarten on up so kids know what guns do. When things are hidden from them if and when they find one what they can do so they will take it to an adult

The second amendment of the constitution of the United States of America provides the citizen of this country the right to bear arms.

The country is at war on two fronts.

I am no supporter of of the NRA or the war in Iraq.

All that being said, and as a father of two young boys, I think it is absolute nonsence to suspend a child for expressing the act of using a weapon in any form or manner.

It can, at best be a matter of etiquette and manners to not do anything offensive which includes the act of using a gun to shoot somebody. By the way that should also include other acts such as swearing, bullying etc.

When schools start suspending kids for any and all offensive acts then they can also suspend students for acts of using a weapon.

You are attcking the expression of a problem instead of attcking the source of the problem. Ban the violent images being shown on TV. Stop glorifying Military service. When you do all that, children will automatically stop pretend shooting.

All I can say is this - I have played cowboys since I was a kid and played with toy pistols (and real ones too as an adult), but it is utter nonsence to suggest that such play should be disallowed.

To prevent another columbine what you need to do is to get to the root of the problem which is the social inequities that exist in today's high schools, not suspend 2nd graders for pretend shooting!

The parents of this child should be questioned about the child's source for these drawings....Mosts things children of that age do usually come from their observing others do, especially when a caretaker does it.

Isn't it just so American. A kid gets suspended for drawing a gun, but assault weapons could not be banned despite 80% of the people being in favour of restrictions.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy we must be on guard for the warning signs. I child who draws a picture depticting a school shooting is a potential shooter and must be treated as such.
I don't know if suspending will fix that but there should be mandatory psych. evaluations for him and perhaps removal and commitment to a facility that would ensure he is no longer a danger to himself or others.
In these crazy times playing, joking and dreaming about guns isn't kid stuff anymore. It's deadly serious.

"Drawing a gun?" When I read that, I thought, "A 2nd grader pulled a gun on someone?" only to realise I got reeled-in by a good double-entente. Better send that kid to Guantanamo before he can do society any more harm. This is as absurd as it gets, folks.

this is widespread panic at its worst. This situation was handled so poorly, so terribly, i believe the school board should take actions against the principle and or teachers that handed out this suspension. A child draws a gun and that constitutes a death threat? Jesus Christ. Give me a break, zero tolerance is a terrible policy, isn't tolerance a virtue and doesn't the bible say turn the other cheek? COMMON SENSE.

I take the greatest issue with the author/editors for allowing a misleading picture to be printed with this article. The picture shown is of a "war" nature whereas the picture linked in the text can certainly be construed as a threat.

While I agree that the school's response was severe, zero tolerance is zero tolerance. As a school social worker we do need to help our children understand appropriate behavior and the difference between what is allowed in school and at home.

With actions taken like that I think that "1984" was only off by 23 years! Our society has gotten so PC that it is no longer a joke anymore. Please stifle all children from non-PC thought it will ruin our society. Don't tell Johnny that he failed his math test, that will make him feel bad. Yeah right, so when he gets into the corporate world will there be someone there to make it all better? Wake up people!

As always, we overact to children behaving as children. This should not be an offense where a child is suspended, but there should be a meeting with a counselor to make sure that there was no deeper motivation. We live in a society surrounded by violence and war, turn on the news at any time and you are bound to see at least 1 gun in a 20 minute segment. Children only reproduce to images and attitudes that surround them. Maybe it's time to rethink how the media covers and glorifies certain things, and maybe then we can prevent children bringing guns to school. Where else would a child of gotten that idea? Same way that there are copycats hanging nooses all over Long Island because the publicity the Jena 6 case got!

In the Bible (Mark 10:14) it says "Suffer the little children" not "Make the little children suffer". 'Nuff said.

Children are nothing if not observant and candid. The child's artwork precisely reflects what he sees daily on American media, and reflects American attitudes and actions with remarkable accuracy. He has sent a clear message of the American norm, and he should be heeded.

This kid should be given more than a 1 day suspension, thats for sure

Get a life folks.. He's a child and has an imagination. Don't punish him for using it. Explain that the picture is not nice and why.. Suspending him will not teach him anything but hate. He will hate the other child for getting him in trouble. Hate the school and the teachers.. Okay maybe hate is a bit stronge, but so are the action takin against this young boy. It's our job to TEACH, that means takin the time to explain why and ask him why..

This is crazy! The kid draws a gun and someone else being shot. What happened to "cowboys and indians" or "cops and robbers"? He is using his imagination and refers to images he has seen on television and video games.

On the flip side, we do expect our men and women to be loyal to the country and to go off and shoot people in foreign lands on the basis of a lie. So much for political correctness.

Did it not occur to any of the school officials that what the kid was doing was only expressing himself, precisely the sort of "open expressing" that maybe would have prevented Columbine and Virginia Tech? An open and honest contact with another human being rather than inwardly holding that anger in until it becomes explosive. We should be happy he's doing this face to face, only perhaps a little worried that he's already withdrawing from verbal expression and resorting to "drawing" the figures...Instead he was banished from school, rejected, isolated, and discouraged from expressing himself any time soon...until one day he'll "kill them all."
Or until he can't afford university and joins the military...

The person who wrote this is an idiot. Flat out.

Emil, go do your hair...

Maybe all the gun toteing cannon blasting, laser zapping, pg/g rated movies like Starwars, Fantastic Four, Transformers, and cartoons like Johnny Quest, Roadrunner etc. should be suspend, or even better yet remove them for influencing our children. The ultimate responsibiity lies at the source of these ideas not as an end result.

Thank God - the real God, the Christian God - that this child was caught. It always starts with thoughts and then moves to drawings. Kids are soon starting fires and torturing doves. They often progress to serial killing and stealing cable service.

This child was caught just in time. In fifteen years he may be another dirty bomber like Jose Padilla (yes, I know, he was never convicted of that crime, but we all realize the truth). In the final stage that kid will start learning to fly airplanes.

Clearly, God had a plan for that school bus on that particular day. It is all part of my vision. I have written much of it already in orange crayon.

Kids do as they see. Violence begets violence. You want guns well you got them and these are the results.

Maybe he should have told the school that it wasn't a pistol but actually a taser and that he was tasering his friend David because David was a suspected terrorist who hates America. Maybe they wouldn't have suspended him but given him the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I hope to god some of these comments are parodies. Kids in elementary school draw guns and violence. It's just what they do. I did, and so did some of my closest friends and we are not violent people. I have never gotten in a fight. It's probably the people who keep violent images in their HEAD that end up shooting up schools.
Stuff like this is nothing but healthy, and it is disgusting that a 7 year old is punished for doing something like this. When you're 7, the line "I'm going to kill you!" is nothing but a playful joke.

What should be banned is women being able to talk or address boys in any fashion. He needs a layer quickly.

Humm...Zero Tolerance...
So...does this include....no tolerance for "gangstah" rap...
or religious extremism...or political indoctrination...or fanatical social engineering...or ethnic racial sexual or pseudo-scientific bigotry???
How about no tolerance for....thought...or creativity...or curiosity...or debate or intellectual discovery...or questioning the overwhelmingly stifling [socialist/liberal] dominant paradigm?
Soon...we will have a nation of docile and weak lumps of fat...to scared and stupid to THINK...just waiting to be consumed by some stronger force...too bad

So.... we go after a child for drawing a picture of a gun being pointed at another person.
We don't go after the media or news organizations that show pics and video of cops with guns drawn, or soldiers with weapons drawn and firing in battle.
Are we going to have a stern talk with our returning soldiers about never talking about their experiences or their guns, particularly in earshot of children? Should we limit all photos of soldiers carrying guns? Should we advise Dick Cheney that filmed hunting trips are out, especially if he shoots somebody?
Its too late on the gun issues, folks. We have an entire new generation of scarred up soldiers coming home from battle and their children have been waiting for daddy to get home from the war. "Daddy, what did you do in the war?"
And if we are going to train people to kill, send them out to kill a million Iraqi and Afghani civilians, and we are going to have a war with Iran, and we are going to send our cops out with guns on the street, and we are going to allow the nearly constant use of gunplay as entertainment on television, and we are going to allow toymakers to replicate firearms and warmachines as toys, then its reasonable to think that it should be ok for little children to play games involving guns and representations of guns.

We can't have it both ways. Either we are a warrior society bent on enforcing our will over the world at the point of a gun and with secret prisons and torture or we are a nation of a pacifists who abhor violence.

One or the other.

Frankly, how many guys are alive today in Iraq because they understood war play as children and that, combined with military training, give an edge in the field?

Whatever the case, guns are the weapon of the age and acting like they don't exist or punishing our own children because they know about firearms is simply stupid.

We are a warlike race, bent on running the world our way and we do it with guns and threats of starvation and sanctions. Let our children become the true messengers of those efforts, train them early and well to keep a boot on the neck of the world. Give em guns and teach them that life isn't worth the effort it takes to pull the trigger.

Or do the opposite.

But don't try to do both.

I guess we have a Constitutional right to bare arms but not draw them.

Nanny State Bovine Droppings
Politically Correct Twaddle.

Honestly this is yet more evidence of the break down of the American family. David's parents obviously have no way of helping their child to sort out the varied things they come in contact with on a daily basis.

It was not a death threat or other dangerous situation. I did not hear if David had been beaten up or picked on by the gun artist. I did not hear any other information that allows justification for the 'zero tolerance' enforcement. What I heard was 'Zero Brain Cells' in David's parants and the school system.

This is a classic example of our government schools in inaction. The most that should have happened to this kid is a meeting with the counselor to determine what was going through his head, and if he presented a real threat. Instead, they neglegted to do their jobs, and now a kid missed a day of education because of it (come to think of it, they probably did him a favor).

If and until "We, The People" figure out that the government is in no position to determine how our children are brought up, we are damning them to this type of idiocy.

This is totally ridiculous. I drew all kinds of stuff at that age. The biggest problem with your piece about this is the following statement:

"By monitoring and correcting those who's mind's stray into inappropriate areas we not only ensure a safe and fair learning environment, but a better future for America."

So you consider youself the thought police? What are innappropriate areas? What does policing thought have to do with safety, fairness and learning?

If you truly want a safe, more fair America, I suggest you focus on something a bit more substantive than this sort of story - it's great to illustrate the failings of "zero tolerance" thinking, but your op/ed at the end should be saved for your dinner table.

Wil,

"We, the people" have been giving up the parenting of our children to the schools for about 20 years. We are just seeing what a mistake this is.

Why is the iraqi kid art drawing shown in stead of the stick figure drawing..this is absolute rubbish ..when it comes to journalism!!!

Find the actual drawing here:
http://gothamist.com/attachments/jen/2007_10_drawing.jpg

The drawing makes u smile with the smiley faces and all.. how can u punish a kid for drawing !!!

A second grader identifying himself as a 'shooter' and a classmate as the 'target' has been watching too much violent TV and YES parents are to blame. I have witnessed five year olds who stay up nights watchiing adult TV. If advertisers spend millions on commercials, then for me the verdict is in. TV does affect childrens behaviors. . .

Just another incident showing how far out of control our school government, administration, and staff has went. My 9 year old was suspended for 156 days for wearing the words "Have the Courage to be Yourself" on his polo shirt. The same words that WERE posted on the school's own library wall, (removed by the school after the suspension)!!!

Cyndi, Congress Arizona.

I guess that we need to band American history, science, social studies, and whatever else that our kids are taught in the school systems these days. Then go back to the time were life started out as life becomming a danger to each other in any way, somewere around were Cain killed Abel. That should give us a few thousand year to do the samething all over again.

Counseling is called for. Just not for whom the other posts are speaking.

Counseling should be required for the people who created this stupid zero tolerance law.

Counseling should be required for the people who lock up parents who spank their kids when they do something wrong to try and teach their kids that there are negative consequences to their negative actions (I said spank, not beat. Get a grip, get a life; there is a difference).

Now that everybody is so "make nice" and touchy-feely the older kids feel they can get away with murder, because, actually they can!

Thanks a lot, bleeding hearts!! According to the crime statistics your plan is working out really well. (snotty sarcasm intended because you deserve it).

Punishing a kid for drawing a picture that he probably saw on the TV news or in the Washington Post is just plain wrong!!

Give the counseling to the reporters who think this is the kind of news that needs to be hammered into everybody's head.

Why don't we let parents be parents again? That touchy-feel liberal crap didn't work.

BTW: Off topic - the environmentalists should be real happy today too. It used to be you could clear the brush away from your home up to 150 feet in California to keep your house from burning down in a wildfire. Not anymore. The law says we gotta save that brush ... and watch peoples home's burn.

Another group of touchy-feely liberal morons that could use some counseling. Or maybe, get their backsides on the front of the firelines. If they want to save the brush so bad let them get out there with a shovel and save it.

The drawing is indicative of the child's societal exposure. Corrective measures should be taken; however, the imposed suspension is of the least effect.

the person that suspended this kid needs to give a shotgun a bjob.

America be afraid of your children, be afraid of your friends, be afraid of your neighbors and afraid of yourselves. Only through absolute fear can you achieve the total security necessary to live without fear.

It is a big issue today that everyone is looking for an honorable way out, It will be forgotten in a day

Kids got a future with Blackwater

lol

This is the most ubsurd thing ive ever heard of. All boys draw things like this at that age. ALL.

Thank god it wasn't like that when I was in school, the pictures we drew... I would have never finished grade school! This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read, the parent who reported it should be ashamed of them self, and the school is obviously a complete joke.

Pretty soon they'll be suspending for the G-Word.

I think he should be water-boarded. And the other kid, too - after all, he was holding a gun in the picture, as well.

GET A JOB AND YOU WOMT HAVE TIME TO READ THIS JUNK

I personally know this child. I can tell you his favorite summer pass time is playing in the pool with his brother and thier WATER GUNS. He doesn't understand why he got in trouble for drawing him and a friend playing WATER GUNS.

This is exactly the kind of BS that made me pull my children out of school in the first place and started teaching them common-sense. There should be a counseling session going on, there's no doubt about that! But not for this poor little boy, this victim of rabid, paranoid liberal educrats. It should be the teachers and school district administrators who receive mandatory counseling, along with making restitution and a sound apology to the boy and his family! What's next? Drawing a picture of a music CD might get you hauled into court by the RIAA for millions of dollars of punative damages? American parents, wake up and fight back!

When I was a child, I thought most adults were idiots. Now that I'm 25, and having read hundreds of reports like this, I still believe that most adults are idiots.

No way will any child of mine ever go to such a school. This is just one more incident to show that too many school faculties are not fit to have children in their care.

Can someone tell me where i can print this picture at? I want to keep it for my daughter so when she start second grade in a couple years i can show her " WHAT NOT TO DRAW " unless she gets suspended for taking a barbie doll to school with to tight of clothes or something>

So, I guess when I was in 3rd grade and I drew that picture of a jet-powered flying tank with heat-seaking missiles and with soldiers carrying bazookas attacking the school and blowing it up while a huge dragon ate all the teachers that were running away and there were fighter jets shooting lazer-beams at the dragon and Zeus was throwing lightning-bolts at the jets...that was a bad thing?

How pathetic. It seems most of our schools and media are so far left liberals they have lost sight of common sense. Socialism is just one of the first steps toward scrapping our constitution and sovereignty as a nation. If drawing a picture of a gun or pointing a finger at a classmate and saying "bang" was dangerous I and many of my child friends would be in jail I guess. However, we grew up, defended our country(even from the bleeding heart liberals), many of those lost their lives and now we are seeing the outcome of the anti crowd many of which came out of the liberal 60s.
With all sincerety-Wake up America(ns), Liberty is Fragile.

Well, I think the scariest comment here is the one by the woman who says her child was suspended for almost a whole school year for wearing a T-shirt saying "Have the courage to be yourself." Guess that's some kind of really subversive message these days.

I used to think this kind of ridiculous, insane punishment made the news because it was so rare. LOL. Now I'll bet similar things and worse happen every day and get no publicity at all because parents don't or can't get media attention.

Everything's so crazy these days--remember the young woman (living paycheck to paycheck, I heard) who just recently got hit with a $200,000+ fine for downloading music? Remember the girl a few years ago who was suspended for possibly saving another girl's life on the bus by giving her an inhaler when she was having an asthma attack?

Personally, I keep waiting to make some kind of accidental, innocuous, apparently trivial mistake and get slammed for it with some kind of extreme, draconian punishment that pretty much ruins my life. It's the fashion these days!

Guess we'll be bringing back medieval torture next...oops, a little late making that observation, aren't I?

This is really getting out of hand in this country anymore. We have violence in movies, violence on the news and a country loosing soldiers for the wrong reasons. As a single father I know my child sees this and so do all children. You cannot punnish a child for reflecting it in art. Yes, stick figures to a young child is art. So they repeat what they see and you kick them out of school? Makes perfect sense.....to the liberals that seem to be running things in this country anymore. Personally I don't see anything wrong with it and I remember drawing a lot worse pictures than that growing up and I managed to not take out half the school.

The parents were offended? I love that one. I personally believe that it is ones right to offend you. we all have the right to free speach and free expression. If you happen to be offended then don't listen. Why should your sensitivity and inability to ignor overide an individuals constitutional right?

Guns guns guns guns. Somehow the know it alls have to always blame them instead of the criminals. Lay a loaded gun on a table in your house. Wait an hour....how many people did it hurt or kill? lay it there for a week (if you don't have children of course) Did the death toll rise? Now let a fellon in your house. any problems start yet? What changed? Hmmmmm......somewhere there is a know it all liberal trying to think of why I'm wrong.

I have the best idea that will end all of this.....no more murders, robberies or even carjackings.....no one is allowed outside anymore. From this point on you will be escorted to work by armed guards. While at work you will not be allowed any human contact. After work you will be brought home where you will stay untill your next shift at work. Think thats crazy? There would be no crime. Doesn't it sound great? No? That's the direction we are heading in. And you are all letting it happen. This country has become a minority rule society. An no that has nothing to do with race. it has to do with it only taking one persoon to complain about something and be "offended" to ruin something for the many.

I weep for this country. It used to strong and brave and stand for something. Now it week and pathetic ruled by spineless people who want nothing more than than to get their way regardless of what the populace wants as a whole.

Before I end my little venting period I want to leave anyone that might actually read this with a few thoughts. History has shown time and time again that no government or society no mater how great lasts forever. Without the second ammendment right, that many seem to love to hate, you would very quickly lose all the others with no recourse.

I think it is ridiculous that the Washington Post would print a picture that isn't even close to what my son drew. Kyle does not watch shootem up movies and we have no guns in our home. This was a boy being a boy and it is sad that our society has come to this. Thanks for your support America........

Simply said, your article is extremely biased and unfair to the other side of the story. Although you've done a good deal of Googling about Kyle's dilemna, it seems you haven't done much research about other cases. Forming an opinion based on just one or a few cases is never a good plan.

Actually I am not surprised. My son was suspended when in 3rd grade for having a drawing of a knife in his backpack. I was told its part of the zero tolerance policy.

Just another reason to not send your kids to "politically correct" public schools.
No other comment is necessary !!!!!!!!!!!

If one stretches the imagination a bit, it might be possible to understand why the one boys parents might be concerned. As a former schoolteacher, I must question the principal's ability to think coherently. Only a MORON (a psychological term meaning someone with an IQ below 50) would actually think this a proper solution. The parents of the boy who drew the picture should try to find a school for their child that isn't overseen by an idiot.

What should have happened when the school got the complaint about the drawing:

School: Kyle, that's an interesting drawing. What is it about?

Kyle: It's me and David playing water guns!

School: Wow, that sounds like fun, Kyle! But some people might think these are real guns, so you should write a title on your pictures, okay?

Kyle: Okay.

School: Great! See you tomorrow!

School - hands drawing back to parents and waves goodbye to all of them.