Fourth Grader Gets Three Day Suspension From School For Bringing Nerf Gun

[Revmitchell]

After a couple of days into the school year, fourth grader Ramsey McDonald of Warner Robins was given what he thought was a fun assignment.

Bring in some of your favorite toys to talk about.

“They were trying to get the kids to know each other,” his father, Scott McDonald said.

The Miller Elementary School student told his father Friday night he was going to bring in his iPad and a couple of toys.

His father didn’t think much about it and said “OK.”

McDonald learned it wasn’t OK when he received a call from the school Tuesday.

“They told me my son brought a weapon to school and they asked me if I was aware,” McDonald said Wednesday. “I asked them what it was and they said it was a plastic Nerf gun.”

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/...school-for-bringing-nerf-gun-to-show-and-tell

 

[InTheLight]

Yes, schools have zero tolerance policies towards guns and knives.

I bet there will be 500 instances where this happens in the next couple of months, almost all of them will go unreported. Once in a while some parent will act as if they didn't know about school policy and raise a big stink about it and it becomes "news".

 

[Rolfe]

Times have changed. The secondary school that I attended had its own indoor pistol range.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

My daughter got suspended once, for having my Swiss Army knife in her back-pack, and I was the one who gave it to her, on a camping trip we went on. She was 12, at the time.

To have a suspension for a weapon on her record is ridiculous. I used to wear a locking-blade Buck knife on my belt in high school. Nobody ever said anything about it. All of us guys did it.

We are a nation of cowards.

 

[just-want-peace]

My daughter got suspended once, for having my Swiss Army knife in her back-pack, and I was the one who gave it to her, on a camping trip we went on. She was 12, at the time.

To have a suspension for a weapon on her record is ridiculous. I used to wear a locking-blade Buck knife on my belt in high school. Nobody ever said anything about it. All of us guys did it.

We are a nation of cowards.

Now this is an understatement if ever I read one!!!

 

[preachinjesus]

In the public schools I attended, if you brought a gun, a toy guy, a nerd gun, or a rubber band gun, you were immediately suspended for 21 days, escorted off campus by a police officer. Everyone knew it.

Went for knives too. And it was campus wide so if you left it on the gun rack on in your truck and parked for the day in your space you received the same treatment.

You either acknowledge the rules or you suffer the consequences. Ignorance of the rules is not excusable either. This was gone over in assemblies, mailers, and in morning announcements.

We had lots of hunters in the area.

 

[Gina B]

Maybe he was just being a good citizen and turning his gun and/or potentially offensive items over to the government. It's never too early to start practicing.

 

[matt wade]

We are a nation of cowards.

I agree with you completely. I would add that we are a nation of idiots, with no common sense.

 

[carpro]

Yes, schools have zero tolerance policies towards guns and knives.

I bet there will be 500 instances where this happens in the next couple of months, almost all of them will go unreported. Once in a while some parent will act as if they didn't know about school policy and raise a big stink about it and it becomes "news".

"Zero tolerance" is an excuse for educators inability to make common sense decisions.

This is another good example of a completely idiotic over-reaction.

 

[Revmitchell]

Zero tolerance is an excuse for lazy school administrators to not have to deal with anything honestly.


There should be no rule that says a nerf gun should get a child suspended. No teacher or adminstrator should be calling a nerf gun a weapon.

 

[HankD]

Actually bringing a nerf gun to school is a very dangerous thing.

For the nerfs that is.

HankD

 

[ShagNappy]

"Zero tolerance" is an excuse for educators inability to make common sense decisions.

This is another good example of a completely idiotic over-reaction.

Outside of Christ being our savior I didn't think I would ever say this... I completely agree with you.

This is stupid defined. It's a toy, it's not a gun, regardless of what the manufacturer printed on the box it came in. This is simply trying to force teach children that weapons=bad and only bad people have them.

 

[Crabtownboy]

My daughter got suspended once, for having my Swiss Army knife in her back-pack, and I was the one who gave it to her, on a camping trip we went on. She was 12, at the time.

To have a suspension for a weapon on her record is ridiculous. I used to wear a locking-blade Buck knife on my belt in high school. Nobody ever said anything about it. All of us guys did it.

We are a nation of cowards.

Yes, if you are so fearful that you carry a knife, then yes you are a coward.

 

[sag38]

Crab, only you would come to such a conclusion. He didn't carry a knife to feel safe. He carried a knife because most men and boys did in the days when schools actually practiced common sense. Obviously, you wouldn't know about being a real man or you wouldn't have attacked like you did. (I digress) I too carried a lock blade knife in a pouch on my belt almost everyday to high school and it wasn't because I was afraid. I carried not as a weapon but as a tool. Times have changed and bed wetters have ruined it for those who actually have common sense. To simply say, "Well, it's against the rules. The kid should have known better," is simply an excuse to be lazy and not to exercise good judgment.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Crab, only you would come to such a conclusion. He didn't carry a knife to feel safe. He carried a knife because most men and boys did in the days when schools actually practiced common sense. Obviously, you wouldn't know about being a real man or you wouldn't have attacked like you did. (I digress) I too carried a lock blade knife in a pouch on my belt almost everyday to high school and it wasn't because I was afraid. I carried not as a weapon but as a tool. Times have changed and bed wetters have ruined it for those who actually have common sense. To simply say, "Well, it's against the rules. The kid should have known better," is simply an excuse to be lazy and not to exercise good judgment.

That was not a personal attack. It was a general statement. Sag, I have been places in various parts of the world, including some in the States, where I do not believe you and others would dare to tread, even with a weapon and I carried no weapon. To me the bed wetters are those who are so insecure they feel they have to carry a weapon. There are many ways to defend yourself without a weapon. You do not need a buck knife as a tool every time you go out of the house.

Weapons that are carried in almost all cases are carried by cowards and yes Bro C. is correct many Americans are cowards. It shows. For instance the fellow found guilty last week for blowing away a drunk teenage girl.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Zero tolerance is an excuse for lazy school administrators to not have to deal with anything honestly.


There should be no rule that says a nerf gun should get a child suspended. No teacher or adminstrator should be calling a nerf gun a weapon.

This may be a first, but I agree with Mitch. While I agree on strict policies and punishments against weapons, or toys & other objects that could be legitimately mistaken for a weapon, a nerf gun is obviously NOT a danger to anyone. That is akin to the kid who got suspended and labelled a sexual predator for kissing a classmate in early elementary grades.

 

[Don]

That was not a personal attack. It was a general statement. Sag, I have been places in various parts of the world, including some in the States, where I do not believe you and others would dare to tread, even with a weapon and I carried no weapon. To me the bed wetters are those who are so insecure they feel they have to carry a weapon. There are many ways to defend yourself without a weapon. You do not need a buck knife as a tool every time you go out of the house.

Weapons that are carried in almost all cases are carried by cowards and yes Bro C. is correct many Americans are cowards. It shows. For instance the fellow found guilty last week for blowing away a drunk teenage girl.

(Sigh)

I carry my knife daily because I use it. Not every day, but it's amazing how often I need it.

But I guess I better start leaving it at home, because I'm apparently a coward.

 

[ShagNappy]

That was not a personal attack. It was a general statement. Sag, I have been places in various parts of the world, including some in the States, where I do not believe you and others would dare to tread, even with a weapon and I carried no weapon. To me the bed wetters are those who are so insecure they feel they have to carry a weapon. There are many ways to defend yourself without a weapon. You do not need a buck knife as a tool every time you go out of the house.

Weapons that are carried in almost all cases are carried by cowards and yes Bro C. is correct many Americans are cowards. It shows. For instance the fellow found guilty last week for blowing away a drunk teenage girl.

So, cops are cowards? Military are cowards? The guys riding the range keeping an eye on cow herds, and watching for wolves and cougars, are cowards? The carpet layers who always have a knife are cowards? The wallpaper hangers? the Hispanic lettuce pickers who have to cut the bottoms are all cowards? The mechanic who has to cut hoses is a coward? I can name more people outside of law enforcement and military that have need of weapons. I get that you like trolling these folks for a reaction, but this one is just stupid.

 

[Magnetic Poles]

Shag, in fairness, I don't think CTB is talking about items being used as tools, but by those who live in fear and think the only way to get by is to be armed. At least that is what it looks like to me, but of course CTB can speak for himself.

 

[matt wade]

Shag, in fairness, I don't think CTB is talking about items being used as tools, but by those who live in fear and think the only way to get by is to be armed. At least that is what it looks like to me, but of course CTB can speak for himself.

He specifically was talking about tools!

You do not need a buck knife as a tool every time you go out of the house.