Deadly Weapons

As if we needed further evidence of the world taking a turn for the surreal. Most everyone knows that there is a zero-tolerance policy regarding guns and weapons in schools these days. In a post-Columbine world it is only logical that there be such a strong stance against such things. And it's comforting and great to know that school officials all over the United States are taking this responsibility seriously. Apparently no where is this more so than in Kansas City, Missouri. School officials there came down and set an example by suspending six-year old Tawann Caskey for bringing a 'weapon' to school. Oh, don't let the picture to the right fool you. That's not the gun he brought to school. No, the weapon he had was indeed a gun. It was a two inch, plastic squirt gun.

Now I don't know about you but that just seems blatantly stupid to me. While I understand the need to have strict enforcement of the rules, there has to be some measure of common sense involved. We as a society seem to be quite good at punishing the kids who are honest about what they've done or who have done something less severe. How many times have you heard in the news about kids getting suspended over a pocket knife or a piece of plastic cutlery. I mean we've had kids get suspended from school for holding a chicken nugget in the manner of a gun for goodness sakes! Are we that sensitive or are we that freaked out about warping kids that we don't even want to let them be exposed to anything violent. If there's one constant in human nature it is to be violent but kids with squirt guns don't reach that level, at least not in my estimation.

If one takes the time to examine the 'gun' that young Mr. Caskey brought to school and compares it to the real gun above, you cannot help but laugh. According to officials, a girl in Mr. Caskey's class apparently saw the 'gun' in his hand and told a teacher. The teacher fearing the worst confiscated the gun and took the student to the principal. Based on school policy and rules, Mr. Caskey was immediately suspended for ten days with a permanent note in his record. A six-year old with a piece of plastic! We have kids walking into schools with automatic and semi-automatics and here we are punishing a kid for having a water gun in school. Maybe he had malicious intent, maybe he didn't know it was in his bag, or maybe it was planted in his bag. Whatever the reason for the water gun being there, it is definitely not enough to warrant suspension and a permanent record.

We all have to remember that kids are innocent, it is as they come to associate more and more with adults that they become enmeshed in the ways of adulthood and that innocence is slowly lost. They don't all start out with evil minds or plots to hurt their friends. Even Darth Vader was a whiney little snot before he grew up to be mean and powerful. We should help kids understand why certain things are bad so that they don't repeat their mistakes. Had it been a real gun in Mr. Caskey's bag, by all means, suspend him. But for a piece of plastic? Personally? I think the school board and teachers are the ones who should be suspended.