Earlier today, I read a news report that disturbed me.
A 9-year old Staten Island boy was nearly suspended from school. Why? He had a toy pistol in his possession. Let me repeat that. A toy pistol. It was attached to a Lego policeman action figure the child was using during his lunch break, but that it was a pistol, no more than 2 inches long, raised a red flag with school faculty. I realize we are living in hyper-sensitive times because of 9/11/01, but come on!
The child's mom is hoping for an apology, but at the same time is considering the prospect of a lawsuit. Oh, give me a break! This is a case more suited for The People's Court than requiring a lawsuit.
Another student, who was presumably playing a game with this boy, had a Lego figure of his own, wielding an axe, but wasn't disciplined. I guess the faculty's not keen on all those slasher movies. Anyway, this sends a disturbing message to the kids. Ordinary games like cops & robbers may yet be phased out because you can't bring toy guns to school. When I was a kid, we would play the game by using our hands for pretend guns. It's a safe alternative, and the only one these children may have now. Next thing you know, they'll ban slingshots, if they haven't done that already........!
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