You can, it is a regulation that if anyone demands money from a teller that you must give it to them even if no weapons are present and no threats are made.

I had a finger gun, remember it was a one shot toy. shot a rubber bullet. My favorite gun was the replica of the Wanted Dead or Alive Winchester and holster, just like Steve McQueen.

Fingers don't kill...etc.

Bubba -

"just like Steve McQueen" - I think you mean "Josh Randel."

(Was he the original gangster? Sawed-off winchester, both shoulder stock and barrel? OMG!)

And the next news headline will be that a first grader is being tried as an adult for the felony charge of having an assault weapon in class... the weapon being a rubber band paper wad shooter.

You laugh, mimi, BUT:

"A 13-year-old student in Orange County, Fla., was suspended for 10 days and could be banned from school over an alleged assault with a rubber band..." "Robert Gomez, a seventh-grader at Liberty Middle School, said he picked up a rubber band at school and slipped it on his wrist."

"Gomez said when his science teacher demanded the rubber band, the student said he tossed it on her desk."

"After the incident, Gomez received a 10-day suspension for threatening his teacher with what administrators say was a weapon..."

AND:

Rubber bands are a controlled item at Young Middle Magnet School of Mathematics, Science & Technology in Tampa FL.In a December newsletter, the Buffalo Bulletin, administrators warned parents and students ...

"There have been recent incidences of students at our school using rubber bands as a method of projecting objects at other people."

"Rubber bands are not permitted at school. If students are in possession of rubber bands for any reason they will be subject to consequences that may include out of school suspension."

The left scoffs at the right when there is talk of "taking back our country," but I think it is more about returning to sanity than returning the the 1800's.

Just got back to this thread. Can't believe this crap about the rubber band. This counry has gone insane.

Mimi -

Certifiably so!

Perfect example of what American society has become. We need a strict moratorium on procreation until all of the adults have a chance to grow up. Ban cartoons. Restrict television viewing to only MSNBC and FOX.

All of our 6 year old children can attend school by calling each other socialists or fascists. They can play pretend as a murderous U.S. President that sat idly by and cheered the terrorists of Benghazi to kill 4 innocent Americans vs. the gays responsible for the massacre of twenty innocent American schoolchildren.

Stupid kids and their violent childish games. How dare they point their grimy little fingers and say pow? Where is their sense of personal responsibility? Probably feel "entitled" to parental support. They can get jobs and buy their own PB & J. Pull their little azzes out of school and put 'em in juvie until they're old enough for the military.

CommonSense... I am agreeing with you! Particularly, I have to smile at your satire.

The article about "pow"? It takes an incompetent teacher to think that word is remotely a threat... and I am myself a teacher. However, there are teachers coming into our schools who need to turn around, and be tested for common sense, let alone subject matter.

Or is that a forbidden subject too?

If fingers are outlawed only outlaws will have .......... oh, never mind.

We need to ban fingers. We need to turn in the ones that are already out there and then register those that want their fingers back as long as they provide a photo ID and finger prints.

..and of course children under the age of 18 should never be able to registered or possess a finger.

NRA on one side and this incident on the other - America - The country of ridiculous extremes !!!!!!!

When I grew up we played cowboys and indians all the time and buildt forts out off lincoln logs and played with toy plastic solders and we did not grow up and kill people! They are going to far when it gets to 5 and six year olds and supending them and my Stepmom was a teacher!

Good thing the kid wasn't dyslexic, pointed a toe at a teacher, and said "wop". Maryland? Isn't that one of those 3rd world states on the east coast, where 3 blocks from the waterfront in Baltimore you can assume that anyone with their hands in their pockets is concealing an unregistered thumb?

And, if he had a Barbie doll, would that make him a sexual pervert that should be suspended? Let kids be kids instead of trying to treat them as "grown up", and lets get to what's really happening to our society. Possesion of fingers or rubber bands is not what directs criminals, or violence. It's thier attiude about thier responsiblity in how they affect others. (fingers and rubber bands can, and do affect attitudes if they are allowed to be used for control, but not if used for childish play)

Oh, or Barbie dolls either!

You have got to be kidding! As an educator, I can say this school and school district have lost all common sense and understanding of students. Let me say these words not directed toward anyone and I'm not pointing my finger, "Pow-bang" "Pow-bang" I heard some "Pows and bang" at midnight on New Year's. There is no cure for stupidity is there?

Damn. These politically correct ass wipes are totally out of control. Now children can't even be children. The over reaching ignorance of this country is sickening. They want everybody to answer to here kitty kitty.

These are the teachers and administrators that some people want to have carry firearms in school? I can just imagine a tense standoff between a teacher armed with a 9mm and an eight year old student with a rubber band.

These "zero tolerance policies" are just an admission by the administrators themselves that they lack the judgement and common sense required to do their jobs.

How many dangerous nut cases are our public school systems creating by traumatizing children for acting like children? Will the little boy in this story become shy and reserved because he has no way of knowing what behaviours might cause a repeat of this fiasco?

Something in our society is creating monsters like the one in Newtown. Perhaps it is the agonizingly smug repression of natural behaviours in children by the politically correct Nazi's in our school systems.

Well that's rational. I guess every male should drive to the local police station and turn themselves in for playing army, cops and robbers etc when they were kids. Bill Clinton: I played cops and robbers but I didn't fire.

The psychos have won. And if he was playing cowboys and indians he should be sent to a political correctness camp for reprogramming.

Suspended for a day? How is this psychotic maniac not in prison for the rest of his natural life!? Just what I need, walking down the street minding my own business when this 1st grader shoots me with a finger gun. Now my children will grow up without a father. @!$%#ing lenient school policies...

I'm sorry Samantha, but I hope to god that even a third grade teacher in this country knows the difference between a gun, a knife, and an index finger.

Samantha, are you saying that children can no longer play cops and robbers at school and if they do so they should be punished?

We should replace all these finger guns with gender neutral easy bake ovens. Instead of Pow it should be Bam! cake is done.

Think about it, folks. Children today attend day care and pre-school from 8 weeks until kindergarten, then K-12, then be ready for college! They never have the time and freedom to JUST ACT THEIR AGE! Even during the summer, there are various camps, more day-care and summer school. And let's not forget about organized sports, dancing, acting clubs. And then the parents complain about how stressed their kids are. Would it really be a shock if such a child snaps one day and does something anti-social? The sad thing is, I bet the Connecticut shooter never played cowboys & Indians, or WWII, or cops & robbers as a child. Maybe he should have.

Regardless of what the CT shooter did or didn't.. This is BS..

Does anyone know the saying, MONKEY see, MONKEY do... All Movies that have guns need to be banned and now...You take your child to a movie, you turn on your TV and what do you see? This bunch in Maryland need some education themselves.. These children are being just that, CHILDREN... Its time to get over all of this crap...Leave the children alone. I am sick and tired of the Government using these instances to obtain their GUN LAWS...Way to much big Government...Shut her down.

Maryland first-grader suspended for pointing fingers at friends, saying 'pow'

Next, police will be shooting down your kids playing with fingers as guns and saying pow-pow.

We have created a nation of stupid people that have zero common sense. The little kid way playing,. Where the hell is the crime in that?

Just imagine if the child would have had the hiccups, then they would have accused him of having an automatic finger with a high capacity magazine.

Laffy Taffy:

Everyone wants there own bogeyman. There was nothing wrong with what the child did, absolutely nothing. People have to watch what the say, wear, eat, drive, and even think for fear of offending/scaring another person. It wasn't that long ago when a child was suspended for bringing a toy gun from an action figure to school. The gun may have measured an inch but the school sent him home for brandishing a weapon. now it's devolved to a finger and saying "Pow".

Good thing he didn't fart at the same time. He likely would have been arrested for firing a live round. Either that or charged with terrorism for setting off a stink bomb.

• A bunch of the commenters here are paid by MSNBC, and the Democratic party, and are immune from punishment by the mediators no matter how foul their comments are to you, yet if you are not aligned with what MSNBC wants you to believe, your account gets banned like mine.

• Don't ever give up. Re-Register and be heard. In will right after they ban me again. At least I deserve it this time. FUKC YOU MSNBC !!!
• 
  
• 
  
• THE IRONY; THE MEDIA ARE THE ONES WHO CENSOR PEOPLE NOWADAYS, KIND OF LIKE WE ARE IN CHINA OR NORTH KOREA.

my grandson is getting crap from teachers and administrators for pointing his finger and pretending to blast his friends at recess while they play.........my daughter looked up this issue and found a study done by a leading educational institution that found such behavior is not only common and non threatening but healthy mental and emotional growth tools for boys....who are after all full of testosterone...

we treat our animals like people and now expect our kids to behave like well trained puppies.....

such restrictions by educational authorities is blatantly stupid and should be repealed.......I mean after all, if you go into any Toys R Us or Fred Meyer, or Walmart or Kaybee toys or any other seller of kids toys you will find shelf after shelf of government approved toys like water guns, bee guns, air rifles, swords, plastic knives, plastic pistol sets with holsters, light sabers, ray guns, sling shots, water balloons, bats, whack a mole games, dart guns, dart games, bad mitten sets, croquet mallots, frisbies, water machine guns........and more toys of a violence.......and these are not including any video games...

so if the government ok's the production and sale of these items by consumers as safe for kids why do the schools turn around and confuse our kids by telling these things that Santa brings from the shelves of their favorite toy store are bad and they will by punished for playing with them?

So, let me get this bigger picture straight...........kids get expelled for pointing their finger at any one and PRETENDING it is a weapon and making "shooty" noises but teachers are taking REAL gun classes and coming to school packing REAL weapons.............yeah, that makes a lot of sense.....

how do we know the teachers are all sane and won't pull that weapon at a point of instability and start shooting?............I'd feel a lot safer with my kid and his finger than a teacher and a loaded REAL gun in the classroom.........

When did we get so stupid..............?

Even the kids know this is a dumbass thing to do.............next thing you will be expelling 5 year olds for spelling the work GUN......teaching our children fear and down playing their natural behavior as children for role playing is a disservice to our children..............this nation of armed chickens who want to raise the next generation to be wossie sheep is the laughing stock of the world...

great nation indeed......our forefathers would have never survived to give us our nation if they had thought like this............denying our human behavioral model instead of embracing it and teaching self discipline is nuts...........teachers who ignore students, who yell at students, who embarrass students, who punish students, who lie to students, who destroy students self esteem are more guilty of creating a monster who later does violence than the finger pointing pretend gun slinger or the video player..................

I have met so many teachers that my kids had over the 20 years it took to get them all through school that actually hated kids that the thought of ANY of them having a loaded weapon on them while on campus would have scared the hell out of me...........

]no matter what we TRY to do, things are going to happen............we cannot protect everyone all the time--it is impossible............but to teacher fear and self loathing because one acts in a normal yet suddenly unpolitically correct way is a recipe for tragedies far greater than what we have seen to date.

Schools teach of war, and murder, and death and carnage and suffering as a means used to build our great nation, our text books are full of not only the written accounts but of pictures--vivid and detailed-- and then punish students for pretending............hypocrites!..............they teach of WW1 and WW2 and Vietnam and Korea and then punish students for finger action and gun noises....we ask our kids to join the armed forces and take up arms but punish them for pretending with finger action and gun noises......

what the hell..........................make up your minds............clean off the toy shelves, get rid of all our violent history and encourage our kids to become doctors and do away with the armed forces...........

GET REAL AND STOP CONFUSING KIDS..........don't teach fear, teach confidence with reason, don't change history, teach the truth and reality and the price for freedoms, don't lie to them and get them to join the armed forces without making clear they COULD ACTUAL DIE IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY..........

teachers who physically and verbally abuse kids or stand by and watch other kids do it, teachers who carry loaded lethal weapons, teachers scare kids.............versus 5 years olds with a pointing finger for a gun.......which one bugs me more............well, it ain't the pint sized unarmed kid...

I hope someone sues a school district and wins so we can dispose of this issue before it hurts any more kids............I'm sure the schools are more afraid of losing a lot of money than they are of a finger toting kindergartener ...

grown ups acting worse than children...............it's getting more and more common....how sad.

When fingers are outlawed

Only outlaws will have fingers

You can make fun of this article all you want, but if you have been reading the news over the past several months you will know that first graders have brought real guns to school. My husband is a third grade teacher and has had a knife pulled on him twice by a third grader. Schools have to take everything seriously because they just don't know which kid is a threat and which isn't.

I sympathize. Really. But a finger is not a gun, and this is the sort of paranoia that has people buying assault weapons every time the press says, "boo."

Other countries have guns. What they don't have is a scared population, ready to kill each other at the first sign of bad behavior.

Sure, we have way to many guns, and no one really needs a bushmaster and a thousand rounds laying around, but there is more to this then just the guns. We have a serious problem with our culture, and when we solve that, we might be like Canada: guns for everyone that wants one, and no one bothers to lock their doors.

Was it the assault finger? Or the middle one?

We better outlaw fingers, or better yet, first graders.

Boys will be boys. I knew many kids whose parents didn't like them to have toy guns... myself included when I was a mere lad. What happens? They make ANYTHIN into a gun for pretend play. Their fingers. A stick. A banana. Legos. a pencil. Whatever is convenient.

At what point do we draw the line and scream "What are you doing?" . This is political correctness gone insane. We need a reality check. We're so delirious with our fears that our free society is becoming anything but.

Does anyone else think it is stupid for idiots to be in charge of educating our youth? Over-react much, Montgomery County Public Schools? Shame on adults who can’t have a level head!

Debbie: “When did we get so stupid..............?” When churches started telling people to go against nature and suspend critical thinking. Critical thinking is the only tool humans truly have as an advantage. Critical thinking, not welcome in churches or Maryland school districts!

The sheer volume of rush to conclusion comments illustrates quite well 'when we got so stupid'.

None of you have any way of knowing from this story, other than the comment of the family retained attorney who assures all of us that this is doe eyes, milk drinking innocent kid just kidding around.

How different would the story be if this was the sullen bully who shakes down kids for milk money. Or that strange little kid who sit in the corner all day and eats paste?

How about the phrase 'The families attorney"? At which point did the family lawyer up? As a last resort or right out of the box? Do we know if there is a discipline history for this kid? If so, were the parents cooperative or obstructive.

But these thoughts take way too much time and effort. Far better to just zip up the old troll suit and fire a few unsubstantiated anecdotal comments from the hip.

I've got to go with Ray on this one.

A first grader won't generally be suspended for a first offense. As the Superintendent alluded in his comment, parents are normally informed of the behavior before serious action is taken. A normal series of events for this would be: First time; talk from the teacher, second time; note home, third time; disciplinary referral to the school Administrator, which is where the suspension would come from. If the child had a history of bullying, this "harmless" gesture would be interpreted as a threat toward the bullied student.

The lawsuit would come from parents who were in denial regarding their child's bullying or perhaps one of the parents is a bully. They would not have taken the note home seriously or might have told their child to do whatever they wanted anyway.

The majority of posters here seem to be completely ignorant of what goes on in today's elementary schools but are more than willing to lemming themselves off the cliff.

Welcome to the socialist state. While they would control all actions and words, they anxiously await the technology that would allow them to control thought as well.

In the interim, this six year old needs to be forced into an indoctrination program.

I hope the kids parents go back to that meeting and hold up another finger and say FU to them.

We must BAN FINGERS...... if we can save even ONE playground cops-and-robbers FAKE death.......

Ray and Brian -- I have 2 sons in public schools and have 2 grown sons. I can tell you that kids ARE being suspended for these things without prior incidents. There is no common sense left. None at all.

I've had one problem child that definitely deserved all the punishments handed down. He broke all rules to the extreme. I don't pity my kids when they are wrong. On occasion I find the discipline doesn't fit the crime, but rules are rules (generally).

However, kids figure out quickly when adult rules are plain stupid. Which undermines the whole school experience even if parents back the school. A first grader knows his finger is NOT a weapon!!!

Takes the South Park "Finger Bang" to a whole new level!

Wonder how many rounds he had in that finger clip??

I am a man in need of a label.

I am not anti-gun - for i believe that people should be able to buy guns for their safety or for their recreational activities.

I am not pro-guns - for i believe that reasonable restrictions on the type/number of guns/magazine and background / mental health checks must be conducted and the government should able to regulate the firearms.

So now what am i ?

Regardless - some of the come backs from both pro/anti-gun lobby on this thread are hilarious -

for example -

Was it the assault finger? Or the middle one?

If fingers are outlawed only the outlaws will have fingers ...lol

and my favorite - Good thing he didn't fart at the same time. He likely would have been arrested for firing a live round. Either that or charged with terrorism for setting off a stink bomb.

I think there is more to this story than has been reported. It does seem absurd to suspend a child for pretend shooting with his finger. Like the poster above who said maybe this was a bully child, etc., we just don't know the details. But, I bet if you could talk to the teacher and other kids in the classroom, this was not just a case of pointing your finger and saying pow.

@ Silverton - I doubt there is much more to the story. Many school districts now hove zero tolerance rules that spell out crap exactly like this as punishment. I would have a tough time allowing my child to be taught by a school district that passed such absurd rules. All this teaches children is that authority figures are stupid and bullies.

Different times ... different perceptions.

Don't act like you are suprised, this was on the horizon 20 years ago. I remember a bunch of Busy-body moms - telling people not to give little Billy any toy guns, bow and arrow sets, darts... 'cause it makes violence seem acceptable. Problem is - when the boys went out to play, they would find a stick on the ground and still play Cops and robbers, "Soldier" or as this little hooligan did - make his finger a gun.

Boys are not girls (thank god - he is the one that set uo genders, must have had a reason for that?) and Modern Mothers need to back off sometimes and understand it. Kids do need to understand the difference between "Play" and real life, take some time to sit down and talk about it... instead of changing the world to match your personal "sensiblities".

150 hours picking up garbage off the interstate would work wonders on that 6 year old. Shape up or it's off to the big house, Jr. eyeroll

The Constitution grants the right to bear arms not fingers......

mozzie, you have got to get a life. If a 1st grader with a pointed finger going pow is worth a suspension, than a video game with graphic violence has got to be worth the needle.

Until someone pokes an eye out!

You should never point your finger at anyone, even if you don't think it's loaded....because....what if it actually is?

I remember Clinton pointing his fat little finger at the camera.

And look that coulda put Monicas eye out, or at least made it blurry.........

TO: culheath who wrote:

"What are you talking about?! He could've put someone's eye out. He shouldn't have been suspended though...he should have just been taken out back and saved us all a lot of money and bother. I'm tired of this coddling lazy children who refuse to get a job and sucking off the government teat."

Just wondering how this child managed to "bother" "us all"?

Tired of coddling lazy children? I didn't see THAT in the article, but I bet you're one that would dare anyone to have an abortion, and also one that LOVES to send billions overseas to take care of children in other foreign lands, then call your own people nasty names.

Yep, backwards thinker often spells RWNJ.

TO: Elfmanne who wrote:

"Until someone pokes an eye out!"

You do realize that at least 99% of all Americans have "fingers" and never used them to put anyone's eye out.

By the way, it wasn't a school kid who hurt all those kids in New England, it was a grown man.

Alarmists.

American Girl, do you not recognize sarcasm when you see it?! You should change your name to "I take everything literally girl"

The expression of battle is deep within human beings. It is a necessary part of growing up. The world has many challenges, threats and enemies that, were it not for having an element of battle within us, would overtake us. Just as children role play with toy trucks and dolls to prepare for the real world, they also play in battle. It is not a blood-thirsty thing that they are doing. It is a natural expression of the need to stand up for one's self in this world. It does not turn them into psychopaths. It prepares them to have a little awareness of the challenge they will face in life and to stand up for themselves. It carries through into adulthood as well. That is why we have such a love for competitive sports. We love an all-out sports battle because we have that inner healthy mechanism within us for doing life. It is not a murderous thing. Its highest value is in desiring to see right triumphing over wrong, light conquering darkness, and good winning over evil. Almost every Disney movie is based on that concept. It is deep within us.

I'm sure the little boy was just playing, Just like thousands others do he can't harm anyone with his finger

That's what Jerry Sandusky first thought.

You know, I usually hate to see posts get collapsed, but in the case of Mozzie-600 --- Thank you, folks!

I usually hate to see posts get collapsed, but in the case of Mozzie-600 --- Thank you, folks

Seconded. Mozzie-600 needs to get suspended.

Thank God he didn't use his middle finger as the gun! They'd probably consider that an assault wepon and that he was comitting a hate crime too boot. He'd never see the light of freedom again

American Girl- if the clearly over the top commentary and preposterous suggestions did not help you to recognize sarcasm, the /s after the post should have tipped you off.

i'm sure his finger wasn't loaded. Maybe we should have all schools guarded by officers with loaded fingers. Maybe we should just have thumb locks to prevent accidental discharges.

An idiotic reaction by moronic leftist nutcases! What a sad state of affairs out PC culture is in.

I just want to meet the 2 dolts who gave American Girl the up votes on her sarcasm sucker post.

Well, at least he didn't hug anybody! (Yes, there have been suspensions for hugging!)

Charles Woodall - Just like thousands [of] others do, he can't harm anyone with his finger

That's not the point. He was playing, but he's being taught the wrong games. That's the beginning of going from finger-pointing to gun-pointing. The parents need to teach him that pointing a gun or a finger at someone else is not acceptable.

All you pro-NRA guys who collapsed my comment have no brains and absolutely NO CLASS.

"That's not the point. He was playing, but he's being taught the wrong games. That's the beginning of going from finger-pointing to gun-pointing. The parents need to teach him that pointing a gun or a finger at someone else is not acceptable."

Wow Mozzie, let's just rip what imaginations these little kids may have left away from them, then stuff them, and then stand them in a corner so they may never use any kind of imagination ever again. Or, let's just micromanage them for the rest of their lives, just in case one day, they may show any sign of having imaginative thought, they can then be subjected to electric shock therapy to bring them back under this fear mongering manipulative societies control.

"All you pro-NRA guys who collapsed my comment have no brains and absolutely NO CLASS."

Words of so called wisdom from the clueless.

About 15 years ago in my city a 6 year old boy kissed a 6 year old girl "against her will". The little boy was being charged with sexual assault!!! The charges were dropped. Duhh!!! CRAZY!!! As far as "firearms" if kids are denied toy guns they will make their own. Sticks, hose nozzles, or the lethal finger. Give me a break!!!

American Girl, do you understand what this even means? /s

If you look at the bottom of culheath's post, you will notice it. It means he was being sarcastic. Yet, you call someone a RWNJ? Maybe your time would be better spent learning about what it means to be sarcastic, than calling others stupid political rhetoric hack names like you did.

This is ridiculous to even have made it in the news. There is nothing wrong with the game when you all know its make believe and pretend as most six year olds do. The problem is irrational adults who want some type of sterilized society based on some imaginary utopia, which throughout history has been proven not to exist. Even if it did there would still be inherent problems anyway.

Commonsensedude @ 3.8. That wasn't his finger he was pointing.

Bob, the sad part is, this little kid will have to go through enough brow beatings to last a lifetime. And for what purpose? Because of of nothing but pure fear mongering. What's next, not letting your child pretend they are driving a race car, for fear they will grow up with a lead foot and may run over people?

People are going to fear monger us to a point, that they won't be happy until they get the government in on every aspect of our lives. Line up everyone, it's time to use the restroom, and no more than three minutes per person........and don't mind the surveillance cameras, they are there for your own protection, and good.

The only way they're gonna get MY fingers is to pry 'em out of my cold, dead fingers...

You can't make 6 years work on the highway gangs.. thats so abusive as the liberals would say. I say boys will be boys, I grew up in the 60's and had cap guns, I am not a murderer or bank robber, I dont even own a gun. This society has been turned upside down, and this society we like in is going to hell in a handbasket.

But to suspend a 6 yo for pointing a finger... whats next... And for the person that has a husband as a teacher, I think the schools should be able to use corporal punishment without fear of a lawsuit and the same with parents. Our youth need to know that there are consequences for there bad or good decesions.

LOL! Nice one lokay5.

That's the beginning of going from finger-pointing to gun-pointing.

Finger-pointing is the gateway gesture to gun-pointing. And if you get gun-pointing, well then we have to send you off to re-education camp. Sorry kid.

All you pro-gun guys missed my point entirely. The point I am making is that instead of teaching children to think that being grown up means shooting at someone/something, why not try to instill compassion for and taking care of other living things instead of killing them; and to settle disagreements without the use of a gun? Your way of teaching kids to shoot at what has a right not to be shot at hasn't worked so good thus far, has it?

Your way of teaching kids to shoot at what has a right not to be shot at hasn't worked so good thus far, has it?

Seems to be working fine. Millions of kids grow up every year in this culture without going to shooting rampages. The occasional nut case going on a murder rampage has nothing to do with finger pointing. And certainly suspension is totally over they top for such a young kid. These school administrators are taking things too far because they want to cover their own butts legally if an incident occurs. It's sick...and we have to stop letting people sue the crap out of everyone else whenever a student with an effed up brain decides he wants to hurt someone.

Fingers should be pointed down range at all time... and keep your ....errr... finger off the trigger too until ready to say "POW"!!!!

And to the person who said that a kid wouldn't be suspended the first time for something like this... well guess again.. they have that little thing called ZERO TOLERANCE.... another STUPID idea.

Z: Your remarks to me are tangential and missed my point, again. I'm saying that nothing that doesn't have a gun in hand in a threatening manner deserves to be shot at under any circumstances.

We are apparently so far apart in our philosophies that I think this is the end of a futile dialogue.

No mozzie. I get your point and I'm ignoring it because I think you're a flake who took the 60's too seriously.

Z: Thank you for your gracious comments, and you have a nice day!

Mozz: a strong nation needs boys who know what to do with their finger. To paraphrase Arnold; we don't need a lot of girlie boys. P.S. Your attitude is fine for your lifestyle but others prefer to live a more robust existence. Playing games, pretending and having fun becoming heroes and good guys. Yeah we all had to be bad guys when it was are turn, but being the hero and the good guy has always been the goal. P.S.S. To think after all these years someone would have to explain what playing is or worse, defend it.

Hey lets all see a good family movie at the theatres tonight!!

Django Unchained, Gangster Squad, The Last Stand, Baytown Outlaws, Officer Down...

Yeah, so much for the idea of arming teachers and administrators to protect our schools. The kid was lucky he didn't get shot! Just imagine if he'd had a rubberband and a paper clip!

Think of the carnage he could have inflicted with a couple of spit balls.

Outrageous! Under these standards I would be regarded as guilty of a crime against humanity for engaging in spitwad battles in grade school for germ warfare. Absolutely ridiculous!!!

The kid's lawyer (imagine a lawyer's involvement over this!) should tell the school authorities that he was actually experiencing the first time arousal of his diddle finger and he couldn't stop before he 'pow'ed. Being a first timer it caught him off guard before he could ,um, reholster his gun.

I wonder when the "authorities" are going to come out with child sized handcuffs. It seems to me to be a long overdue piece of equipment that every teacher and cop should carry before some inexperienced 1st grader makes an unauthorized 'POW!', or just to be prepared to cuff 'n stuff them should they dare to point at something hanging on the classroom wall.

It pretty hard to not be sarcastic with something this stupid, isn't it?

Was the kid a member of the NFA?

yeah, we need zero tolerance no matter what. We need to curb this nonsense ASAP. This kid is clearly a terrorist for his violent action and should be dealt with accordingly. Lets make sure that we have no chance to exercise our freedoms and that we all submit to the proper authority.

Shogun, honestly, you are a nut job. The society that suspends a kid for this will arrest the kid when he is sixteen for a minor infraction and will eventually put that kid, now grown in prison for subversive speech. Every secret prison starts with zero tolerance policies.

Sadly parents do have to worry about their kid's school record and who knows what the wording is on the thing - "child used weapon in class" could even be there. It requires a lawyer just to add a piece of paper to the file explaining the situation. Also, if he repeats the behavior he could end up in one of the kid juvenile campuses. Learned WAY too much about principals gone wild through a friend's unfortunate experience.

"The family's attorney" getting involved in a 1 day suspension???

Yea, I woulda prolly filed a lawsuit over something that stupid too. Teach the morons an expensive lesson.

TO: Shogun69 who wrote:

""The family's attorney" getting involved in a 1 day suspension??? Its not like the kid was thrown out of school and his picture posted on a billboard or something..."

It could be worse. Who knows what that teacher said to that child as an explanation of what he/she did so wrong as to not be allowed to return to school the next day.

I'm sure that's something that child will never forget, and on top of that, it seems, the teacher wanted to be sure that he/she never forgets to NOT do that again.

False accusations towards small children is a very hurtful and disturbing thing for a child.

If I were the child's parent, I'd get my lawyers involved too.

@Shogun - the grade thing you mentioned has already happened only it involved cheating

http://now.msn.com/dad-sues-school-district-after-son-is-punished-for-cheating

I can't believe that I agree with the kool-aid drinking liberal here (American Girl), but I do. Sounds like she's waking up from the hangover of reelecting the most ineffective president this nation has had for many, many years.

Moreso than Bush the lesser? I think not. At least Obama didn't get us involved in any pointless wars! As little as I like him he has that to his credit. Georgie(in the rear with the gear) can't say the same. Nice to have family connections which make sure you never need to be shot at, even if you do join the armed forces. Good for your future political career. George the greater was another story entirely! A true hero. Too bad he didn't pass his genes along to his son.

He did involve us in pointless war... guess you missed libya.

I'm not 100% sure but I believe that school records are permanent and are used when someone wants to attend say a prep school or college. My guess is that the parents are concerned that years down the road this could effect their child's future. Just saying.....

More attorneys on the horizon for parents.

In cases like this the schools look stupid and they deserve every bit of it. Why do parents allow moronic administrators like this continue to teach their children? They are going to grow up with messed up views of what the world is really like. It embarrasses me when admins can say/do this crap with a straight face.

Yep this suspension is a little over the top. What's next, if a kid is mimicking entering nuclear missile launch codes on his calculator? Is that expulsion, incarceration, GITMO?

When I got in fight in elementary school and bloodied some kids nose...I didn't even get suspended. The principle just had us in the office to talk about it and then we were done. Apparently pointing your finger at someone is now brandishing a deadly weapon. Let's give him some jail time, and heck...let's put him on the sex offender registry. Why not. Makes as much sense as suspending him.

It is Maryland, after all.

Same thing for me Z, but I was in school when these changes started to begin. Got a talking to for a fight in elementary school, got suspended for one in Junior High, and by the time I was in High School they had a no-nonsense expulsion rule for fighting and luckily I got in no fights.

Parents were also different back then too, when I was in 5th Grade I broke my collarbone during recess and the school nurse sent me back to class and refused to call my parents, she thought I had just bruised myself and was overreacting. Later that day after returning to class I started to have trouble breathing because the broken bone was poking my lung, then they called my parents and off to the hospital I went. Could you imagine what type of settlement parents would get for that nowadays?

riverboy21 -

You should get an attorney and sue your parents for cheating you out of the opportunity for racking up an enormous settlement from the school system that would have enabled you to live comfortably for the rest of your life without having to work.

Think of the perks you could have had.... lazing on the river, fishing.... yep, you should get a lawyer....

(I'm joking you know, it's raining here and I'm sort of house bound, it's a dull day...)

American girl, good lord, are you that obtuse? Is marilyn your role model? WOW...

Maybe it was an "assault" finger. Banned!

Same here Z, but when my son was in junior high in the '90s I remember getting a call from the vice principal. She went on and on about what a good kid he was and how he didn't do anything wrong, but she had to suspend him violating the school's "zero tolerance for violence" policy. Apparently my son saw a bully that had a kid down in the hallway and was beating him. My son pulled the bully off of him just as a teacher came around the corner. Even the teacher said that my son was just helping the kid. But they still had to suspend him. These people remind me of the Star Trek Borg, completely devoid of individual thought or judgement.

Honestly it's a wonder our kids learn anything of value at all in public school if this is a sample of the wisdom they pass on to our kids.

The school here looks stupid and they should. They are stupid and they are teaching our kids. We are stupid to let them. I'll be surprised if Americans are smart enough to remember to breath in 3 or 4 more generations.

No, they ceded common sense and moral decency to the Federal Government for guarantee pay and Summer vacations.

Administrators do not belong to the teachers union and don't get summers off. They are not paid by the federal government. You should go back to school.

Brains or judgement? You jest.

Remember the kid suspended for having one of the little (1 1/2 inch) toy soldiers complete with "gun?" He got suspended for weapons violation.

F'd up society today.

I always find it funny too when people say they "get summers" off and imply they are getting pay. Teachers are only 10 month employees and only get paid for 10 months. Many have an option to take less pay during the year and spread the money from their 10 month salary over the summer so they don't have to budget during the year on their own enough to pay the bills, but they aren't paid for the summer time while schools are closed.

Just like if a construction worker didn't work all 12 months of the year. He/she isn't getting paid when work is down...but somehow that is ok and all other professions that aren't 12 months a year, but teachers are somehow vilified for not getting paid while not working? Seems reasonable to me.

hockeyguy - Teachers receive an annual salary, whether they choose to take it in 10 payments or in 12 payments. Teachers also have summers off. Your logic is not much better than that of the administrators who suspended this child.

mpa -

I was just about to post that very thing. Happened last year. And I thought THAT was a shocker.

My 8 yr old Grandson got In school suspension for taking a plastic "sword" from my Bloody Mary glass that had the olives stuck on it. School said he broght a weapon to school. I guess it was far more dangerous than a sharpened pencil.

Howdy61, I think American girl will be our next superintendant of schools.

Sometimes simple comments say it best.... +1

I'm with you Prof. I should be dead or in jail for life. Growing up I played cops and robbers, army, had rubber knife fights with my friends. Gee what happen to us?

I even watched cartoons where they would hit each other over the head with hammers. Road Runner was on every day. Maybe I should be kept away from anvils and bank safes!! Or better yet, ban them or pass a law that you need a permit to use them!

GROW UP AMERICA! TEACH THEM HOW TO USE THINGS PROPERLY AND QUIT TAKING THINGS AWAY FROM THE REST OF US (LIKE OUR RIGHTS)!!!!

Yeah Prof, looks like,Fingers are next!

Under today's zero tolerance rules that force our children to be loyal obedient subjects you would probably be labeled a terrorist.

By "Prof" I assume that means you do not teach at a public elementary school. Your attempt to invoke authority is hollow. Fact is, at an elementary school any gesture with the appearance of threat is subject to disciplinary action. At first grade it would not normally lead to suspension until a third or subsequent violation.

"at an elementary school any gesture with the appearance of threat is subject to disciplinary action."

So all those little girls who like to play "horsie" and paw at the air should be disciplined for making a threatening gesture?

Let;s call it what it is: STUPID!

What next, no finger food in the cafeteria? Better check to make sure it's not loaded.

mpa -

Whether you like it or not, the pointed finger simulating a gun is a well recognized gesture of threat, Parents should have taught their child better than to make threatening gestures, but more likely, they're sitting on the couch with them watching reruns of The Sopranos, unconsciously encouraging that behavior.

Brian -

Whether you like it or not, it is STUPID!

BTW - have you ever seen the same gesture used to indicate affirmation? It is usually silent, but might also be accompanied with "bang, pow, or bingo!"

The only thing I'll say is they allude to the fact he was told before to stop it and did not. Did anyone take that out of this article? If he was told to stop "shooting" kids repeatedly and did not then perhaps the suspension is valid here? Get more facts before judged. I find it amazing they would suspend a 6 year old for ONE incident of saying "pow". That is just the reason they listed on the suspension. At least I hope so.

dan123123123,

What paragraph did you *read* this rather pertinent information? I have re-read the above article (and then perused the article in the link) and find nothing that supports your claim.

"...The only thing I'll say is they allude to the fact he was told before to stop it and did not. Did anyone take that out of this article? If he was told to stop "shooting" kids repeatedly and did not then perhaps the suspension is valid here? Get more facts before judged. I find it amazing they would suspend a 6 year old for ONE incident of saying "pow". That is just the reason they listed on the suspension. At least I hope so."

When one is dealing with children especially elementary children, educators know and understand that children must be reminded of positive behaviors over and over and over... (FYI, this is beginning teacher education 101)

However, to come to the conclusion that this behavior is *abnormal* when it clearly isn't for young children, points to the much more concerning issue of appropriate behavior for the adults in this particular school system.

@Prof - We will outlaw dissent. We will outlaw differences of opinion. Tyranny by the majority (regardless of who is the majority) is a scary thing

Not in the article that I read, Dan. But, I agree that would change the dialogue slightly.

I just don't get it... suspend a kid for playing a kids game?? I was shocked when I read that kids couldn't play dodge ball or tag (no touching other kids), and now this??? What's next, no talking to another kid (you might say "hi" in a bad way to offend him/her).

Come on America! It's not these kid's fault... it's PARENTS! Stop trying to be their friend and BE A PARENT. Stop spending 100% of your time worring about work and spend a few hours a day with your child. My parents worked all day, every day, but they ALWAYS spent a few hours with us four kids. They knew how good, and badly, we were doing in School. My dad punished me when I did something wrong, and said "I Love you" almost every day. I grew up in inner city Detroit, so don't talk to me about underprivilged or welfare... I lived it, went to College, and make $100K a year. If I can, ANYONE can... and besides my time in the Military, I never killed anyone with a finger.

Amen. Amen.

What have things come to, when we can actually have self-claimed adults support the action of a school board that SUSPENDS a FIRST GRADER, when their stated policy is:

"Generally, in an incident involving the behavior of our younger students, we will make sure that the student and his family are well-informed of any behavior that needs to change and understand the consequences if the behavior does not change," said Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Dana Tofig in a statement."

Baloney. These are a bunch of gutless high-paid adminustrators who haven't got a semblance of common sense between them. They are protecting their butts with the suspension, not using one iota of leadership and judgment.

It is a good thing he didn't bring army men with tanks. He might have been charged with having weapons of mass destruction.

Did he have his thumb pointed up in the air like the hammer on a pistol? Did he blow the smoke away from the end of the barrel after firing? If not it was likely a toy finger.

Sometimes... these articles have "NO COMMENT" written all over them. This is just stupid... The only thing that the kid learned was adults really don't know what they are doing..... I'm inclined to agree. Tell me folks... when does common sense kick in?

Flame,

"when does common sense kick in?"

On the day that sense becomes "common". In other words- NEVER! "Common sense" is a misnomer as "sense" is a rare thing.

So true Merlin.. so true. "Common sense isn't common.".. I know... but you wish people would consider a case by case basis.... Finger go Pow?.... really?

Don't forget to say POW when you give the finger.

Don't give 'em the middle finger, they'll have you charged as a sex offender!

Best Common Sense Comment on this board!

Yep Economy Killer, you stole my thunder... We played with cap guns, finger guns, rubber band guns, watched all the cartoons, etc. etc., Not a single one us grew up and became a serial killer or mass murdered. Some of us own guns today, some of us don't, OH and get this, we ALL listened to Rock n' Roll, and I don't mean Buddy Holly, I mean AC/DC, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and guess what... "We're all alright, We're all alright, Yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah"

If you need your daily dose of irony, pull up the Roscoe Nix Elementary web page. Their motto:

"Where learning is a blast."

LOL. A one day suspension for something like this when I was 6 would have gotten them an ass chewing from my Mom and and me an extra day outside to shoot things up with my Red Rider BB gun. No AC/DC back then, but Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs weren't exactly non-violent. I'm going with those that think the school over reacted.

Den -

I just listened to my Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads CD as I was brushing my horse and getting him settled for the night. It was a sloppy job because of all the rain we're having and Marty seem to fit the bill.

Such a coincidence to see you mention him here.

You were a very bad boy! Tsk Tsk Tsk!

The difference here is you pointed a cap gun and this child pointed a finger! There is a world of difference there.

If he pointed a different finger and said "pow" would it still be considered a threat? I guess it depends on the finger!

Well, Dave, did you shoot him or not?

Orwell had the premise right, just off a little on the date thing. Speech police, thought police, gesture gestapo . . .

Good thing he didn't say ra-ta-tat-tat. He'd have been charged with using an assault finger. That's probably good for two weeks.

Den -

ROFL...

When you said that, I automatically used both my hands and formed an air "machine gun" the way we used to do when I was child and we played "Army."

And by the way, I am a female, 61 years old. Yes, if the child had done that, two weeks suspension for using an assault finger.

Alan -

"Next thing they will be taking our right to breathe."

I don't think so. They will TAX it. We exhale carbon dioxide, so there will likely be a greenhouse gas tax on that in the near future! We can use the proceeds to house the little criminals who point their fingers and go "POW!"

So, if you don't inhale - a la Clinton - do you get a tax credit?

Not sure, Eric. But maybe you can buy off-sets . . .

We have a Carbon Tax here (Australia). Watch out - you guys are next ...

Can you imagine how this is twisting the mind of this little first grader. All this drama around him for playing guns. Now he has to second guess everything he says or does in life to avoid a problem. Nice way to have to grow up.

America whatever you do, dont let our children be creative or think freely. Scare the hell out of them all. Let them all be good little subjects. We are so efn doomed as a society. Im so glad I grew up when I did.

The America I knew doesnt exist anymore.