Many schools across the country are enforcing zero-tolerance policies when it comes to guns. That means kids can’t even pretend to shoot guns using their fingers or toys made out of legos.
Rachel Ruhl is a mom. She says kids should be allowed to play. “Squirt guns, bubble guns, to expect them to not be kids is just ridiculous so I’m against it.”
Controversy has erupted after 5-year-old Madison Guarna from Western Pennsylvania was suspended for telling her friend that she was going to shoot herself and her friend with a Hello Kitty Bubble Gun while at the bus stop. The bubble gun simply shoots out bubbles.
“As a parent it wouldn’t bother me if I heard a kid was at the bus stop with a bubble gun. If a kid was at the bus stop with a BB gun? It would be a different story.” Ruhl explained.
These gun problems have come to light after the school shooting in Newtown Connecticut.
"I understand why they need to crack down on that, but it’s hard… It really comes into why the kid is saying it and if they’re being playful – if they’re in a fight and they say something like that, that’s a little different.” Said another mom Christine Spillane.
Brad Yingst is a great grandfather. He said things have changed since he was a kid. “Things have changed dramatically since I was a kid. We just shake our head. We’re just, we’re just amazed at how I guess how politically correct people have really become. But it’s totally beyond comprehension for us. How would that play against a little Hello Kitty gun? I mean, we really need to find some moderation. Things are totally out of control.”
Those we spoke to understand the rules, but they believe for kids as young as 5, these rules are going overboard.
“They can’t decipher what’s right or wrong. They’re five years old, they’re just children.” Yingst said.
Christine agreed. “5 year olds don’t know what they’re doing. 5 year olds are still picking their nose, how could they mean anything in terms of what they’re doing with their hands.”
Everyone we spoke to said they don’t have the answers for the right way to control what should and should not be allowed in schools, and they hope their school administrators can find the right answer.
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The family of a kindergarten student in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania is thinking about filing a lawsuit after their five-year-old was suspended from school.
A pink Hello Kitty bubble gun is the reason the five-year-old girl was suspended from kindergarten at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School.
Her family's attorney says she was at her school bus stop last week when she told a classmate she was going to shoot him and herself with the bubble gun - a gun she did not have with her.
According to the family's lawyer, district officials at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School questioned the girl for three hours without her parent's knowledge. She was suspended for ten days for making terroristic threats.
The Hello Kitty bubble is considered a toy. When you pull the trigger, it shoots out bubbles.
The family's lawyer says a psychologist examined the girl and said she was not a danger to others, so district officials reduced the suspension from ten days to four days.
Mount Carmel's superintendent would not comment on the suspension citing confidentiality concerns.
The family's attorney says the incident will go on her permanent record, which the family will fight. He says the family is also considering suing the Mount Carmel Area School District.
Rachel Ruhl is a mom. She says kids should be allowed to play. “Squirt guns, bubble guns, to expect them to not be kids is just ridiculous so I’m against it.”
Controversy has erupted after 5-year-old Madison Guarna from Western Pennsylvania was suspended for telling her friend that she was going to shoot herself and her friend with a Hello Kitty Bubble Gun while at the bus stop. The bubble gun simply shoots out bubbles.
“As a parent it wouldn’t bother me if I heard a kid was at the bus stop with a bubble gun. If a kid was at the bus stop with a BB gun? It would be a different story.” Ruhl explained.
These gun problems have come to light after the school shooting in Newtown Connecticut.
"I understand why they need to crack down on that, but it’s hard… It really comes into why the kid is saying it and if they’re being playful – if they’re in a fight and they say something like that, that’s a little different.” Said another mom Christine Spillane.
Brad Yingst is a great grandfather. He said things have changed since he was a kid. “Things have changed dramatically since I was a kid. We just shake our head. We’re just, we’re just amazed at how I guess how politically correct people have really become. But it’s totally beyond comprehension for us. How would that play against a little Hello Kitty gun? I mean, we really need to find some moderation. Things are totally out of control.”
Those we spoke to understand the rules, but they believe for kids as young as 5, these rules are going overboard.
“They can’t decipher what’s right or wrong. They’re five years old, they’re just children.” Yingst said.
Christine agreed. “5 year olds don’t know what they’re doing. 5 year olds are still picking their nose, how could they mean anything in terms of what they’re doing with their hands.”
Everyone we spoke to said they don’t have the answers for the right way to control what should and should not be allowed in schools, and they hope their school administrators can find the right answer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The family of a kindergarten student in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania is thinking about filing a lawsuit after their five-year-old was suspended from school.
A pink Hello Kitty bubble gun is the reason the five-year-old girl was suspended from kindergarten at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School.
Her family's attorney says she was at her school bus stop last week when she told a classmate she was going to shoot him and herself with the bubble gun - a gun she did not have with her.
According to the family's lawyer, district officials at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School questioned the girl for three hours without her parent's knowledge. She was suspended for ten days for making terroristic threats.
The Hello Kitty bubble is considered a toy. When you pull the trigger, it shoots out bubbles.
The family's lawyer says a psychologist examined the girl and said she was not a danger to others, so district officials reduced the suspension from ten days to four days.
Mount Carmel's superintendent would not comment on the suspension citing confidentiality concerns.
The family's attorney says the incident will go on her permanent record, which the family will fight. He says the family is also considering suing the Mount Carmel Area School District.