A Colorado Springs first-grader was suspended from school after pointing his fingers at a classmate in the shape of a gun.
Six-year-old Elijah goes to Stratton Meadows Elementary School. On Monday, he pointed at a classmate in the shape of a gun and said, "You're dead."
He received a one-day suspension for "threats against peers."
But on top of the strict "zero tolerance" measures that landed him at home for a day of shame-based punishment, the boy had to undergo a "reeducation" program of sorts.
Elijah received a lecture from an administrator. Incredibly, it was about "not confusing 'make-believe' or things in games with reality." ??? But any further details are being shielded from the public due to privacy concerns for the student's personal record - yes, there's a thicker record now stemming from this event.
The reaction to the event compelled the parents to further press upon the child the severity of his actions.
While searching for a picture of "pointing a finger" it became apparent that just about every celebrity, leader and influencer of children points the finger. Furthermore, most of history's artwork is full of such terroristic gestures.
Unfortunately, children are never allowed an outlet even though they are stirred up through fear, shame, repression, crap foods and prescription drugs. Such a mixture is an invitation to act up - and sadly, get just as quickly smacked down. Such extreme tactics haven't been seen since the 1800's with a freshly Prussian form of public schooling and a batch of repressed, power hungry minions.
It's a little nutty to try to adopt such severe Zero Tolerance policies with such young kids.
It's dumb for the same reasons as the mandatory minimum sentencing laws passed in many states are dumb. Sometimes you need to look for ways to impeach bad judges or to do more to keep them accountable for imposing sentences that are uniform and comparable across the judicial district or state. We sacrifice a bit too much to notions of judicial independence but that does not mean that mandatory minimums are the right answer to the problem.
