Six year old suspended for hand gesture
… no not that hand gesture, one much more benign.
A Michigan boy was suspended for making a gun gesture with his hand.
That’s right, hoplophobia and Big Brother Nanny-ism has reached a new low.
Erin Jammer, said her son, Mason, was just playing around when he made the gesture Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Press reported.
“I do think it’s harsh for a six-year-old. He’s six and he just likes to play. Maybe what you could do is take his recess away. He’s only six and he doesn’t understand any of this,” Erin Jammer said.
But officials at Jefferson Elementary School said the behavior made other students uncomfortable, and they suspended Mason for the remainder of the week, the paper reported.
Anti-gun activism is rampant at all level of government. Gun owners must continue to be vigilant, and counter these sort of outrageous actions.
Want your voice to be heard?
You can e-mail Jefferson Elementary School Principle Matt Vogel at: mvogel@ioniaschools.org
This has simply gotten out of control. We played cops and robbers, cowboys and indians and it certainly didn’t corrupt our minds. Guns are here to stay so they should just get over it. If they confiscate our guns only criminals will have guns. Why are we making sissies out of boys!!
Oh no it’s a child with a finger. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
Now let me see if I understand. All the kiddies got under their desk because Mason made a finger gesture. Did he say, “BANG BANG you are dead!” and blow smoke off his finger? These people are tough on kids. Good thing he did nothing REAL bad.
(My letter to the school administrator)
Dear Mr. Vogel,
A couple of weeks ago I heard of a small child who was suspended for having a tiny toy soldier with a teeny weenie toy plastic gun approximately 2 inches long. But the gun hand gesture shows how stupid people have become with gun paranoia. Since you obviously can’t make a reasonable decision as a school administrator, please do everyone a favor, and resign!
Sincerely,
Ben Burke
Chattanooga, Tennessee
As a retired middle-school disciplinarian and an avid firearms enthusiast, I can only say that even though we had a “zero” tolerance policy at our school, at least we did NOT have a “zero common sense” policy. The way this was handled was definitely a “zero common sense” reaction to an easily-resolved situation.
What a loser! That is about retarded! OOOpppss! I mean disadvantaged! Sorry??
I kinda want to stick my head under the table and “THROW UP!” Give me a break…is this all school administrators have to do is monitor the playground antics of 6 year olds! I agree with Barb, I played cowboys & indians, soldiers as well and turned out OK. In fact, I am a Col in the Air National Guard and have been in for 26 years this June. This is an embarrasment to our country.
not only are the kids being brainwashed but so are the teachers, we played with guns everyday of our young lives and never hurt a fly our government and schools and morons are making sissies out of our children terrible.terrible
This type of big brother is watching you is the most dangerous kind. Our children are routinely being subjected to outrageous decisions like this one in our schools. Suspended for playing a game as American as apple pie. Whatever happened to teaching children about safety, letting them play in the outdoors, and teaching those who have been brainwashed to tell the difference between pretend play and real danger. Unconstitutional search and seizure, playing with a loaded finger, random drug testing, what’s next – no apple pie? Oops – that one has probably been done already also.
I have never heard of anything so absolutely ridiculous. How about a clenched fist, a snarl or just a plain glare. These officials and principal need be harshly reprimanded and maybe suspended without pay for a period of time.
Someone is in need of discipline but it is not the 6 year old. Anyone with so little sense should not be in charge of children.
It appears the kids have more common sense than the adults involved in the screw up.
Hobson L. Parker
I find it outrageous that this young man be suspended in this way. If he was acting disrespectfully then spank him or as the mother said “take away his recess” – where has our education system’s sanity gone? We are straining out a gnat while we swallow a camel! Let’s reason together…Zero tolerance is an assanine policy and just shows the appaulling degradation of our education system in general. Absolutely pathetic! The best thing that Mrs Jammer could do is to get her (Normal) child out of this cesspool ASAP and start teaching him or her some decent common sense…Oh and for all of you who insist that there should be a public education system lets attach the funds to the students rather than to the schools and let the funds follow the kids wherever their parents want to send them! My goodness let’s pull our collective heads out of the mire of communistic mediocrity and allow these kids to flourish!
just another example of educated IDIOTS making stupid boneheaded decisions. as a child I and the kids played cops and robbers and cowboys and indians. I am 74 years young and I have survived just fine in spite of all the educated idiots who are making decisions noe but then we had intellegent teachers when I was a kid, those idiots should be fired and never allowed to have anything at all to do with kids,
Sounds like the boy should have been scolded but not suspended. Talk about overkill!
It has become very evident that some individuals in our educational system have elevated themselves as gods, rather than teaching our childrent real moral values. And real history of our country, and patriotism. This is rediculous to persecute these youngsters for innocent acts.
Here is the text of an email I sent to that school official, who I think is a wimp!
Did you ever play cowboys and indians as a kid? I did and had a ball at it too. What kind of wimps are out there these days? I am a mother, grandmother, dyed-in-the-wool tomboy and I started shooting real guns at age four, with my Dad training me and my brother. I qualified as a marksman at age seven and still shoot to stay in practice. My brother is now a retired police officer. Who knows what that little boy might become? A soldier, police officer, secret service agent, FBI agent or maybe even a school security officer are all possibilities.
If the nanny state ninnies are afraid of a little kid shaping his hand like a gun during play then they’d better learn to pull up their big kid panties and grow up! Little kids play all kinds of games, including gunfighter or cowboys and indians, and don’t become criminals when they grow up. Keep treating him like that and you might as well put a dress on him and hand him over to some gay freak for a lover. Get real and get over it!
Furthermore; is the school administation going to provide bodyguards for all the little tykes for the rest of their lives? Some children were uncomfortable with this gesture? Well get used to it…life is uncomfortable. Mr. Vogel would serve the children of his school much better by teaching them how to cope and survive as opposed to trying to shelter the playground children from a normal little boy. It almost sounds like another over-protective, controlling administration I am currently aware of…huummm.
Now isn’t this carrying things just a bit far? After all, the Women’s Gold Medal Ice Skater from Korea did a James Bond program and pointed her clasped hands with fingers pointing gun style to the entire crowd at the recent 2010 Olympic games and no one stripped er of her medal or reprimanded her in any way. And this was shown on National Television. These so called administrators have gone to far in this case. What idiots!!!
Mr. Vogel:
You are some kind of paranoid nut-case!
It is no wonder that home schooling is gaining momentum.
If I had elegible children today, I definitely would not send them to public school.
You could do the entire educational system a favor by resigning.
Sincerely, Neil Sawyer
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,,”it makes others feel uncomfortable” ? Thats sick. This is nothing but conditioning, IE; Trying to rob the little boy of his personality,Etc,,,And you wonder why many parents are pulling their children out of these brain-washing institutions,, I’ll be pushing for more home-schooling !!,,,,,,,,,,,,Jack usc ret
It’s stupid people like this that has our country so screwed up. Oops, probably shouldn’t have used that word, might have offended someone.
As a retired teacher of 37 years I have watched stupidity become more rampant in our schools. The local people are under pressure from liberal groups who use the “It makes me uncomfortable,” excuse to justify anything they see as politically correct. Obviously only they have feelings and opinions that matter, and they teach them to their kids.
YOU ARE KIDDING? Hell, I grew up when we as youngsters was taught how to handle weapons and to respect them. THIS IS STUPID.
Apparently we no longer live in the land of the FREE and if we don’t fight these rediculous actions we will no longer be the home of the BRAVE!
It’s long been my contention that liberals are either ignorant, self-serving, stupid or some combination thereof. This ia a perfect example.
To Mr. David Ben-Ariel:
Whose side are you on?
“Scold the child” —— FOR WHAT!!!???
For being six years old, or watching TV, or maybe his parent gave him a video game.
How about you and Vogel going after the entertainment business?
Sincerely, Neil Sawyer
Puhleeze! I do believe hysteria reigns in our culture today. The child is six years old, for Pete’s sake!
When I was a child, we played “Cowboys and Indians” and used our hands to pantomime guns and bows and arrows and our voices to make the sounds.
When did this become a crime, punishable by expulsion? I do believe the inmates are running the asylum!
This is insane!
I think all these people need to move to Never-Never Land. They are already living in a fantasy world where they were born adults and never had a chance to be children with an imagination. Imagination is what made this country great, not boneheaded “educators”
Personally, I do not think this an issue about gun control. You make guffaw, but think back 50 or so years.
Women took care of the home as men went out and worked. What does this have to do with this, you ask?
Follow:
The ability to purchase a home was based (right or wrong) soley on the income produced by the man.
Enter Joesph Rockefeller and company.
Great idea – include the woman’s income so that families can get better housing for their children.
Great idea – except for the words of Mr. (and I use the term derogatorily) Rockefeller also stated that we not only get more of the household’s money, but we also get their children and can teach them, indoctrinate them, as we wish.
Enter Politically correct, which is not to be confused with polite.
Now, look at our schools over the last 50 years. They have been taught less and less and the levels of cognitive thinking growing lower and lower. SAT’s, for the states that still have them, lower the scores every couple years.
Honorable teachers, those that really wish to instruct our children, do not understand what is happening or why.
It is not the ‘gun control’ it is the ‘control’. It manifests itself in different ways.
I won’t say that we need to take back our schools and children as most people don’t see a problem.
Let’s start with certain parts of our Government and do what the government has done to us. Take it back bit by bit.
Let’s start with making the Federal Reserve get an audit.
Something that has been taking our money without our permission.
It is a starting point.
Mark Brewster
Is it any wonder that kids are locked into TV & stupid video games? They are no longer allowed to use their imagination. Suspend the principal & the classmates that were uncomfortable. Maybe they should wait another year or so to attend school.
Are you serious? I hope there is much more to the gravity of the story.
As a teacher, I’m embarrassed, and glad my children went to Norton Shores.
Carl Wager
I sent a snail-mail letter directly to the school basically telling them why it was wrong and they disgusted me. I hope they get overwhelmed with complaints from real Americans.
Mr. Vogel:
Since you suspended little Mason Jammer for pointing his finger and pretending his hand was a gun, I was just wondering…
~What caliber is his hand?
~How many rounds does it hold?
~Did he actually fire it?
~Did he hit anybody?
~If so, was it fatal?
~Does he have a violent criminal history?
~Did he take any hostages?
~Are you taking precautions to be sure he doesn’t repeat this offence?
~Have you thought of seeking legal action to have him castrated, thus reducing his testosterone to a more feminine level so he will have no desire to repeat this dastardly and dangerous deed?
Do YOU have any brains at all?
Or just no testicles?
Leonard Sizemore
Oklahoma
I guess that means kid’s are no longer allowed to play Cowboys and Indians or Cops and Robbers? How sad! It just proves how the liberal’s truly have the “power” in this Country! To suspend a 6 year old for something that harmless is ridiculous. For other kids to be afraid is even more ridiculous!
Did anybody check to see if it was loaded?????
With all respect David Ben-Ariel, why should the boy have been scolded?
Hi I think this is so stupid to punish a 6 yr old for a finger gesture, teacher’s and school need to pay more attention to teaching instead of being empty headed. I mean some of us do own a hand gun and let me tell you I am single female that often walks home after work and its dark to to my truck and I wouldn’t leave home without it. I need that protection and I feel safer with it than without it, meaning the world is full of raper’s robber’s and what nots, so to all these teachers making such a stink about a finger gesture grow up six yr olds give me a break. All of us country folks know how to shoot a gun by the age of 10 and how to protect yourself by the age of 15, you silly city folks better get a education on life. Because what if some one was breaking into your home and you didn’t have any way to protect yourself then what huh?????? Stop wasting tax dollars on silly things like making a six yr old stay home all because he pointed a finger and said bang..Kids will be kids and they have the right to play like they are a cop, or a Indian, next thing ya know you will be taking history away…Whats next maybe all of us should teach our kids at home and to the devil with school..
This kind of nonsense has gone on long enough. It’s time for Americans to stand up to this kind of total ignorance. Even the parents response was unbelievable. Take the child’s recess away? For what? Making a gesture with one’s hand like a gun? As long as we continue to tolerate this kind of garbage, it will keep happening. The parents need to stand up to these fools and demand an apology. The poor kid probably is wondering what the heck he did wrong. Matt Vogel should start worrying about serious problems in school, like kids in gangs or on drugs instead of a harmless play gesture. And how about the horrendous teachers we have these days where kids are failing subjects and being promoted anyway! Vogel definitely needs to get his priorities straight!
I played with cap pistols as a child. Cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers. Have I ever killed anyone – no. Has any of my childhood friends killed anyone – not that I’m aware. Kids are kids, if they don’t have cap pistols they will use their hands and shout – bang bang! The child should not be reprimanded or anything, he was just being a boy. I doubt if it made the other kids “unconfortable” until they were told they were.
SIR ARE YOU GOING MAD, #1 DID HE SAY I AM GOING TO GET A GUN AND SHOOT YOU.#2 DIDN’T YOU EVER PLAY COWBOYS AND INDIANS AS A CHILD, YES I SAID CHILD . YOU ARE A FOOL AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM ANY PLACE THAT DEALS WITH CHILDREN (YOU SHOULD BE SUSPENDED FOR LIFE WITH NO PAY)
We’re not going to have any of this PAVLOV’s dogs conditioning of the kids in our family, and as many others that I can bring up to speed on this, I’ll advocate they home-school to circumvent this sort of activity,, Years ago we had intelligent teachers, ,,,,,,,Semper Fi ,,,,Jack usmc ret
hard to believe i think they should send these idiot teacher some where else to teach. Like in the middle of no where. they are what is going to be the down fall of our country.
Mr. Vogel.
You simply know better than to make a decision this stupid. You could not have grown up in this society to become an administration of any organization if your design is truly to give up the intelligence you demonstrated somewhere along the path. Stop worrying about face to face confrontation with mothers/fathers and piers, simply do your job to the best of your ability. Be careful of decisions which show the worst of you.
Sincerely.
William Bracken
Lancaster. CA
This is insanity, but unfortunately typical. They know that most people will defend their God-given right to own firearms…so I think their approach is to indoctrinate the kids in school with anti-gun propaganda, make them afraid of firearms, and convince them that they are evil. When they are adults they can then easily pass legislation outlawing firearms and a brainwashed public will support it.
I suppose if he flipped the bird instead everyone would have laughed and thought it very funny! The world is indeed upside dowm.
Mr. Vogel.
You simply know better than to make a decision this stupid. You could not have grown up in this society to become an administration of any organization if your design is truly to give up the intelligence you demonstrated somewhere along the path. Stop worrying about face to face confrontation with mothers/fathers and piers, simply do your job to the best of your ability. Be careful of decisions which show the worst of you.
Sincerely.
William Bracken
Lancaster, CA
if he had flapped his arms like a bird flying,would they have closed the window to keep him from flying away???how stupid can you get.I would not let my child go to a school where people in charge were that dumb.
Seems to me it’s not the 6 year old that has problems. If other people felt uncomfortable by him holding out his finger pretending it was a gun then those other people have some serious mental problems. Now if it was the other finger I could see someone getting upset but most of those uncomfortable people wouldn’t think a thing about that.
David scolded for what making a hand gesture? This nation has become a nation of pussies sorry for the french these same libtards will be runnin’ for the hills with depends on when the sh… hit the fan and at the rate we’re goin’ its gonna hit. These same people couldn’t tell you what sharia law or a madrassa is either ,but they’re helping to usher in both!They’re “sheeple”.Gun violence amounts to less than 5% of violent deaths yet the media and academia produce false info daily. The sats don’t lie since the illegal DC gunban was shot down violent crime is down 25% and 38% in Flrida since they ushered in castle doctrine and the right to shoot and kill if necessary when being carjacked guess what libtards no wild west and the criminals get the picture so so what if a kid is playin’ cowboys and indians cops n robbers and by the way its not pc i know i’m no politician!
I believe this country and the Government has gone plum crazy.
When I was a kid when we had recess time at school we went outside
and played cowboys and indians, using our hands play pretending exactly
as this little six year old did, and we pretended to shoot with our hand and
fingers and the teachers were right outside with us and even some of them
were joining in on the cowboy and indian fight.
I definitely know without a doubt that this country is being ruled more like a
country with a Zar than with a true and faithful american leader.
Ever since we took Bible Study and Corporal punishment out of our school systems
our school systems have been going down, year after year after year.
If this was my child and the school system did this to one of my children, I would
do everything in my power to make sure that my son or daughter was not suspended
for something that is so outrageous as this story.
My hats off to the parents of this child and I would not stand for this and I would
fight for my sons right to have a little play fun at school.
“God Bless The Little Boy And His Family And God Bless America”