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we are doomed as a nation. doomed.

[off topic for a second: if you're wondering where the waldo post went, i put it on draft for now as I think that poor guy's server crashed from all the traffic today]

[via Tongue Tied]

A 14-year-old New Jersey schoolboy - whose dad and stepdad are in the military - was suspended for five days because he drew a "patriotic" stick figure of a U.S Marine blowing away a Taliban fighter, officials said yesterday.

Ok. I've officially had it. What the hell is this country coming to when kids can't even draw pictures of a soldier killing a terrorist? We are at war! The Taliban is our enemy!

Back in my day (walk, snow, uphill both ways, etc.) that's all we drew in class. Soldiers and enemies. Shoot 'em up. Shoot 'em dead.

As far as I know, none of the kids I went to elementary school ended up becoming murderers.

Said a local psychologist: "I have to wonder what is expected of our children today when 1) our country is at war and 2) both his father and stepfather are out fighting the war."

Doesn't she know the world is made of candy and kittens and fluffy clouds? Sheesh. Get with the program, people. There's no horror in this world. No danger. No war. Nope. None of that here. So just tell your kids to go on painting and sketching happy little scenes.

The school principal: "He's been punished for the drawing. We felt it was highly inappropriate, and we took it very seriously."

Inappropriate for whom? I'll tell you who's inappropriate! The superindendent is inappropriate! The whole damn school system is inappropriate!
/Pacino imitiation.

Seriously. This is just wrong. What can children do today? And what the hell are we going to do when this generation of kids gets out of college and they go into culture shock when they realize that the world is not peace, love and happiness.

And now, the Doom Song.

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» Taxpayer-funded child abuse from Inoperable Terran
A 14-year-old in New Jersey has been suspended for a week after drawing a picture of his father (a Marine) shooting Taliban asswipes. Wait'll Buck and Chomps find out.... [Read More]

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It's me, a marmoset. Michele is pondering the existence of God, questioning His involvement in certain natural disasters and singing the Doom Song. I'm starting to get a little concerned about her again. DF... [Read More]

» Ferocious, eh? from One Fine Jay
There are children's shows, and then there's Children's Poison. I don't let my nieces watch everything that they are "allowed" to see, as far as ratings go. Anything that teaches them that "everyone wins," that no one "ha... [Read More]

» Jennifer Aniston and I have something in common from d-42.com: Josh Cohen online
Just a thought: blunted gets twice as many daily visits (hits from unique computers) as I do, yet I post once or twice a day, and he only posts about once every two-and-a-half days. Funny how that works. *** It... [Read More]

Comments

You know, sometimes I think that if we'd unleashed an army of concerned anger-managers on the Taliban, they'd be begging us for a bullet.

That is nothing. Look at the caterwauling over LTG Boykin. He's a real live terrorist killer, and people want him canned because he thinks the bad guys are evil.

And then there is this.

We're a long way from here.

They're insane! We should encourage our kids to express anger in nonviolent ways. Making it against the rules to express anger will lead to stressed out kids, more school violence and generally unhappy children. And people wonder why so many kids are being pulled out and being home-schooled...

the whole damn school system is not inappropriate, just the people in charge!!! well and some of the teachers too. I have been told by my administrative staff that giving homework is inequitable, that making kids read for fifteen minutes a day will get them reading one million words a year (I did the math, not possible even for a really good reader. I have been told that I need to make my course material easier because the second language kids can't learn. ( and if you ask them they will tell you that those classes are the ones they want because they don't want to be bothered with academically challanging classes. I have been forced to get extra credentials to accomodate. I have been told that everyone is equal and everyone can learn at the same pace.Blah blah blah..... Then I have the right saying that the school system is inappropriate, that schools are a failure, that public schools are worthless. Why do I bother to go in at all??? Why don't some conservatives with some common sense that can find an equilibrium step up to the plate and do something about our schools?? Maybe because the conservative superintendant on one hand doesn't want to piss off the liberal board, and on the other hand is a teacher-hater who spends more time making my life more difficult and takes teaching materials away from me... Ahh I could go on but what's the use I gotta go back to correcting papers. Thanks for the temporary, space borrowed soap box

I used to think home-schooling was for folks who wanted to keep their kids isolated from the real world. Obviously now it's the only place kids can get a sense of reality. What a complete waste of public funding.

#1 Vouchers, vouchers, vouchers

#2 complete dismantalling of the public school system.

My 9 y/o stepson is ADHD. His THERAPIST has schooled him to deal with his anger by going to a neutral space and DRAWING his aggressions!

Good god, when I was in school, boys especially were always drawing the most violent and gross things imaginable...their bookcovers covered with screaming jets bombing towns and people, skulls & crossbones, etc.

This hypersensitivity and sheer cluelessness about what is or is not something to be concerned about is mindboggling.

Crimeny! When I had jury duty some ten years ago, I ended up spending most of the time at the courthouse chatting with an English teacher I'd had in school (she passed away a few years ago, the only teacher whose funeral I have ever attended.) One of the things she recalled was how I had always finished my tests long before the rest of the students in my class in 7th grade and had then filled the margins of my tests with elaborate stick figure war scenes. She stated that she'd always been greatly amused by my work and looked forward to correcting my tests. She also thought it was amazing that I had the time not only to finish the test but to litarally cover the empty space on the page with drawings as well as being one of the top students in my grade.

Under these wackos I'd probably STILL be in detention. These idiots express all kinds of concern, yet I have never developed a criminal record or displayed any violent tendencies...and I probably made this student look like a piker when it comes to scenes of stick figure slaughter. But I am a conservative, gun toting anti-PC voter...so I guess I did turn out for the worst in their world.

bye the way I do agree that this incident was stupid, we used to play army when I was a kid and although somedays I think I could kill, I ignore the impulses just fine.

Sigh...how pathetic.

If I were that kid's parent, and having to deal with the principal, and he still kept the suspension in place, I'd say to the kid, right in the principle's office, "Did you hear that? We finally have time for that trip Disneyland that you've been wanting to take. I'll book the trip we when get home."

If the principal said anything like, "Don't you understand? Your child drew a picture of a U.S. soldier killing somebody!" I'd simply reply, "I do understand. Why do you think I'm rewarding him with a trip to Disneyland?"

I'd also say that the school board was very brave to punish someone for expressing themselves, as that will be hard to justify in court.

If I didnt shave shave my head, I probably pull it all out whenever I read of idiocy of zero-tolerance policys such as that.
I had only briefly considered home-schooling my daughter when the time comes. Now, however the idea is gaining more weight.

LOL on the Pacino bit, and completely appropriate.

When I think of someone with the apparent writing skills of Patrick grading papers for his class, I think even harder about getting my boy into private school.

TINTON FALLS (5185)
658 Tinton Avenue
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724-3275

Dr. Leonard R. Kelpsh, Superintendent
(732)460-2404

Now I remember why I quit teaching.

"I'd also say that the school board was very brave to punish someone for expressing themselves, as that will be hard to justify in court."

Scott: you can only express yourself if it falls within thier "ideal" society

And what the hell are we going to do when this generation of kids gets out of college and they go into culture shock when they realize that the world is not peace, love and happiness.

I don't know, but I hope it isn't a national temper tantrum similar to the one over 30 years ago.

::Miss Bitters voice::

The universe is just Doooomed. Dooomed. Doomed.

::runs off and pops the pirated Zim disc in the DVD player now that the Jackyl playlist is done::

Sorry for all the stoopid posts tonight. Blame it all on the Cherry Red "O"gasms I drank tonight, a drink of my own invention. Bacardi O, Red Bull, splash of Grenadine, topped with a cherry. Looks like blood in a blacklight. Local goth club (if you'll recall I outed you as a closet old-skool goth/punk) had a costume contest and I won fourth in my Samurai Jack get-up, which got me many free drinks.

Michael

It's the alcohol's fault, really.

Hell, you should have seen some of the violent stuff we drew in junior high (during the Vietnam war). As far as I know, no one in my class grew up to be a mass murderer (though I believe one became a lounge singer).

And just to really worry you, you should know that Tinton Falls, NJ is just outside the gates of Fort Monmouth, the last major Army base in NJ. So how many other military kids are being subjected to this administrator's attitude?

If I drew that someone would've called me unpatriotic and shot me or arrested me. The funny thing is I'm only 15.

Read the article closely, and you'll see indications that the truth is somewhat different than the spin:

" . . . family members said the teenager had been involved in three "minor" incidents, including an earlier suspension . . . Officials said they were concerned because his drawing contained a reference to another student who they feared might have been a potential target."

In other words, the drawing was seen by school officials as a death threat directed at another student, not as a pictue of a solider killing a member of the Taliban. In that context, and given that this kid has a history of trouble, the details of which we don't know, the disciplinary action seems a little less arbitrary, doesn't it?

If the child and his parents had read the manual on 'how to be a good little conformist' (that's the rules handbook for anyone reading in california), they'd know that you aren't allowed to have an opinion. Not only that, but the only acceptable colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet... that way you can draw a happy rainbow and be a good metrosexual liberal.

If the child and his parents had read the manual on 'how to be a good little conformist' (that's the rules handbook for anyone reading in california), they'd know that you aren't allowed to have an opinion. Not only that, but the only acceptable colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet... that way you can draw a happy rainbow and be a good metrosexual liberal.

While I tragically can't say I'm surprised at the vehemency of the comments on this issue, it does disturb me. Perhpas we've all forgotten, but the point of being a more-evolved nation is that we do NOT act as the bad guys do. WE do not torture. WE do not kill civilians. WE do not commit crimes against humanity. Because the SECOND we start doing so, we ARE them.

You do NOT secure a peaceful, safe world for your children by teaching them to hate. Haven't any of you read 1984? We hate nation X, we've always hated them, even though they didn't exist to us a few years ago? Scary! Unthinking hatred leads to destruction; not juts theirs, ours. I would much rather prefer to live to see my child have children of his own than to teach him the only way to live is to insure people who aren't like him do not.

The Screaming Muse

P.S. When you are in a position of military power for a democratic nation made up of HUNDREDS of races, creeds and religions and you ostensibly represent and defend them, you do NOT say you are fighting a holy war for chritianity!!! Because frankly, you AREN'T. You are, in fact, killing people similar to some who live in your own country. Modern, civilized countries, democratic and created with NO intention of mixing church and state should never do so. Boykin's job is protecting the country. If he wants to wage a holy war, he can move to a "christian" country and become a priest.

I am thrilled to find your chat room this morning. I was baffled yesterday by my son's third grade teacher accussing my son for being violent because he drew a picture of a troll with swords!!! i THOUGHT SCHOOL WAS ABOUT DEVLOPING IMAGINATIONS! I was told he is scaring the other children, what planet are the other children from it is odviously not Earth. My husband and I have to go to a meeting about our violent child Friday. I think this is a joke, The other day he was told what a great kid he was for sticking up for a friend when a older child told his friend he was a faggot and should put stuff up his bum. But now drawing a picture with a weapon in it or playing secret agents on the playground is looked at as bad. I don't get this new school system crap! The public schools are going to Hell! Frustrated Mom