Why do people insist on treating kids at play like they were criminals?
Here, we learn that a 12-year-old was arrested and then taken away in handcuffs after being caught drawing on her desk. Handcuffs.
And, here is a truly unbelievable tale (the principal* of which has perhaps already been denounced on this good Board).
Not much of a rant, I admit. But sometimes things are so obviously stupid that you don’t need too many words to show it.
*note clever pun
I almost did a literal spit take when I saw the photo in the article. Good lords, that guy’s wedding band is larger than the “gun.”
No kidding. There is an actual hazard with that gun, though - a kid might choke on it.
One of the parents in the article -
Magadalini, my dear, you’re stupid.
But it will corrupt their little innocent minds! We can’t let them see anything remotely resembling guns cause then they will turn into murdering psychopaths! 
ETA: Here’s a story where a 1st grade home-schooler got suspended (home-schooler suspended?) for bringing a live shotgun shell to school. That’s one where I have to say - seriously mom and dad, you think its ok to give a 1st grader a shot gun shell as a toy / collectible? There is a tiny chance that it could go off if handled inappropriately. This is closer to a borderline case than the ones in the OP, but still seems over the top-ish.
I don’t think that one’s really that big a deal, is it? I mean, sure, it could go off if you hit it with a hammer, but there are all sorts of objects that can injure you if you hit them with hammers and we don’t usually worry about kids having them.
Pressurized canisters, for example.
The Lego gun thing is just beyond retarded.
This cracks me up: “It’s a two-inch gun, all right? I mean you have to squint to even see if it looks like a weapon. She went a little overboard with this.”
Proposed essay title: “Give a scrap of authority over others to some adults and they go crazy” 
Thinking back on the shit I pulled as a teen, which I should have been busted over … 
I’d love to see the actual wording of the school policy in the “gun” case. I’ve seen policies which, if read literally enough, would pretty much ban bringing any newspaper or newsmagazine into school since they almost certainly have a picture of a gun somewhere in them. If I was a highschooler, I’d be tempted to write the word GUN in large letters on a piece of paper and carry it around, just to see what happened.
The Lego gun thing is a non-story. The kid was called down to the principal’s office and told not to bring the thing in again. He did not receive a suspension, so if there is some sort of zero-tolerance policy in place, there is obviously some room for administrators to use their discretion, which is what we all want to see happen, right?
It’s a bit more than a non-story. The parents were called in and forced to sign an infraction letter (she called it an A-4 infraction in today’s NY Daily News, but I don’t know what that means). Personally, I would have told the principal where to file that infraction, unsigned. Theoretically, the principal apologized to the parents, but the parents say they haven’t received an apology.
Regarding the doodling on the desk, the child thought, when caught, she would get detention and be forced to clean the desk. That wouldn’t be too hard, as it was erasable marker. But to be led out of the school in handcuffs? Fortunately, the City Education Department spokesman called the move boneheaded*. The Daily News recounted two other instances of tweens and young teens being arrested for doodling on desks.
*okay, he may not have used that word, but he didn’t stick up for the school.
The story is some of the other parents’ reaction to the infraction, in my opinion. “People with no damned sense raising kids! Story at 11!”
Not a gasp infraction letter!! Dear God how will that child ever survive! I wouldn’t wish an infraction letter on my own worse enemy!!! You know who else gave out infraction letters? Hitler.
*Note: the principal messed up for sure, but the recreational outrage that seems to be flooding the Pit is getting annoying.
Since the OP acknowledges there isn’t much of a rant, I’m going to move this to Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share.
Gfactor
Pit Moderator
http://www.nola.com/superbowl/index.ssf/2010/02/in_new_orleans_saints_country.html
not looking good for educators these days… when i train new guys i always tell them to get the facts prior to making the arrest… on several occasions i’ve had to pull managers… principals… bossess aside and advise them that 1) what occurred was not a crime… and 2) you better apologise to him/her cause your ass is hanging out…
Newer cops just slap the cuffs on sometimes and never ask and get the details… i never would have arrested that doodling girl… i would have advise to have her mother come to school and did a report…thats unneccesary…