# Poll: Principal allows students to bring water guns to class- do you have a problem? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790 "2011-05-13T16:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/21 "2011-05-13T17:42:03Z")
I’d make 'em do it outside on the playing field after lunch, but sure–sounds fun. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/22 "2011-05-13T17:43:04Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I’m thinking that the first kid of an irate parent who slips and hurts his head on the water from a water gun fight is going to create a legal liability for the school. I wish it weren’t so, but I think this is amazingly stupid from a liability standpoint. This is probably the best argument against it yet not one of the ones I’ve seen used in the message boards on the “controversy”. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/23 "2011-05-13T18:11:15Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > **Sampiro** , is there a way for non-interested kids to opt out? That’s the only thing I’d be concerned with. Under normal circumstances you can leave the water pistol fight when you’ve had enough - being locked into one for 4 hours when you’d rather not seems a bit much. I would assume that the kids are only allowed to fire at other “armed” students, also. So a kid could opt out by simply not carrying a water gun, or by putting his gun away when he’s had enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/24 "2011-05-13T20:38:23Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > They’re still kids. Why can’t we let them be kids once in a while? Let them have a wild day. All too soon they’re going to be adults where there are never water gun days. And like Student Driver says, there’s going to be insanity anyway - why not divert it into an event? Mostly agree with this, but one quibble: The great thing about being an adult is that if you want a Water Gun Day, and you work hard at it, you can have one. There’s at least one major water gun fight in DC’s Dupont Circle every year. Also a pillow fight - I went to that this year, dressed in my interview suit and charging into the fray with a battle cry of “CAPITALISM!!!” Adulthood rocks. If you think otherwise, you’re doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/25 "2011-05-13T20:41:19Z")
THIS SOUNDS 100% AWESOME. I am all for it, as a former student, current parent, and person who has actually taught in a high school. ---
**Author:** ![Ladymarmalade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Ladymarmalade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ladymarmalade)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/26 "2011-05-14T00:13:39Z")
Several thousand hyped up kids, not all of them well-mannered, constantly re-filling these water guns. Halls slick with water, ready for a fall. Kids going too far, running in the water, ganging up and not all of it kidding, deciding oh yeah well let’s fill this cup, bookbag, book, whatever with water to get even, bigger fun, yay, and then someone falls, someone goes too far, someone gets mad … all this for eight hours, and it will be “controlled” when there is what, one adult per twenty kids and “incidents” happen within seconds? Not to be a wet blanket, haha, but I think it’s an idea that sounds fun, but there is going to be trouble, guaranteed. I would love to hear how it goes though. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/27 "2011-05-14T00:47:59Z")
Oh. Well, nobody said that the children would not be well-mannered. In a non-well-mannered situation, that changes everything. It would be cats and dogs living together…mass hysteria! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/28 "2011-05-14T00:56:33Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I would assume that the kids are only allowed to fire at other “armed” students, also. So a kid could opt out by simply not carrying a water gun, or by putting his gun away when he’s had enough. Come on, really? This is going to be a great day to harass the shit out of the kids everyone already bullies. There won’t be enough teachers to keep an eye on who is armed vs who isn’t, so some poor kids are going to spend the whole damn day soaked and miserable. Super idea. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/29 "2011-05-14T01:07:21Z")
We did that on my last day of high school nearly 40 years ago. Some guys filled their water pistols with diluted perfume or aftershave (no shooting at the face for them). What a sweet smelling school it was for that one day only. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/30 "2011-05-14T01:14:45Z")
It would be a bad idea as a general policy. But I don’t see it as a problem for a special event on the last day. The potential for disaster with a bunch of water seems pretty minimal. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/31 "2011-05-14T01:16:52Z")
> [@Ladymarmalade](#): > > Several thousand hyped up kids, not all of them well-mannered, constantly re-filling these water guns. Halls slick with water, ready for a fall. Kids going too far, running in the water, ganging up and not all of it kidding, deciding oh yeah well let’s fill this cup, bookbag, book, whatever with water to get even, bigger fun, yay, and then someone falls, someone goes too far, someone gets mad … all this for eight hours, and it will be “controlled” when there is what, one adult per twenty kids and “incidents” happen within seconds? Not to be a wet blanket, haha, but I think it’s an idea that sounds fun, but there is going to be trouble, guaranteed. I would love to hear how it goes though. There’s always trouble in school. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/32 "2011-05-14T01:16:55Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Come on, really? This is going to be a great day to harass the shit out of the kids everyone already bullies. There won’t be enough teachers to keep an eye on who is armed vs who isn’t, so some poor kids are going to spend the whole damn day soaked and miserable. Super idea. As opposed to all the previous days when these students were bullied by non-water based methods? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/33 "2011-05-14T01:21:32Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I would assume that the kids are only allowed to fire at other “armed” students, also. So a kid could opt out by simply not carrying a water gun, or by putting his gun away when he’s had enough. But you know what that Billy Joe is like. He never listens to what his mother says. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/34 "2011-05-14T02:29:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But you know what that Billy Joe is like. He never listens to what his mother says. _Seems like nothin’ ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge_… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/35 "2011-05-14T02:48:53Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > _Seems like nothin’ ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge_… I was thinking more Johnny Cash. He laughed and kissed his mom And said your Billy Joe’s a man I can shoot as quick and straight as anybody can But I wouldn’t shoot without a cause I’d gun nobody down But she cried again as he rode away Don’t take your guns to town son Leave your guns at home Bill Don’t take your guns to town ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/36 "2011-05-14T03:02:27Z")
_I shot a kid in high school just to watch him drip._ ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/37 "2011-05-14T03:06:45Z")
Are any of the objectors basing it on the basis that all guns or even toy guns are evil killing machines, not on the basis of bullying or wetting unwilling people? ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/38 "2011-05-14T05:48:48Z")
Able to recall how well my bullies tormented the hell out of me on relaxed days when teachers were even less on guard than usual (which was bad enough) without weapons, and how miserable it was to be targeted for exceptional bombardment in a water fight I wasn’t even participating in, I’m opposed solely on behalf of the underdogs. If this were my school, I’d be skipping the last day, no matter what anyone said. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/39 "2011-05-14T06:06:12Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > They’re still kids. Why can’t we let them be kids once in a while? What are they on weekends or after school hours? Get real. Your question is bullshit. > [@](#): > > And like Student Driver says, there’s going to be insanity anyway Why? Because we let it happen. There’s no reason for it to happen except that we “expect” it to happen. Yes, last days are more relaxed. But what’s the positive reason for water guns or anything not allowed the rest of the school year? I can’t think of any. > [@Qin Shi Huangdi](#): > > There’s always trouble in school. So? There’s always something going wrong somewhere. Should we allow it on one special day? > [@Little Nemo](#): > > As opposed to all the previous days when these students were bullied by non-water based methods? So we should have one day where we **officially** add one more method? > [@Agent Foxtrot](#): > > This sounds like the coolest principal ever. > > Tight-wad, knee-jerk parents are sure to complain. Bullies and parents of bullies are sure to be for it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790/40 "2011-05-14T06:10:33Z")
Sounds like this principal slipped by the committee that makes sure principals never use their brains. Mmmmm, brains. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-principal-allows-students-to-bring-water-guns-to-class-do-you-have-a-problem/581790.md?page=3)