# Principal removes army men from 3rd grader's cupcakes. Right or wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605 "2013-03-11T03:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/41 "2013-03-13T06:14:38Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Are toy guns prohibited in most schools these days? Pretty much. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/42 "2013-03-13T06:23:41Z")
I think the principal was wrong at magnitude 1. The parents are wrong at like magnitude 8. The principal’s decision isn’t going to have any real consequences; the parents are setting their child up to believe he’s the Sun King around whom all rules and media must revolve. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/43 "2013-03-13T06:49:43Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Are toy guns prohibited in most schools these days? > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Pretty much. Then that rule would obviously apply in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/44 "2013-03-13T08:22:37Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > (On a side note, back 50 years or more ago then I was at high school, there were real firearms at my school – 30 years ago there were often guns at my high school. Owned by students, and kept in the trunks of our cars during hunting season. It was common to go hunting before or after school, and nobody even questioned the practice. Today, if word got out that a kid had a shotgun in his car, CNN would do the “BREAKING NEWS” banner/break in programming, swat teams would be summoned, and news helicopters would circle the area. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/45 "2013-03-13T14:45:06Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Then that rule would obviously apply in this situation. I think a distinction would be made between a toy gun and a toy with a gun. Also, the principal didn’t cite the rule in her reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/46 "2013-03-16T21:14:36Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > My reaction is that toys are generally not good cupcake toppers, especially used toys. Even brand new toys that have been freshly washed might be inappropriate food toppers. I know that toys are supposed to be non-toxic, but that doesn’t mean that they are good for sticking in frosting. I’d object to any toys on food treats, whether the toys in question are army men or those cheap jewelry items that are sold. +1 You don’t know where they’ve been. I’d prefer my food food to be free of germs as possible. Unfortunately, elementary school children aren’t the most sanitary people out there. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/47 "2013-03-16T21:19:46Z")
Political correctness gone wild. Pretty soon we will be ready for “1984”-thought police and all. what it boils down to: you can get into trouble for anything…as long as the government decides what is “wrong”. there is no room for humar, reason or common sense…just “the law”…as defined by the government. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/48 "2013-03-17T22:42:45Z")
The principal is a damn pussy. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605/49 "2013-03-17T23:12:28Z")
_headbang_ I don’t know why the kid wanted toy soldiers on his cupcakes. But the very FIRST thing that entered my mind was, “Gee, I wonder if Mom or Dad is deployed?” Our country is at WAR. There are kids who only know Mom or Dad isn’t home, and they are seeking ways to remain connected to their parents. If carrying a camo backpack or putting toy soldiers on cupcakes gives the kid some comfort, then screw the principal. But that’s just my stupid opinion. ~VOW [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/principal-removes-army-men-from-3rd-graders-cupcakes-right-or-wrong/652605.md?page=2)