I'm so furious right now. My eight year old son, last week at lunch recess, pointed his finger at another student. The other student pointed back. Cops are called, detentions handed out. My son gets off the bus sobbing, he is terrified that he will be going to jail. FOR A FINGER GUN! A police report was filed against both boys, charges will be pressed by the state. I called the police department this morning and spoke with the officer, she tells me that it is just procedure under Homeland Security. Any hand gesture that can be considered threatening intent against another person's safety is against the law. Threatening intent, INTENT! Do you honestly believe my son intended to shoot this boy, ending his life?

I next called the school, I asked them to drop the charges based on the fact that my son had no life threatening intent behing the eight year old lunch recess play finger gun. The principal tells me that they did not press charges, only filed the report, which is apparently mandatory under Homeland Security. The principal expressed how sorry she was and that she feels it is a complete pile of crap, but of course, her hands are tied. Because the state is pressing the charges, the school cannot make them go away.

My son is terrfied he is going to go to jail. Eight years old, damn it. I will fight this untill the bitter end. If I cannot protect my son from this crap, then what should I do? I am very angry at this time. I have no money for an attorney. Though, I have no doubt that I can provide enough character witnesses for him to prove he had no intent on the other boy's life. Perhaps I should get together witht he other boy's parents. If the two boys can agree they were just playing, then it would get thrown out of court, right?

Ben Franklin once said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." The Homeland Security Act stands to destroy everything our Nation was built upon.

This is completely insane but its called Zero-Tolerance and they really carry it to the extreme, there is no flexibility in Zero-Tolerance.
2 years ago, while in 6th grade my son was pushed and hit (over something stupid) he pushed and hit back because I've taught him to always defend himself but to never be a bully or provoke a fight.

Of course I was called and had to pick him up from school to start his 5 day suspension. I spoke to the principal and told him the punishment was to harsh as my son is a straight A student, never before been to the principal and was just defending himself.
He cited the same thing that your sons principal did, he said that there was Zero-Tolerance for fighting and if my son hadnt of pushed/hit back he wouldnt have been punished.
Best of luck to you and your son, I would advise getting legal representation, if you can afford it of course.

I find this hard to believe.

So, if it's true, and I were in your shoes, I'd contact every major media source that I could and try to get it on national TV. There is no excuse for this kind of stupidity.

I'd like to see a homeland security official on TV try to rationalize why kids pointing fingers at each other can in any way be considered as a threat.

It's disgusting that your son is being made to suffer like this. I know how hard it is too, trying to explain the world to them at that age when the world seems to be geting crazier and crazier.

Why are they so afraid NOT to report these incidents? Utter madness.

Originally posted by guanna
The principal tells me that they did not press charges, only filed the report, which is apparently mandatory under Homeland Security. The principal expressed how sorry she was and that she feels it is a complete pile of crap, but of course, her hands are tied. Because the state is pressing the charges, the school cannot make them go away.

What I find silly is that there is no COMMON SENSE to this. She filed a report over POINTED FINGERS? Who does that? What grown adult sees that and thinks it falls inline with what HSA is concerned with? Her hands are tied BECAUSE she filed the report, when she should have just turned a blind eye.

I agree, call every news outlet you can. I know I would.

Many kids with Oppositional Defiance Disorder ( ODD ) are unable to resist acting out in ways that get attention: They do not stop and consider if it will have consequences or not. I have seen this madness firsthand with my son.

He has various disabilities that are behaviroally linked and he has been suspended four times and charged with Disorderly Conduct once ( at age 11 and 12 !!) for nothing more than being too fidgety or obstinant while going thru a change of meds..WITH a doctors note advising that there would be reactions. They would NOT let me just keep him home during that time..they insist on attendance!! But then they freak out over nonsense.

My son has been disiplined for ' looking mean at another person ', and for ' mumbling that aggravates others ', etc. ANY two bit silly thing is not a matter for the cops and Homeland Security!! Amazing..simply sickening. If this is not proof positive of an impending police state, what is?

It's all part of the 'mind control' that our government is forcing on our country. And what better way to have a docile community of sheeple than to start in elementary school.

By the time these kids are ready for college, they won't be able to think for themselves. They will be used to a society of 'zero tolerance'. This is the generation that will be willing to give up their guns and all other rights.

The only thing we as parents and grandparents can do is to teach them the truth. We may all have to go 'underground' eventually.

Gawd this makes me mad.
In the UK it's just as bad.

I was the smallest in the school hence I was picked on.What was I supposed to do?Just take it?
NOPE I snapped and ended up beating up the three three kids who instigated it

Did it mean a life of crime and violence?
NOPE. I'm well known as a pacifist and I've NEVER had a police record.Just respect enough to not get picked on again.

When are people going to wake up and stop cotton padding kids and let them learn life lessons without all this idiocy started off by all our wonderful 'human rights' dolts.

Deny it.

Deny it ever happend.... it hersay. what they "saw" simply wasnt so. The kids were pretending their fingers were wands... not guns.

Seriously.. DENY the accuracy of the charge. Can they proove this happend? Are there pictures?

Pictures or it didnt happen!

Originally posted by Creedo
Deny it.


Pictures or it didnt happen!

That's the best idea. Let's not conform to all these silly new rules. All this zero tolerance crap is that, just crap. We're supposed to be tolerant, not picking on every minute upset and magnifying it out of proportion.

Yea seriously... dont be intimidated with this BS. THEY CANT PROOVE ANYTHING!! Just stick to your guns (no pun intended)... express how ridiculous this whole thing is and deny, deny, DENY, that it ever took place.

Just remember... they have nothing!

Do you mind me asking what city your child goes to school? My girlfriend teaches around here in Atlanta, and she has told me far worse things her little kids have done. Thing is it takes a lot for any real discipline to be given. And there definitely is no standard procedure here that I know of in which Homeland Security must be notified. Unless, of course, there is a real threat to security. But kids where she teaches have said things like "I'm going to kill you" and raised their forks like knives at others. In fact, I'd say these things are pretty routine. And none get reported to Homeland Security. Actually, very little is really ever done about it.

[edit on 2007/11/1 by evilod]

I called the officer again, gently mentioned that I really didn't want to make a media circus in our quiet little town. The officer told me that she will grab the report and talk to some people about dropping the charges. I told her it wasn't a gun, they were playing Harry Potter and it was a magical wand that changes people's hairstyles. Thanks for that idea. It seems once the officer realized that I was serious, she decided to take a step back.

Originally posted by Creedo
Deny it.

Deny it ever happend.... it hersay. what they "saw" simply wasnt so. The kids were pretending their fingers were wands... not guns.

Then sue the creator of the Harry Potter series.

OK, that was a joke, but seriously, this a great idea. Teach your children to lie when they are caught doing something that is against the rules. If we have to go underground, deciet is our only option.

I feel sorry for what you have to go through as a parent, today. The system has just gone insane. Thank God, THANK GOD, my boys are grown.

My oldest had an anger issue. 20 years ago, he beat up the school bully on the school bus. Even the bus driver came to my son's defense saying it was self defense. Both boys had 3 day suspensions. My son later beat the kid up again over another issue. Yeah, another 3 day off. In high school, got involved with sports to help direct some issues, this helped. Today, at 30, he still has a temper but his mouth won't write a check his body can't cover. With today's everyone deserves a group hug crowd that seems to operate the school systems, he would probably be in jail as a repeat offender. Instead he is a networking supervisor for a fairly large cable system.

Younger son, now 24, couldn't get with other boys without "trouble" over something. Not as bad as fighting, more horse play and imitating pro wrestling moves, but it was always something stupid. I'm sure there would be terroristic threats or something just as stupid said if it happened today.

I'd sure E-mail Bill O'Reilly about this. He seems to have this type of story every few weeks on his radio or cable show. Even a local Fox station would help you out with some common sense media coverage.

My mom always told me this and I will just mention it to you, but it really helped me out at times......You can't live your kids lives. Take a deep breath and a step back.

Good luck, I really mean this....

Thanks all for the supportive and kind words. I guess it is a federal and state crime to make any gesture with harmful intent. That is what the officer told me. I do not know a specific statute or anything. I clarified that this law did not only apply to school, basically, if you walked up to a person, pointed your finger, and this person, or anyone around, felt their safety was endangered, then you broke the law.

This is riddiculous! When i was a kid i used to play around like that all the time. What Nonsense! I would tell you to try and get this story on the news, but I dont think that it would be good for your child. Fight this to the end! I can guarantee that he's not gonna do any time though Most likely the judge will make him take some sort of youth counseling, or youth service classes. But what a joke!!! This has gone way too far. How far are we going to let our goverment go to "protect" us. RIDDICULOUS.

Peace.

But they still need to proove it even happend....

I can say you did it to me all I like but can I proove it? No.

The whole thing is crap... they have nothing... and they know it...