Misdiagnosed "Gun Violence"

by Dan Lacca

As the country tries to heal from the horrifying event that occurred in Newtown, CT, lawmakers at the national, state, and local levels have been searching for ways to prevent yet another tragedy from occurring. However, a massive gun-control hysteria has hit the nation by storm, forcing at least the Maryland state legislature to delay the search for a solution to school shootings, and focus their efforts on stopping school officials from abusing students due to a national fire arm phobia. An unprecedented amount of harsh school disciplining begs one to ask the question: “what happened to common sense in the United States?”

Pop Tart "gun"

According to the Huffington Post and Daily Caller, second grade student Josh Welch, was suspended for two days after his teacher noticed his pop-tart took the shape of a gun after little Josh bit it. Josh suffers from ADHD and struggles academically, however he excels in art. Josh admitted to shaping his pop-tart, but a gun was not what he had envisioned. He was trying to make a mountain. To justify the suspension, the school claimed that Josh threatened other students by pointing his half eaten breakfast at them saying “Bang Bang”, which Josh denied in press interviews. “I didn’t say bang, bang. I just pointed it at the ceiling.” The school sent home a letters home with students, asking parents to discuss the incident with their children in a manner they feel appropriate and that the school councilor would be available for anyone who feels they are in some way traumatized by Josh’s behavior. The incident has forced Maryland State Senator JB Jennings to propose the Reasonable School Discipline Act of 2013, commonly referred to by the media as “The Toaster Pastry Gun Freedom Act.”  The act restricts what actions can be taken to discipline students that make innocent gestures that an over sensitive school official may deem offensive. Jennings reasoned that “These suspensions are going on their (the students) permanent records and could have lasting effects on their education.”

Little Josh is not the only victim of unnecessarily harsh school discipline. In early March this year, Hunter Fountain was celebrating his ninth birthday in Michigan in the traditional way that many children have done for generations in this country. The Fountains baked cupcakes for young Hunter to generously share with his class and decorated the top of each treat with World War II Army men. A classic American tradition and a classic American child’s toy, is there a better mix? Apparently the principle of Hunter’s school believed so. According to multiple news outlets such as, FOX, Yahoo news, The Daily Caller, and other sources the Principle of Schall Elementary School deemed the cupcakes “insensitive” in the wake of Sandy Hook and confiscated the desserts until Hunter’s mother told the school to just take the toy soldiers off and serve the cupcakes without them. Hunter’s Father stated in an interview with FOX News “It disgusted me. It’s vile they lump true American heroes with psychopathic killers.

Another harmless incident occurred in Mount Carmel, PA, that resulted in the suspension of a five year old. In January CNN reported an incident where a little girl who, along with her family, chose to remain anonymous and her friend were making plans for a play date involving the suspendee’s Hello Kitty bubble gun and her friend’s Princess Bubble Blower.  "I'll shoot you, you shoot me, and we'll all play together," said the kindergartner as they waited for the bus to take them home from school. The next day the young student was given a ten day suspension and charged with committing a “terrorist threat”. The school also requested she be seen by a professional councilor.

The innocent little girl’s parents found legal guidance from attorney Robin Ficker. The Mount Carmel area school has since reduced the punishment from a ten day suspension to two, and the “terrorist threat” has been reduced to a "threat to harm others." Ficker and the family are now working to have the suspension whipped from the young girl’s record so she can transfer to another school.

These three incidents and many others like them have been taking place all over the country ever since the shooting at Sandy Hook, and have not slowed down. What happened in Newtown was a tragedy and it is natural that the country would be a extra sensitive while it heals. But has America become so sensitive to the issue of gun violence that the education system feels they need to take out their frustration by bullying innocent children? Lock your doors and hide America, because apparently cupcakes topped with army men are somehow going to inspire children to run loose across the country with murderous intent, armed with deadly bubble blowing toy guns and peacemaker shaped pop-tarts.

Welcome to the new era of McCarthyism. This time it’s not adults being prosecuted by a national committee appointed to weed out communist spies. Our own children are being pushed around by the very system we have entrusted to educate them. If more legislatures are forced to delay the real issues to police petty phobias and the people in this country do not wake up and demand common sense, then perhaps Mark Steyn was right when he said, “You’re doomed America. You’re done for. No society can survive this level of stupidity.”