Kid faces expulsion for firing airsoft guns in his own front yard

[The Straight Story]

Kid faces expulsion for firing airsoft guns in his own front yard

Seventh grader Khalid Caraballo is suspended from school and faces expulsion for shooting an airsoft gun. No surprise there, since most schools have a zero-tolerance policy with guns on campus, right?

The problem is he was in his front yard at the time. Khalid and a few friends were playing with airsoft guns while they waited for the school bus. When they saw the bus coming, they put the guns down and went to the bus stop. A neighbor saw the kids pointing guns and called 911.

The caller says she knew the guns weren't real, but called anyway because they made her uncomfortable.

The school suspended Khalid and two other kids for "possession and use of a firearm." Khalid's parents say the whole thing is ridiculous because the kids were on private property, and police didn't file any charges. The kids' expulsion hearing was scheduled for Monday afternoon.

http://now.msn.com/khalid-caraballo-suspended-faces-expulsion-for-firing-airsoft-guns-at-home

[Drale]

1. Dark skin kids holding what look like guns

must be gang bangers right? Stupid ass racist neighbor. She should be charged for the police that responded and the families of these children should sue the fuck out of her.

[Thegonagle]

85. White kids playing with "airsoft" guns unsupervised would make me just as nervous. nt

[gopiscrap]

2. I hate guns but I tend to agree with the parents

[Eleanors38]

3. As has been pointed out before, it's a culture war...

where the objective is to stigmatize, denigrate, and punish. Hear tell it goes on in DU as well.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

4. It is absurd.

Especially since the school seems to have suspended without talking to the kids first to find out what happened...............they are looking to protect their own ass here.

[Brickbat]

5. That's awful.

[tk2kewl]

6. how does msn get off writing that article and not even saying where this happened?

the incident was in Virginia Beach, VA

original article here: http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

[TwilightGardener]

7. Idiotic. Now kids can't even play at home.

[Sunlei]

9. people are allowed to call the police. The police have to respond to these calls.

The police probably had to go to the school because of the timing of the call.

Most schools have that dumbass- 'zero tolerance' about drugs & weapons- and this is the result of that policy.

[pnwmom]

71. But schools DO NOT have to discipline students for anything

that occurs in the students' own yard. And when it's a harmless, legal activity, they should not.

[Brickbat]

11. Also, Airsoft guns aren't firearms.

[Posteritatis]

14. Hey now, if artfully gnawed pop tarts qualify as firearms... (nt)

[philosslayer]

13. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance

How else do you "break" the gun culture other than showing children that pointing things at one another and firing is wrong? I admit this sounds harsh, and I feel badly for the young man, but the wave of gun violence can only be turned back if we as a society emphasize that we will no longer tolerate it in any form.

[bluedigger]

15. Then you should address that with issue with toy sellers and manufacturers.

The children were paying with legal toys on their own property. End of discussion.

[HERVEPA]

28. You don't get to end the discussion. You don't own this board.

[tkmorris]

30. Perhaps not but...

Unless you can find some issue that makes what he said untrue, I don't know where on earth you could possibly take the discussion from there.

It's a legal toy. He was on his own property. Can you offer any justification WHATSOEVER to penalize him for that? And BTW guns=bad is NOT an argument.

[HERVEPA]

32. All I did was mention that he did not have the right or ability to end a discussion on this board.

I did not discuss the merits of suspending the kids.
I do believe no toy guns shouls be sold, and at a minimum no one under 16 should be permitted to fire a gun of any type.

[DragonBorn]

39. Opinions on video games?

Does your opinion extend into video games? We should ban all violent video games so the only things we have left are farming simulators, and my little pony adventures?

Little boys like to play with toy guns. If you didn't play with army men, nerf guns, or water guns as a kids I feel as if you missed out as part of your childhood.

[HERVEPA]

53. No, not all little boys like to play with toy guns or army men or nerf guns.

I didn't. I thought it repulsive as a kid. And I still do.
No, I don't think the video games should be banned. But had they existed when my kids were young, they would not have been allowed to play them.

[Eleanors38]

59. You have a right to restrict your kids from using toys, games and guns...

you don't have the right to do that with other kids, anymore than running a message board.

[HERVEPA]

62. You need to read more clearly.

I never said I did. I do wish society would ban the sale of them. You need to read my comments a bit more clearly. My comments are pretty transparent, as are some of yours.

[Posteritatis]

38. People are, of course, free to continue arguing whatever wrong points they wish. (nt)

[Eleanors38]

19. Not interested in your social engineering of "breaking" a kid.

[bettyellen]

55. you misread- it's breaking the culture. the one where IDIOTs start their kids at 3 yrs old...

so they can fire away at their siblings a few years later. This "playful" attitude toward guns needs to fucking go away.

[Eleanors38]

56. You should keep your foul language to yourself...

As for your post, you speak of "culture," but it was the kid who was busted. Is that okay with you? Busting a kid on his property?

[bettyellen]

65. if those plastic bullets were hitting children at a bus stop- it IS an issue. Just like the idiot

who hit the little girl when he was target shooting in his yard. People should grow up and realize their bullets go off the property and take responsibility.
This is a problem with gun culture, people learning to do stupid irresponsible things at a young age because it's fun for them. So much fun, they forget bullets fly past their property lines. And they do, all the time.

[Lizzie Poppet]

68. Nothing in the article says they were firing the guns.

It says the idiot neighbor saw them pointing the guns, that's all. It doesn't even say if they were loaded or not.

[bettyellen]

97. I think school suspension is over the top- but understand if things are happening

or might happen to kids waiting at a school bus stop- then yes- the school will get involved.
It isn't hard to understand why. Why do people think shooting stuff stays on their property? That's the impression I am getting here. That is thoughtless and foolish.

[Lizzie Poppet]

100. I don't disagree about shooting any projectile, even a toy.

Heck, even if the projectile is essentially harmless, it's just foolish, as you say, not to make sure the kids are very aware of where it could end up, etc. I was just saying that the article doesn't make clear if they were shooting any projectiles at all, or just pointing the toy guns at each other.

[bettyellen]

103. I read a post here saying a few kids were hit- not clear if they were off property at the time

but they were near the bus stop. When I was in HS waaay back when they had rules of behaviour for our commute home. Not that they could really enforce them much once we were aways on the bus, because it was public transportation. But they monitored things that happened on the commute for our benefit.

Just this attitude of "it's my property and I can do whatever" is bullshit to me. You want to live in a community, things have to be different. You DON'T get to do whatever you want, whenever you want to as part of the price of living in a peaceful society. People are worried these days about guns near groups of people, especially near groups kids- yet idiots with real guns push their luck for "fun". I think we need to disconnect from this notion of guns= fun, the sooner the better.

[Eleanors38]

69. And the police found nothing to charge anyone with. So, bust the kid another way.

[backscatter712]

20. Zero-tolerance is weapons-grade stupid.

It sounds harsh because it is harsh, and you should feel bad.

Really? Deprive them of an education? Make it so they can't go to college, trap them in McJobs?

Fuck zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is zero brains.

[philosslayer]

43. I do feel bad for the young man

But I think there is a good chance he'll never point a gun (real or play) at anyone and pull the trigger ever again.

Relax Francis; this will not deprive him of an education. There are other alternatives. He's simply being recommended for explusion from ONE school.

Educators nationwide have implemented zero tolerance rules. I'm a supporter of public schools and teachers, and I trust their judgement on this. I don't work in a school every day.... they do.

[backscatter712]

47. That kid ain't learning anything...

...except to rightly resent and distrust authority. Proportionality doesn't compute among authoritarians - they couldn't just give him an afternoon of detention. Nooooo, they had to go straight to the most severe punishment in the book. Over a fucking toy. That wasn't on school grounds.

He ain't going to college - he has a Weapons Violation, and that makes him Dangerous.

And tell me about this "alternative" school? Bet you it's a shithole where nobody learns, barely a step above juvie.

You're just creaming your pants over the idea of this sort of destructive, disproportionate punishment. You think you're teaching him a lesson, making him swear off weapon-shaped pieces of plastic? He's just swearing off dealing with people like you.

It's idiots like you that are also responsible for Three Strikes laws, and mandatory minimums - oooh, that pot is so dangerous, give him a life sentence!

Oooh, that plastic toy that shoots little balls of plastic barely hard enough to cause a slight red mark is DANGEROUS! Better condemn him to a life of McJobs.

It's authoritarian tools like you that make our nation suck.

[Eleanors38]

60. And you support sanctions for someone doing something legal on his/her own property? Explain.

[aikoaiko]

78. You didn't see the video, did you? He's shooting again in the front yard.

Zero tolerance is an abomination.

[backwoodsbob]

87. the child was playing with a legal toy AT HIS HOME

you don't have a problem with a child being expelled from school because he played with a toy you don't like at his own home?wow.

Are you sure you are at the right website?The authoritarians usually post at free republic

[philosslayer]

91. The definition of Authoritarian

"favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, esp. that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom."

Now, I personally wholeheartedly support the ACA. However, I would imagine the denizens of Free Republic are objecting in part because people are "forced" to buy health insurance. i.e.... strict obedience to authority. Therefore, in some ways I suppose i'm authoritarian. As are most people who post here regarding that particular issue.

Please be careful with your accusations.

[backwoodsbob]

93. and yet

you would expel a child from school for playing with a legal toy at his own home

[philosslayer]

98. It wasn't my decision to make

The board voted 3-0. Clearly 3 sane adults had their reasons.

[backwoodsbob]

102. yeah...they are irrational fucks

zero tolerance equals zero intelligence

[Mojorabbit]

64. +100 nt

[Recursion]

27. What "wave of gun violence"? Homicides are down 75% or so from the 1990s.

We're not living in a crime wave.

[Posteritatis]

35. But concerned-looking reporters tell us otherwise, so it must be true! (nt)

[pnwmom]

70. No. Zero tolerance at school does NOT mean zero tolerance at home.

And zero tolerance of guns does not equal zero tolerance of everything that either looks like gun or shoots any substance.

[Vashta Nerada]

96. That would make sense if it was at school.

[Bake]

107. Maybe I should have omitted the sarcasm thing in my post ...

Just so we're clear, you actually AGREE with the suspension???

Yup, score one for the anti-gun crowd.

Sigh.

Bake

[Posteritatis]

16. "That toy makes me uncomfortable, so I'm going to ruin a kid's academic year. That sounds fair." nt

[stevenleser]

17. This is idiotic. nt

[Blue Diadem]

18. More at this link, looks like his friend was expelled.

www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

I see these guns shoot plastic pellets.

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

Lets see if this link will work.

[GalaxyHunter]

21. wow.. That neighbor need to mind their own business.

[sarisataka]

22. So what's the problem...

this is what we have been told here often and several times in the last few days.

The woman called police and told her how she felt. There should be zero tolerance for guns in public. Gun owners should be shamed and ostracized. Treat having guns like Klan robes. Stand your ground against these idiots. It seems like this fits the bill perfectly.

That a couple kids get expelled and their future education and lives may be limited is a small price for the message they and their peers have received.


One thing I do agree with is air soft guns should not be considered toys. Anything that fires a projectile at several hundered feet per second should be treated with respect. My children do have air soft and they are kept locked next to actual guns and are used only under strict supervision. Shooting them at people is forbidden.

[hughee99]

29. What's the message these kids and their peers received?

Is the message "You can do something completely legal and still face serious consequence from an organization that has NO authority over what you do on your own property on your own time?"

Is the message "Your neighbors are watching you, and if you do something that they KNOW isn't illegal, but makes them uncomfortable (or maybe it's just YOU that makes them uncomfortable), they can call the cops?

Is the message "Fucking with peoples lives is fine if it's done in an effort to scare people into behaving a certain way"?

I didn't see anywhere in this article that they children were pointing them AT anyone, let alone shooting anyone. Presumably, if your children have these guns they point them and shoot them (I'm guessing they don't close their eyes and wave them wildly as they fire them). That's what these kids did. Do you feel your own children should be suspended if a busybody neighbor calls 911?

[sarisataka]

31. The message sent was

guns are anathema and you should not ever touch one.
The message receives was don't get caught because the punishment is way out of line.

My point is that All of those things I listed I have seen here in the last 72 hours. Those who push an agenda of absolutes don't consider the spill over that cases like this illustrate. As I have seen the same points repeated over months, and this is not the first zero tolerance travesty, I can only conclude it is an acceptable outcome for those with this agenda.
I believe there are those who do seek a reasonable middle road and hope they will win out over the absolute position.

[hughee99]

33. Ah, I think perhaps I misunderstood your first post.

I though you were arguing FOR an absolute. I apologize.

[sarisataka]

34. No worries

[Jenoch]

48. "Treat having guns like Klan robes."

What other rights protected by the constitution do you wish to tarnish?

[sarisataka]

49. Just quoting what I have heard...

it is strange I have not seen many who propose those actions such as I listed chiming in to comment on what has happened to these children.

Should I conclude they think there is no over reaction in this case.

To be clear, I reject any position based on hate. I do not think air soft guns are toys. I believe open carry is a leagal option but should be use sparingly as it does cause undo alarm. Any carrying of guns should not be done to make a statement.
I have business in the county offices this afternoon and will be carrying concealed. I have taken the steps specified by law to be authorized to do so.

edit add> While I vehemently oppose the Klan and what it stands for, I acknowledge their right to wear their costumes. Their parades, like neo-Nazis and LaPierre, provide some of the best examples supporting to those who oppose their stands.

[Jenoch]

50. You have me a bit confused.

Your post did seem to conclude that guns are bad and the public should view them that way. Other posts you have written seem to advocate strict gun control ala Diane Feinstein. If I have been reading them wrong, let me know.

[sarisataka]

52. yes, I put forth a devils advocate view

using statements I have seen DU members make. I am heartened by some in the control group who have begun to speak out against the absolute all guns are ban and damn the consequences position. These children are the unjust consequences of such a black and white policy.

It is also heartening that there is discussion in RKBA around UBC and what are acceptable and reasonable limitations on gun ownership.

Hopefully these voices can overcome those who seek to derail progress for an absolute position on one side or the other.

[Drale]

81. This isn't a case of the kids playing with air-soft guns on school property

like the story of the man walking around with a rifle and a hand gun near a school zone, that's the story from earlier this week that I'm guessing your referring to. These were kids, on their own property not doing anything to this neighbor lady and people especially the school way over reacted and are going to regret it when all is said and done. If this was an adult in his backyard with a gun would she have called the police? I think not, but brown skinned kids with "guns" and now we have a major issue.

[sarisataka]

106. That is one

of several cases I am thinking of.

I have many problems with zero tolerance policies. Extending them to private property is insane IMO. If a school can punish children for what they play in their yard, can they also punish them for what they play in the house?

[exboyfil]

23. I wonder if the three who beat the kid

on the bus got expelled? It appears that they are only required to transfer out if their victim is transferred into their school.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/teens-in-gulfport-bus-beating-case-plead-guilty/2138979

[sarisataka]

25. I am constantly amazed

that people lay the hammer down on non-harmful activity but actual violence goes virtually unpunished.

[Posteritatis]

37. Nah, kids who are genuinely dangerous get a gentle talking-to at most. (nt)

[MicaelS]

24. Fucking zero tolerance bullshit.

Fucking nosy ass neighbor. There will be a backlash against this neighbor, and her life is going to be made a living hell. Maybe she'll learn an important lesson about not sticking her nose into other people's behavior.

And then people wonder why parents hate public school administrators, and want to home school their children.

[HappyMe]

26. I'm no gun person,

but this is just stupid.

Gawd, I hate nosy neighbors.

[Nye Bevan]

36. Expulsion for playing with toy guns in his own yard?

Utter, utter bullshit.

[tblue37]

40. It might be a bit more complicated than this sounds.

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

<Snip>
Ironically, that 911 caller's son was playing with Khalid and Aidan in the Caraballo front yard on September 12. There were six children playing in an airsoft gun war. "We see the bus come. We put the gun down. We did not take the airsoft gun to the bus stop. We did not take the gun to school," Khalid explained.

Aidan admits shooting the caller's son in the arm, and Khalid admits shooting another friend in the back. "He knew we had the airsoft gun. He knew we were playing. He knew people were getting shot. We were shooting at the tree, but he still came and even after he was shot he still played," referring to the son of the 911 caller.

WAVY.com reached out to the principal of Larkspur Middle School, Matthew Delaney. In a letter obtained by WAVY.com he said his investigation found the "children were firing pellet guns at each other, and at people near the bus stop." The letter from Delaney says one child “was only 10 feet from the bus stop, and ran from the shots being fired, but was still hit."

Khalid insists all the shots fired were on his private property. The three children firing the guns were suspended. The three others who did not fire the guns were not suspended <emphasis added>.

<Snip>

It sounds as though the school was concerned about the possibility that other kids, kids who were waiting for the bus to go to school, were at risk of being shot, either deliberately or accidentally. It does sound as though the boys were not being particularly careful to avoid that, even if all the shots fired really did stay on the property--though we have only the kids' word on that. Kids are quite capable of shooting at other kids off the property and then denying it when they get into trouble.

But notice that the "nosy neighbor" is the mother of one kid who was shot in the arm. Sure, the kid seems not to have minded and he did continue playing after being shot, but as a mother, I would have minded if my kid's playmates were shooting plastic pellets at him during their games. Easily mocked but true, the notorious mother's squawk: "You could put your eye out with that thing!"

I think the punishment is absurdly harsh, but I also think the school does have some responsibility for the safety of children at the bus stops where they have to wait for transport to school.

[theHandpuppet]

41. Safety concerns

From wikipedia...

Safety concerns[edit]

See also: Legal issues in airsoft

Airsoft is relatively safe when played with proper protection. Most airsoft guns on the market are usually below 350 ft/s (110 m/s), but projectiles expelled from any type of airsoft guns can travel as low as 65 ft/s (20 m/s) to more than 700 ft/s (210 m/s) and are capable of breaking skin at 300 ft/s (91 m/s). Though, if over 300 ft/s (91 m/s), the hit would have to be within a short range and breaking the skin is not the same as penetrating it. Blood can be drawn, but flesh is usually left intact or bruised at worst. Protective eyewear (goggles or glasses) is widely considered the minimum protection for airsoft players, as the eyes may be injured by any type of impact. A little known fact is that the teeth can also be injured (fractured) by the impact of a pellet. Dentists have reported broken teeth that require root canal and crowns to repair damage. A face mask (like that used for paintball) is recommended to protect eyes and teeth.

There are legal issues in airsoft as well as several rules imposed in a game by game basis. Most airsoft fields only allow up to 350 ft/s (110 m/s). In order for an airsoft gun to be lethal or a threat to an airsoft player physical integrity, it would have to be well over that limit. To even reach such speeds the gun would have to be highly modified. So it is therefore unlikely to kill anyone with any standard airsoft gun sold. The use of metallic BBs, or any foreign objects, is very dangerous for the user and other people and property in close vicinity, and may damage the airsoft gun as well. However, specially designed and built metallic 6mm BBs for airsoft guns can be found on the market. These metallic BBs should not be used for airsoft play because they can break airsoft player protections like goggles.

Recently, a 13-year-old student in Virginia Beach, VA, was suspended from school for playing with an Airsoft gun on private property near a school bus stop. He was charged with "possession, handling and use of a firearm". The school's so-called "zero-tolerance" policy on guns extended to private property, according to the report.[18]

Although Airsoft guns in the United States are generally sold with a 6mm (0.24in.) or longer orange tip on the barrel in order to distinguish them from real firearms, this is not in fact required by federal law. There is some controversy on this topic as Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations, on foreign commerce and trade, stipulates that "no person shall manufacture, enter into commerce, ship, transport, or receive any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm" without approved markings; these may include an orange tip, orange barrel plug, brightly colored exterior of the whole toy, or transparent construction (part 272.2, formerly part 1150.2). However, section 272.1 (formerly 1150.1) clearly indicates that these restrictions shall not apply to "traditional b-b, paint-ball, or pellet-firing air guns that expel a projectile through the force of compressed air, compressed gas or mechanical spring action, or any combination thereof." [19] Local laws may differ by jurisdiction. Full or partial preventive painting of airsoft guns as a legal obligation to avoid confusion of the airsoft replicas with real lethal weapons is in practice in several jurisdictions around the world.

[KurtNYC]

44. "we see the bus come. We put the gun down." -- does that mean they just

left the guns on the ground ? at a school bus stop (?) And their parents say they didn't know or permit them to play with the guns at that time, so where did the guns go? Kind of a hole in the story.

Also, the kids photographed here have eye protection:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/boy-suspended-school-toy-gun-family-property-article-1.1465745

[gollygee]

72. I wonder about this too

My kid's school said that anything that happens at the bus stop will be treated the same as an incident at school. I'm opposed to these kind of zero tolerence policies, but I'm guessing it was because it happened at/near a bus stop.

[Hardlyaround]

75. This didn't happen at the school bus stop,

it happened on his parents property, private property, the school had no business involving themselves in this and the parents of these kids are probably going to receive a nice payday compliments of the school district.

[gollygee]

79. If they are shooting at kids waiting for the bus at the bus stop

it happened at the bus stop, regardless of where they were standing.

[Hardlyaround]

83. Nothing in the article stipulates that they were shooting anyone at the bus stop.

They were shooting plastic pellets at each other while in their own front yard.
If they had been shooting at students waiting at the bus stop, I believe the police would have charged them, as it stands, the police won't be filing any charges.

This is another case of zero tolerance gone amok.

[gollygee]

89. From the article at the start of this subthread

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

Like thousands of others in Hampton Roads, Khalid Caraballo plays with airsoft guns. Caraballo and his friend Aidan were suspended because they shot two other friends who were with them while playing with the guns as they waited for the school bus.

[Hardlyaround]

90. They were in their front yard with other friends waiting for the school bus.

Nowhere does it say they were at the bus stop or shooting in the direction of the bus stop.

Like thousands of others in Hampton Roads, Khalid Caraballo plays with airsoft guns. Caraballo and his friend Aidan were suspended because they shot two other friends who were with them while playing with the guns as they waited for the school bus.

The two seventh graders say they never went to the bus stop; they fired the airsoft guns while on Caraballo's private property.

http://www.wavy.com/news/local/va-beach/has-zero-tolerance-gone-too-far

[Blue Diadem]

101. One child was about 10ft from bus stop. Bus stop was 70 yards from where kids were shooting.

From the link:

WAVY.com reached out to the principal of Larkspur Middle School, Matthew Delaney. In a letter obtained by WAVY.com he said his investigation found the "children were firing pellet guns at each other, and at people near the bus stop." The letter from Delaney says one child “was only 10 feet from the bus stop, and ran from the shots being fired, but was still hit."

[Hardlyaround]

104. That's her investigation.

I would like to see the police report, it probably reached a different conclusion as the kids aren't being charged with any crimes.
Also, this principal may be trying to cover her ass against a civil lawsuit because she went overboard on the suspension.
This is probably going to a civil court where the parents have a good chance of winning.

[JCMach1]

42. Zero tolerance makes us look like the idiotic hypocrites we are...

when it comes to guns.

[Lurks Often]

45. The principal should be fired, both for being an idiot

and for grossly overstepping her authority. This did not happen on the school bus or school property. Shortly the school will be sued and will certainly lose in court, since this will come out of the taxpayers pockets. Maybe the voters should be considering electing some new people in charge come election time.

[Go Vols]

99. +1

[LittleBlue]

46. Publish the neighbor's name

Let the open carry loonies protest in front of his/her house.

[telclaven]

51. I look forward to hearing the amount of the settlement

Imagine how many text books those dollars could have bought.

[CherokeeDem]

54. I have a question...

If a person can walk into Starbucks, McDonald's or some other public place with a handgun strapped to his/her hip or a rifle slung over his/her shoulder and I call the police and say I am uncomfortable with their presence, the police will likely do nothing, because they can't if the gun holder has a permit to open carry.

How is this any different? Yes, I know the 'children' were in the yard pointing 'toy' guns at each other in the yard of a private residence, but how is the caller in this case any different than I am. At least, I was uncomfortable with the real thing.

In my opinion, the school has no right to control a child's behavior off campus... that's for the parents to do.

[Egalitarian Thug]

57. How can people this stupid not die from simply forgetting to breathe?

[Drale]

84. I've also been wondering that or

how do the super religious nut jobs not walk out into traffic "knowing" that God would protect them?

[Iggo]

58. Zero Tolerance is for fucking idiots. (n/t)

[Lizzie Poppet]

61. "... called anyway because they made her uncomfortable."

"The caller says she knew the guns weren't real, but called anyway because they made her uncomfortable."

So this hand-wringing idiot gets a kid in big trouble at school because something "made her uncomfortable?" And to think we pro-gun-rights folk get called "delicate flowers..."

[philosslayer]

66. I don't blame her

Children were shooting projectiles that could have seriously injured someone. Knives are perfectly legal also. Would you call the police if you saw two people engaged in a knife fight?

[Lizzie Poppet]

67. I do.

She knew they were toys, by her own admission. Airsoft guns can be somewhat dangerous toys, but obviously there's not even a remote comparison in that regard to actual firearms.

Would I call the police if two people were engages in a fight with what I knew were toy knives? Nope...

[Bonx]

74. If I knew the kids were playing, and the knives were plastic pirate swords...

Yes I would call the police. You never can be too careful. Someone could get a bruise or something.
Lol.

[Eleanors38]

73. Oh, my... my... comfort! Oh, my comfort. So warm, soft and senuous is my comfort...

My comfort is all, my comfort is overwhelming.

Oh! Something happened! I'm not comfortable anymore. WAA-A-A-AH! Strike out at all that disrupts my comfort, my soft, warm, slightly moist comfort.

It is ALL, my comfort. So sensitive am I to my own feelings, that I need not be sensitive to others when my comfort demands more comfort. To enhance my comfort, I need only to switch on the vent fan and hold my nose.

[Bonx]

76. I just called 911 after witnessing a hit and run

Neighbor hit a squirrel and didn't even stop !

<Serenity now... Serenity now... Serenity now... >

[Glassunion]

80. It's amazing the "rights" we invent.

Right to not be uncomfortable
Right to not be outraged
Right to be safe
Right to not be offended
Right to not be sad

I cant wait until we get the Right to Cupcakes and Bacon...

[Eleanors38]

63. Zero-tolerance means everything is frozen up. nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

77. can anyone prove that this kid named Khalid is not a terrorist?

Just last week I mentioned to someone - a physician as a matter of fact - that there was a Middle Eastern restaurant in town owned by a local Palestinian-American business person who has lived here for at least 30 years. This doctor snorted back in all seriousness - "I wouldn't mind trying the food. I just don't want them to blow me up." I told them that the family who runs that little restaurant are well known local people who have lived here a long time - "so I don't think you have to worry about them blowing you up." To which she in all seriousness responded, "well, you never know - I wouldn't want to risk it."

Of course I don't know if prejudice played a major role in the case of little Khalid or if it was only zero tolerance gone nuts - or if it was a bit of both. I would tend to suspect it might be a bit of both.

[The Straight Story]

82. Why take chances?

Some folks from the ME are terrorists, so we should be careful of them all. Same with guns, a tiny minority hurt others with them so we should be careful of them all.

Such is a position that both the left and right agree is reasonable and just.

[Douglas Carpenter]

94. I do differentiate between toy gun and real guns - but that is just one of my funny little ways

[dgibby]

86. In the spirit of full disclosure,

I'm a Virginian, own a firearm, am in favor of tighter gun controls. Having said all that, I hope the parents of these boys sue the crap out of the schools and the neighbor. And speaking of the neighbor, Va. Beach is a military town. A majority of the citizens are locked and loaded, I suspect. I don't think her life is going to be very comfortable from now on. Hope she can find a buyer for her house if she's a homeowner, because I don't think she's going to be able to stay where she is.

[avebury]

88. I have to admit that I had no idea what airsoft

guns are and had to google it to see what they look like. And I would have no idea whether or not they are dangerous or safe. I do know that I would not be too crazy about seeing any type of gun (short of a water gun - ) being pointed at anybody. There are too many incidents of kids accidentally shooting themselves or other kids and, playing with "guns" that are not as lethal as regular guns, are not a guarantee that a kid will not be stupid if he/she gets a hold of a regular loaded gun. While there are some responsible people out there, there also some really stupid ones as well. I would probably not have called the police, but if I had kids living next door playing with any type of guns, they would definitely be on my radar I would most likely be keeping my eyes on them.

Edit to add:

Any gun/toy with any type of projectile that has the potential to overshoot the boundaries of the private home property can become the concern of any abutting neighbors for obvious reasons. For example, I saw a neighbor in his backyard a few months ago with some type of rifle/air rifle and he indicated that he shoots at birds. We have a lot of stray cats around and I looked at him pointedly and asked him "You don't shoot at any of the neighborhood cats do you?" Let me tell you, he kind of concerned me because I do not trust not to shoot at the neighborhood animals. After that, whenever I was in my backyard and saw him outside, I kept an eye on him because I have a indoor dog and a couple of outdoor cats. The cats were homeless cats that decided that my property was their property and I have grown rather found of them.

[Bake]

92. Score one for the anti-gun crowd!

Woohoo!

(if you needed that)

Bake

[Enrique]

105. that's the way these stories are written

to fit into the gun vs. anti-gun culture war. Or some other culture war.

But in reality many of the schools just have rules to protect kids' safety.

[Vashta Nerada]

95. Zero tolerance run amok.

Common sense used to be common. What happened to it?