Philly School district defends decision paper gun

[LadyBlue]

Philadelphia school district defends decision to scold, search student over paper gun

The School District of Philadelphia is defending its decision to scold and search an elementary school student who pulled out a paper gun in class.

A district spokesman said the school acted swiftly and appropriately when 5th grade student Melody Valentin allegedly told classmates she had a handgun on her, MyFoxPhilly.com reported.

Melody and her mother, Dianna Kelly, deny she ever used the word “handgun.”

According to Kelly, Melody realized she had the paper gun with her and put it on her desk while preparing to throw it away. Melody’s grandfather, a marine specializing in firearms reportedly gave it to her the day before.

A classmate spotted the piece of paper and contacted administrators.

"He yelled at me and said I shouldn't have brought the gun to school and I kept telling him it was a paper gun but he wouldn't listen," Melody told MyFoxPhilly.com.
www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/26/philadelphia-school-district-defends-decision-to-scold-search-student-over/

[LadyBlue]

Oh dear God in heaven the world has gone mad. I knew it would happen eventually but with these tiny little things blown so out of proportion as to lean toward the ridiculous, this one is the frosting on the cake.

Since WHEN has a piece of paper become illegal and worthy of such disdain? Do they think this poor child decided the night before when her grandfather made that paper gun, "gee I think I'll take that gun to school tomorrow and shoot all my friends with it." Did she know the reality of what she was saying, or was she being a little child that has been bombarded with the news coverage of the school shootings? Had there been things talked about at her school about the recent shootings and that's what gave her some twisted idea about taking that paper gun to school, then telling her friends that she has a gun on her?

Please school administrators, get a grip, go take a cold shower, go take a chill pill and a long stiff drink because this is a 5 year old girl you are talking about here and punishing, who had some knowledge that when she saw that paper gun in her backpack and put it on her desk, it certainly wasn't because she felt good having it. While she cherished her grandfather and knew he had made it, she had it at school and she knew it was a no no, even though it was paper.

THAT'S what you've done now to every single child on this planet. Made them feel badly for having a piece of paper in the shape of a GUN. I have to wonder, if that piece of paper would have been in the shape say of a knife, would the outcome have been the same? If it were in the shape of a bomb would it have been the same. Then let's go one step further and say they found on a flat piece of paper a drawn gun, would that still be a violation? How much nitty freakin gritty are we going to get here?

LEAVE THE CHILDREN ALONE!!!!!!!! And if you don't intend to leave them alone, then you are going to be raising a couple of generations of children who are paranoid beyond belief.

Ya'll really didn't think I was going to just sit by and be silent about my thoughts did ya?