Raising the next generation of placid herbivores

This Washington Post op-ed piece, by Jonathan Turley, discusses the culture of cowardice a growing number of parents want their children (and everyone else's children, as well) raised in. He became aware of this phenomenon when other parents reacted in shock and horror upon discovering that his sons were permitted to play with toy guns (which were obviously toys).

Turley is not himself a firearms enthusiast, and although the piece does not come out and say so, I get the strong impression that there are not, and never have been, real firearms in his house. Still, he is struck by the ridiculousness of "protecting" children from toy guns, as if they were loaded heroin syringes. His piece lists some examples of the bizarre extremes to which the "zero tolerance" policies are sometimes taken.

· In New Jersey, an 8-year-old boy used an L-shaped piece of paper in a game of cops and robbers during recess. School officials called the police, saying the child had threatened "to kill other students" by saying "pow pow" on the playground. He was held for five hours and forced to make two court appearances before charges were dropped. Two 8-year-old boys were charged with making "terrorist threats" after they were found pointing paper guns at classmates. Charges were later dropped.

· In Texas, a 13-year-old girl was suspended and transferred to a school for problem kids after she brought a butter knife to school with her lunch. Her parents had packed the dull knife so that she could cut her apple to make it easier to eat because she wore braces.

· In Arkansas, an 8-year-old boy was punished for pointing a cooked chicken strip at another student and saying "pow, pow, pow."

· In Georgia, a 5-year-old student was suspended after he brought a plastic gun the size of a quarter to his kindergarten class.

How far we have fallen--a few short generations ago, our men braved murderous fire to storm the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima--now, an 8-year-old saying "pow, pow" is enough to terrorize us.

There is hope, though--even in my own herbivore-ruled state of Illinois, a bill has been introduced in the legislature that would require the school system to offer weapon safety education to children.

Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in cooperation with the Department of State Police, to develop a weapons safety program designed to protect children from the risk of gun-related death and injury. Provides that the program must be designed to teach children to follow an effective safety procedure when they are exposed to a gun and shall specifically warn children that contact with guns can result in serious injury or death. Provides that a school district may incorporate the weapons safety program into its curriculum. Requires the State Board of Education to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly as to the status of the program no later than January 1, 2009.

That's the kind of thing that will probably put the "zero tolerance" folks off their feed--sales of tofu burgers with kiwi slices are going to suffer.