Black Seventh Grader has Police Called for playing with his Zombie *Toy* Gun in His Own Home During Virtual Learning

[Asita]

It's a BB gun apparently.

However I will say this is stupid on so many levels

1) It's an orange tipped gun, that literally is an indication it's a toy of some kind not a real lethal firearm
2) It was during online lessons
3) they suspended him for it. Like really you're suspending a kid from online lessons because he happened to show a BB gun on video at one point? Like what? Why?

It's not even a BB gun. It's an airsoft pistol, and that's not an insignificant distinction. As an analogy, comparing the two is like comparing a steak knife to those dinky plastic knives you can get in a fast food chain. BB guns fire copper pellets with enough force to penetrate a soda can at range. Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets that can maybe break skin at point blank range.

To put it a different way, BB guns are dangerous enough that they follow the "never point at another person rule", but are not powerful enough to be considered effective hunting weapons (indeed, as they're likely to penetrate but not kill, shooting animals with them is considered inhumane). Airsoft guns, by contrast, are actually designed to be safe to shoot at other people. They're very much like paintball guns in that respect (and indeed, share the same "to be safe, wear goggles" guideline).

 

[lil devils x]

It's not even a BB gun. It's an airsoft pistol, and that's not an insignificant distinction. As an analogy, comparing the two is like comparing a steak knife to those dinky plastic knives you can get in a fast food chain. BB guns fire copper pellets with enough force to penetrate a soda can at range. Airsoft guns fire plastic pellets that can maybe break skin at point blank range.

To put it a different way, BB guns are dangerous enough that they follow the "never point at another person rule", but are not powerful enough to be considered effective hunting weapons (indeed, as they're likely to penetrate but not kill, shooting animals with them is considered inhumane). Airsoft guns, by contrast, are actually designed to be safe to shoot at other people. They're very much like paintball guns in that respect (and indeed, share the same "to be safe, wear goggles" guideline).

And it wasn't even electric or gas, it was just spring loaded, so even among air soft products it was the " toy version" My toy tank likely could do more harm.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I think you over-estimate the whole "permanent record" thing. I'd wager that nobody is ever going to see that.
It's not a felony conviction, or anything.

And you underestimate that there's any record of this non-infraction at all. Whether or not this kid has to suffer repercussions years from now or not isn't the point, the potential is the problem; else, why are records kept? I get that you prefer to defer to authority, but that need not entail deferring to it when it's clearly overreached as it has here.

 

[tstorm823]

Airsoft guns, by contrast, are actually designed to be safe to shoot at other people.

But heed my advice: safety glasses are insufficient, wear a full mask, you can shoot a tooth out.

 

[Buyetyen]

fucking potheads

As an avowed pothead, the worst damage we can do is to the cookie aisle at the grocery store. Hell, closest I ever came to burning anything down was when I sneezed into a bong while taking a hit.

On-topic for the thread, this is bonkers. And anybody who is arguing that it is not and that the staff are being reasonable is lying because they know it's bonkers.

 

[Schadrach]

That is what happens to black kids vs white ones. They give this kid a police record and screw up his education in the process for having a toy in his own room. How dare he? While simultaneously making the white kid who killed people the far right's new action hero.

True, they merely suspended the white kid in Maryland who brought a much more realistic weapon to school, having taken a pastry and bit it into the shape of a gun (I suppose since the pastry didn't have an orange cap it was harder to tell that breakfast food is not a gun?).

 

[Buyetyen]

True, they merely suspended the white kid in Maryland who brought a much more realistic weapon to school, having taken a pastry and bit it into the shape of a gun (I suppose since the pastry didn't have an orange cap it was harder to tell that breakfast food is not a gun?).

Can't go ruining the poor little angel's future can we? Unlike all those black kids, he's allowed to actually have one.

 

[SilentPony]

I have had so many weapon collections over the years, swords, axes, shields. They are still boxed right now due to a recent move, but WOW. . I can't imagine a kid getting in trouble for something just because you legally have it in your own home. They should not be able to charge him for having something at school when it was in his own home and he wasn't even threatening anyone.

I have a replica Anduril in my room and the way my desk/lappy is set up it'd be right over my right shoulder in a zoom call, next to Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot. I can't imagine getting swatted and punished for what I do in the privacy of my own room.

 

[Baffle]

Anime never hurts you.

I heard it stunts your emotional growth.

 

[Avnger]

As an avowed pothead, the worst damage we can do is to the cookie aisle at the grocery store.

False. The things sometimes done to the chip and salted snack aisle could be classified as war crimes.

I have nothing on-topic to say that hasn't already been said or wouldn't earn me an infraction.

 

[Asita]

I have a replica Anduril in my room and the way my desk/lappy is set up it'd be right over my right shoulder in a zoom call, next to Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot. I can't imagine getting swatted and punished for what I do in the privacy of my own room.

I'll do you one better. My family has an old ceremonial officer's sword from...I think it was the Civil War? Regardless, it belonged to an uncle several generations removed. It's not sharp, but it's a real sword. Not only is it currently hanging in plain sight on the wall in the study of my parent's house (which, if I were the kid's age is likely where I'd likely be streaming to attend online classes), but when I was a kid I actually did bring the sword in to school for show and tell.

 

[Revnak]

Pretty sure I got an airsoft gun when I was 11

 

[MrCalavera]

Imagine living in the US, and calling cops on a kid with a BB gun.

 

[lil devils x]

Imagine living in the US, and calling cops on a kid with a BB gun.

While inside his own room, not even shooting it or threatening anyone with it.. Nothing he just moved it who knows if it even had any plastic balls in it or not.

 

[Dreiko]

The only way this makes sense is if his teachers are all zombies.

 

[Buyetyen]

The only way this makes sense is if his teachers are all zombies.

I had a couple of teachers I'm still not convinced weren't child-eating monsters in disguise. I never got to check for any telltale signs of undeath, though.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

I thought the title of this looked kinda familiar. Thought it was the same case, but nah.

"I FELT VIOLATED"|Police Search Baltimore County House Over BB Gun in Virtual Class

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Baltimore County family is warning other parents after they say police were called to their house over something that happened during a virtual school lesson. The incident is raising concerns over privacy and safety in the era of online learning. As a Navy veteran with four...

foxbaltimore.com

White kid in that one.

 

[lil devils x]

I thought the title of this looked kinda familiar. Thought it was the same case, but nah.

"I FELT VIOLATED"|Police Search Baltimore County House Over BB Gun in Virtual Class

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Baltimore County family is warning other parents after they say police were called to their house over something that happened during a virtual school lesson. The incident is raising concerns over privacy and safety in the era of online learning. As a Navy veteran with four...

foxbaltimore.com

White kid in that one.

Notice how the white kid didn't get a record though and the black kid did?
No suspension? OH wow...

"Courtney says the police officers were in her home for about 20 minutes and found no violations. No laws were broken and no dangers present. They left without any further action, but Courtney wasn’t done."
" She was also told she could not see the screenshot of her son’s bedroom, because it’s not part of his student record. "

There you have it. Exact SAME problem white kid gets off and black kid has a record to screw up his future. Lovely.

Black kid AGE 12= Police record. 5 day suspension screwing up his education and hurting him with future employers, scholarships and universities.
White Kid AGE 11= Have a nice day. Sorry to have bothered you.

THIS SUMS UP THE ENTIRE PROBLEM WITH HOW BLACK PEOPLE ARE TREATED IN THE USA.

 

[Houseman]

I thought the title of this looked kinda familiar. Thought it was the same case, but nah.

"I FELT VIOLATED"|Police Search Baltimore County House Over BB Gun in Virtual Class

BALTIMORE (WBFF) - A Baltimore County family is warning other parents after they say police were called to their house over something that happened during a virtual school lesson. The incident is raising concerns over privacy and safety in the era of online learning. As a Navy veteran with four...

foxbaltimore.com

White kid in that one.

I wonder if this is a case of teacher's over-zealous "zero tolerance" rules? Like, is there some law that says that teachers need to notify the authorities whenever they see anything that looks like a weapon? Kind of like with sexual abuse against minors, there are some laws that demand that if you know about it, you must report it.

Given how much time teachers (as a whole) spend with children, one would think that a government (or maybe just a well-intentioned school board) would ensure that they share part of the responsibility for the well-being of children, so it might be plausible that the answer is yes.

If a teacher has even an inkling of doubt about student possessing a real firearm, I would want them to err on the side of caution, because if it happens to be real, people could be in danger, no matter if it's at school or at home.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Notice how the white kid didn't get a record though and the black kid did?
No suspension? OH wow...

"Courtney says the police officers were in her home for about 20 minutes and found no violations. No laws were broken and no dangers present. They left without any further action, but Courtney wasn’t done."
" She was also told she could not see the screenshot of her son’s bedroom, because it’s not part of his student record. "

There you have it. Exact SAME problem white kid gets off and black kid has a record to screw up his future. Lovely.

Black kid AGE 12= Police record. 5 day suspension screwing up his education and hurting him with future employers, scholarships and universities.
White Kid AGE 11= Have a nice day. Sorry to have bothered you.

THIS SUMS UP THE ENTIRE PROBLEM WITH HOW BLACK PEOPLE ARE TREATED IN THE USA.

I don't actually see anything about a police record in any of the articles. A 5-day suspension, yes.

12-year-old suspended over toy gun seen in virtual class

A 12-year old boy has been suspended for a toy gun he never brought to school.

kdvr.com

This article does mention his friend pointed the gun at the screen and pulled the trigger, but it was unclear if he knew it was even on? Maybe that's the distinguishing factor? Or race. I don't know. Common thread between the two cases seems to be overzealous teachers and police.

We can't exactly make a direct comparison here, considering they're in different cities, under different jurisdictions, have different officers and different school admins.

But, yeah, I agree. Fucked up. Shouldn't be doing this sort of thing to anyone, regardless of race.

I wonder if this is a case of teacher's over-zealous "zero tolerance" rules? Like, is there some law that says that teachers need to notify the authorities whenever they see anything that looks like a weapon? Kind of like with sexual abuse against minors, there are some laws that demand that if you know about it, you must report it.

Given how much time teachers (as a whole) spend with children, one would think that a government (or maybe just a well-intentioned school board) would ensure that they share part of the responsibility for the well-being of children, so it might be plausible that the answer is yes.

If a teacher has even an inkling of doubt about student possessing a real firearm, I would want them to err on the side of caution, because if it happens to be real, people could be in danger, no matter if it's at school or at home.

Not sure, actually.

Given all the school shooting stuff, I'd imagine they'd be pretty strict on it- but things like this are just silly.