Nerf guns that is...

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Cops-Charge-7-Year-Old-for-Bringing-Toy-Gun-to-Class-115125844.html

Quote :

"Hammonton Police began an investigation into the “suspicious activity” at the Hammonton Early Childhood Education Center Jan. 18 after school officials alerted them to the incident. The "gun" the child brought to school was a $5 toy gun, similar to a Nerf gun, that shoots soft ping pong type balls, according to the school's superintendent. Officials also say that there was no evidence of anyone being threatened. The child's mother told school officials that she didn't know her son brought the toy to school. ... Police charged the 7-year-old with possessing an imitation firearm in or on an education institution – a misdemeanor and a minor juvenile offense in New Jersey. "

Good to know we're protecting our children from the dangers of flying foam. Is it any wonder that more people want vouchers, private schools and homeschooling? How do you protect your kids from the dangers of public officials with too much time and power on their hands?

2/3/2011 1:07:48 PM

Do such laws not apply to private schools?

2/3/2011 1:09:18 PM

Not sure about NC, but here's the relevant NJ law:

Quote :

"(3)Any person who knowingly has in his possession any imitation firearm in or upon any part of the buildings or grounds of any school, college, university or other educational institution, without the written authorization of the governing officer of the institution, or while on any school bus is a disorderly person, irrespective of whether he possesses a valid permit to carry a firearm or a valid firearms purchaser identification card."

Seems like it would apply to private schools as well.

2/3/2011 1:14:25 PM

That little kid is lucky the cops didn't shoot first and ask questions later

2/3/2011 1:18:29 PM

Quote :

"Is it any wonder that more people want vouchers, private schools and homeschooling?"

Of course not, rubes are itchin' to toss more money to massa

2/3/2011 1:21:09 PM

WTF? This isn't an issue of public vs. private schools, this is an issue of following a law. If we think it's outrageous, and that's certainly a reasonable belief given the facts here, then it is up to the people to exercise their rights and put pressure on the legislature to change the law. The police just follow the law, although I can't see a D.A. prosecuting here.

Seemingly it's designed for air guns or other guns that are designed to look real, and thus create a threat because of the potential response, and this is an example of the law catching people in the net that it wasn't designed to catch.

2/3/2011 2:19:28 PM

i'm certain the cops didnt enjoy citing a 7 year old, but have to enforce the law as it is written.

the charge will either be dismissed or equivalent to a PFJ. there will be no lasting legal ramifications for the child.

the kid (and parents) learned a lesson: you don't fucking bring guns to school. ever.

2/3/2011 2:49:46 PM

Considering the designs that Nerf puts out these days, I'm not surprised.

Fully-automatic gas-powered small arms with infared sights. Can accept armor-piercing full-metal-jacket or depleted uranium high-explosive foam rounds.

2/3/2011 2:52:32 PM

Quote :

"Fully-automatic gas-powered small arms with infared sights."

inasmuch as air is a gas, sure.

And sure they use infared, assuming this is a trademark spin on infrared and is actually a plastic piece of crap in the facsimile of cross-hairs

2/3/2011 3:40:44 PM

sarcasm not detected

2/3/2011 4:17:55 PM

News like this is why when I was teaching I confiscated the only toy gun I saw a kid with, as opposed to blowing the whole thing out of proportions.
His was a 5'' long bolt action rifle model. I didn't feel a some what interesting model needed to have the kid suspended and charges filed.

2/3/2011 4:21:59 PM

thank you big government.

your stupidity is refreshing.

2/3/2011 6:22:09 PM

obama's fault, am i right?

2/3/2011 7:02:09 PM

I brought nerf guns to school all the time.

There were nerf guns laying around in AG class that we occasionally shot each other with.

2/3/2011 7:26:25 PM

Quote :

"Seems like it would apply to private schools as well. "

Seems like it's ultimately up to the "governing officer of the institution".

Quote :

"WTF? This isn't an issue of public vs. private schools, this is an issue of following a law. If we think it's outrageous, and that's certainly a reasonable belief given the facts here, then it is up to the people to exercise their rights and put pressure on the legislature to change the law."

It's both, although it's not really a "private vs public" debate so much as a "choice" debate. Yes, the laws need to be changed, but at the same time other laws make the practicality of choosing not to send your child to a school where they would call the cops over a nerf gun an issue.

Also, there's not really anything wrong with the law that a healthy application of common sense would not solve.

Quote :

"i'm certain the cops didnt enjoy citing a 7 year old, but have to enforce the law as it is written. "

Bullshit. Cops give warnings and exercise discretion all the time.

Quote :

"the charge will either be dismissed or equivalent to a PFJ. there will be no lasting legal ramifications for the child. "

There shouldn't be any legal ramifications for the child, period. Somewhere between the original teacher and the cop there should have been enough brains to evaluate the situation for what it was.

Quote :

"the kid (and parents) learned a lesson: you don't fucking bring guns to school. ever. "

He didn't, he brought a toy.

Quote :

"News like this is why when I was teaching I confiscated the only toy gun I saw a kid with, as opposed to blowing the whole thing out of proportions. His was a 5'' long bolt action rifle model. I didn't feel a some what interesting model needed to have the kid suspended and charges filed. "

Exactly. Ultimately, even if you buy the line that "the law is the law and the cops are just following orders", no one at the school had to call the fucking cops in the first place. It was a 7 year old kid with a toy.

2/3/2011 7:34:10 PM

Par for the ducking course.

Here's another ridiculous over reaction, this time over safety on a transatlantic flight: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1351037/Airport-bans-toy-soldiers-inch-rifle-plane--safety-threat.html

2/3/2011 8:05:03 PM

Quote :

"obama's fault, am i right?"

could be. he's part of the anti-firearm group and its members are the ones that come up with stupid shit laws like this. guilty by association.

2/3/2011 9:46:12 PM

what group?

2/3/2011 10:06:54 PM

democrats?

2/3/2011 11:17:18 PM

I believe the groups being referred to in the above post are:
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV)
The Violence Policy Center (VPC)
Americans for Gun Safety

and others.

2/4/2011 1:58:53 AM

We know what anti-gun groups are, which ones are obama a part of. Some of those are lobbying organizations that don't really have members, which groups is obama a member of? I ask simply because except for some pretty mild rhetoric, I can't think of anything Obama has done since he was in the IL state senate that has any kind of substantial impact on gun rights.

2/4/2011 7:02:16 AM

http://www.ontheissues.org/domestic/barack_obama_gun_control.htm

?

and who cares when he did/said it? it's his position and if has the chance, he'd fuck the constitution faster than a fat white girl

[Edited on February 4, 2011 at 7:09 AM. Reason : .]

2/4/2011 7:07:55 AM

Quote :

" There shouldn't be any legal ramifications for the child, period. Somewhere between the original teacher and the cop there should have been enough brains to evaluate the situation for what it was. "

Bingo

2/4/2011 8:49:59 AM