Pennsylvania police say they will charge a 13-year-old boy at Tamaqua Middle School with disorderly conduct for pointing his finger like a gun at other students. The boy, who wasn't identified by local media, has been suspended by the school.
Oh, wait, here's another one:
"The 6-year-old, who attends Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School in Silver Spring, made a gun with his hands, pointed it at another student and said "pow," according to Robin Ficker, the boy's attorney. He was given a one-day suspension, with a conference on the matter planned for Jan. 2, the day students return to school from winter break."
Sorry to deflate anyone's lofty understanding of education, but, as a former government school teacher and administrator, I can tell you that for some it's more about "control" than it is about "safety". I guarantee you that some bilious school bureaucrat went home after suspending this kid thinking he/she was just about the greatest gift to education since John Dewey.
This is why, when you find that your son or daughter has some good teachers, honor their service whenever possible.