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proud2BlibKansan

(96,793 posts)
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:36 PM Apr 2013

Teacher Suspended for Showing Gardening Tools to Class

Doug Bartlett, a veteran teacher with an upstanding record of 17 years, has filed a lawsuit against the school district of Chicago for suspending him without pay after giving a lesson on gardening tools to his second grade students.

The incident took place on August 8, 2011 at Washington Irving Elementary School.

Mr. Bartlett recently filed suit on April 17, 2013 saying that he suffered humiliation and embarrassment as a result of his reprimand.

The “hazardous” tools in question were pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches that only the teacher handled. The tools were kept in a locked toolbox high on a shelf out of reach before and after the gardening lesson.

The district says that Mr. Bartlett exhibited negligence in supervising the children and for “possessing, carrying, storing, or using a weapon”. He was subsequently suspended without pay for 4 days.

more . . . http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/teacher-suspended-for-showing-gardening-tools-to-class/

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Teacher Suspended for Showing Gardening Tools to Class (Original Post) proud2BlibKansan Apr 2013 OP
Political "correctness" run amok. supernaut Apr 2013 #1
WTF does Political "correctness" have to do with a stupid decision by administrators? RetroLounge Apr 2013 #5
Due to the fact... Pelican Apr 2013 #7
THis is all lack of common sense. Not Political Correctness. RetroLounge Apr 2013 #10
Violence... Pelican Apr 2013 #11
Whatever... RetroLounge Apr 2013 #12
I told my wife and kids... Pelican Apr 2013 #14
And they damn well better listen jberryhill Apr 2013 #17
Bad day? demwing Apr 2013 #102
"...when you end an argument with "Whatever" you are effectively conceding" Wednesdays Apr 2013 #18
...which is why he keeps hearing it from his wife and kids jberryhill Apr 2013 #33
yup TeamPooka May 2013 #160
Yeah, they are laughing at you too... RetroLounge Apr 2013 #20
no, Pelican Skittles Apr 2013 #22
"Whatever" from a teen to an adult Jenoch Apr 2013 #34
I would never have DARED to say "whatever" to my father Skittles Apr 2013 #124
Hmm....really good relationship, or really bad one(just asking, unless it's too much!)? nt AverageJoe90 May 2013 #158
I always thought that "Whatever" meant that the person was MADem Apr 2013 #29
It is not conceding. Lady Freedom Returns Apr 2013 #30
You told you wife? abelenkpe Apr 2013 #51
No... It usually happens when logic kicks in... Pelican Apr 2013 #55
That doesn't actually make any sense. But whatever. On another note, when you Squinch Apr 2013 #132
I think you are trying really hard... Pelican Apr 2013 #133
Is that something you tell your wife too? Squinch Apr 2013 #134
You are just a friendly ray of sunshine... Pelican Apr 2013 #136
I am. Certainly more fun than guys who like to instruct other adults on how to speak. Squinch Apr 2013 #137
Only when they speak poorly... Pelican Apr 2013 #138
Gosh. They must feel so lucky to have you to correct them. Who wouldn't? Squinch Apr 2013 #142
And when you come to a liberal messageboard to wag your finger at "political correctness"... Scootaloo Apr 2013 #75
Who's wagging? Pelican Apr 2013 #87
+1 cui bono Apr 2013 #86
The two are closely related. nt Skip Intro Apr 2013 #19
You? RetroLounge Apr 2013 #23
No, you. Skip Intro Apr 2013 #24
The poster wasn't rude to you, why be snarky? demwing Apr 2013 #101
Don't believe anyone here was speaking to you. RetroLounge Apr 2013 #131
Was Supernaut speaking to you, snarky? demwing Apr 2013 #140
Obvious ax to grind is obvious... Pelican Apr 2013 #143
Supernaut? The user who has been PPR'd? RetroLounge Apr 2013 #145
That poster didn't deserve your attitude demwing May 2013 #146
dickish? So not really a dick, just sort of like a dick? RetroLounge May 2013 #149
If I defend obvious trolls demwing May 2013 #150
I'm sure you take your satisfaction wherever you can get it. RetroLounge May 2013 #157
If that were true, why don't we have gun control? Sanity Claws Apr 2013 #89
Good question... Pelican Apr 2013 #90
LOL Skittles Apr 2013 #21
I'd say that's more like "stupidity." MADem Apr 2013 #27
they weren't GARDEN TOOLS> they were a box cutter and pocket knife. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #43
Those ARE common gardening tools NickB79 Apr 2013 #46
Guess you're sposed ta chew the jute with your teeth... ReRe Apr 2013 #57
No, you use your pruning shears which are always at hand. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #107
Pruning shears aren't very good for cutting rope, wire, and plastic ties XemaSab Apr 2013 #139
The actual tools: pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches Berlum Apr 2013 #85
yes, and I used my pruning shears which were ALWAYS in my back pocket. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #105
Pf. Wimpy gardening. sibelian Apr 2013 #81
What universe do you use a box cutter instead of a pruning saw or pruning shears or a loping shear? KittyWampus Apr 2013 #106
Mine! The one I live in! sibelian Apr 2013 #117
LOL! So you basically use them tangentally… which is exactly the words I USED in my original post. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #119
...mmmm sibelian Apr 2013 #120
Where did that come from? gollygee May 2013 #153
more like lawsuit avoidance run amok yurbud Apr 2013 #69
I think you have your socio-political trends mixed up . . . markpkessinger Apr 2013 #91
"Political Correctness" has NOTHING to do with this. Lex Apr 2013 #116
And then the public wonders why educators choose unions. Yup. MichiganVote Apr 2013 #2
wow. things have really changed. we had a garden when i was in school Liberal_in_LA Apr 2013 #3
We had "shop class" when I went to school-- lotsa tools! MADem Apr 2013 #28
I had home economics and sewing class.My brother had SummerSnow Apr 2013 #128
I shudder to think what terror may have been unleashed deutsey May 2013 #147
the comments on that thread indicate a heavy fundie christian group. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #4
this fits the fundy pattern. Bring out the pitchforks, gather a mob. BlancheSplanchnik Apr 2013 #49
I hope those tools do encourage some bad kids... Lordquinton Apr 2013 #56
You could use those pliers to twist off a nose, er something... ReRe Apr 2013 #59
This story sure tweaks my nose... Lordquinton Apr 2013 #61
Yeah, this story is a first hand example of.... ReRe Apr 2013 #65
Sometimes you just have to laugh Lordquinton Apr 2013 #67
"Compost" a good reply? LuvNewcastle Apr 2013 #76
Sure, go ahead and laugh... deutsey May 2013 #148
haha! I just edited to add something to that effect. BlancheSplanchnik Apr 2013 #63
Oy, not this again frazzled Apr 2013 #6
that explains the "it's lack of Jesus causing the downfall" crap posts on that thread. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #9
Wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers are NOT gardening tools. I gardened professionally. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #8
I grow orchids, and I do use pliers a lot REP Apr 2013 #32
Of course wrenches and pliers are used Jenoch Apr 2013 #35
what does fixing wheelbarrows with have to do with GARDENING in the context of 2nd grade children? KittyWampus Apr 2013 #36
Refering to those tools as 'weapons' Jenoch Apr 2013 #94
So clearly you never adjusted an irrigation head... Earth_First Apr 2013 #109
wtf do ANY of those things you mention have to do with gardening IN THE CONTEXT OF 2ND GRADERS? KittyWampus Apr 2013 #110
Right. Coddle the children. Earth_First Apr 2013 #114
Actually, this thread illustrates that even people who do read and investigate... eqfan592 Apr 2013 #115
Just because a tool may be used by a gardener doesn't make it a gardening tool. DesMoinesDem Apr 2013 #123
I believe the belief that these were garden tools came from an article that DesMoinesDem Apr 2013 #121
Absolutely amazing! immoderate Apr 2013 #129
Anyone that put up fences using T-posts or U-posts certainly use pliers. bluestate10 Apr 2013 #135
Just amazing. Did the school ever say what the weapon was? ProgressiveProfessor Apr 2013 #13
teacher brought box cutter and pocket knife. And it was a lesson tools, not garden tools. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #40
No, this is an idiotic story. eqfan592 Apr 2013 #48
Let me guess, he's a right-wing teacher being defended by wing-nut posers Coyotl Apr 2013 #15
This article gives a few more details; ChazII Apr 2013 #16
Pencils are just around the corner at this pace. nt Skip Intro Apr 2013 #26
I still have blue spot on my leg where my brother jabbed me with a pencil 55 years ago Fumesucker Apr 2013 #80
this is the same Rutherford Institute that represented Paula Jones against Bill Clinton Douglas Carpenter Apr 2013 #25
They've been on the side of some issues championed on this discussion board, too, though. MADem Apr 2013 #31
Anyway, this teacher brought a box cutter and a pocket knife…. story later changed in telling KittyWampus Apr 2013 #37
Why even bother with a box cutter? Jeez. MADem Apr 2013 #41
"Why waste time on a module about tools?" That is kind of condescending and elitist. MindPilot Apr 2013 #100
Tnx for the clarification. HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #42
You of course know what I was thinking when I read "garden tools"... jmowreader Apr 2013 #64
I stand corrected. - they have represented some cases I would be very sympathetic to - Although Douglas Carpenter Apr 2013 #50
You are probably "righter" than not....they're right-libertarians with a religious freedom bug up MADem Apr 2013 #53
Hmm PD Turk Apr 2013 #38
LOL! burrowowl Apr 2013 #70
Good heavens! Some kids are in 4-H clubs associated with the schools. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #39
Not gardening tools. HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #44
No, we can't agree on that. eqfan592 Apr 2013 #52
Second graders? Without supervisors approval? HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #58
So a "Box cutter" and "pocket knife" are to now be classified only as "weapons?" eqfan592 Apr 2013 #97
two words- Age. Appropriate. 2nd graders don't need to be introduced to razor blades as tools. KittyWampus Apr 2013 #108
If it is something they might come across in their daily lives ... eqfan592 Apr 2013 #111
Then they should be introduced to guns... HooptieWagon May 2013 #159
What about hammers and wrenches Aerows May 2013 #155
I use a box-cutter to prepare materials for gardening. Not often, but occasionally. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #62
Some of the kid's parents undoubtedly own guns. HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #68
Actually, there was a time when schools did indeed teach children this young about firearm safety. eqfan592 Apr 2013 #98
I went past my local high school the other afternoon. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #122
He brought a hoe to school? jberryhill Apr 2013 #45
He took her to the opera after that. LuvNewcastle Apr 2013 #77
It must have been an opportune time jberryhill Apr 2013 #79
. ReRe Apr 2013 #83
That is fucking stupid. blackspade Apr 2013 #47
read every post in this thread and you CBGLuthier May 2013 #151
No doubt. blackspade May 2013 #156
"Zero tolerance" run amok. Apophis Apr 2013 #54
Uh, wrenches and screwdrivers aren't gardening tools. HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #60
Nothing is mentioned about a knife or boxcutter in the article. Apophis Apr 2013 #66
Exactly. They couldn't generate poutrage if they reported the story accurately HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #71
Both, if that person is rational, given the context of the situation. nt eqfan592 Apr 2013 #99
Back in my school days you could have pocket knives The Straight Story Apr 2013 #72
Kids probably brought rifles to school in a former era. HooptieWagon Apr 2013 #73
Ok...what changed The Straight Story Apr 2013 #74
Mainly the media. supernaut Apr 2013 #84
Pictures may have "sufficed"... sibelian Apr 2013 #82
Teachers--the new scapegoat for everything they do, or don't do. southerncrone Apr 2013 #78
"Gardening Tools"? jberryhill Apr 2013 #88
OMG, that rake has multiple pointy things at the end of it! Buns_of_Fire Apr 2013 #92
This school district most be a little behind the times. Do they have any idea how many people are jwirr Apr 2013 #93
Agricultural tools, eh? MineralMan Apr 2013 #95
"Zero Tolerance" is for idiots, all the way around. Iggo Apr 2013 #96
Absolutely NONE if the tools mentioned in the story were "garden tools" RC Apr 2013 #103
"Put the school on lock-down! There's a child with a compass!!" burnodo Apr 2013 #113
OMG, let's get this straight. The man had gardening tools he kept locked up and southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #104
Yet. Yet. YET...they want to arm teachers and faculty with firearms... Earth_First Apr 2013 #112
Great point. nt Lex Apr 2013 #118
When will teachers learn that they can't bring weapons of mass destruction to school? octothorpe Apr 2013 #125
ATTENTION ALL PARENTS!!!! SummerSnow Apr 2013 #126
Why in God's name did he bring this dangerous stuff into a school. He should have brought a... CincyDem Apr 2013 #127
I could understand the reprimand if the teacher had attacked his students no_hypocrisy Apr 2013 #130
You have got to be kidding?? a kennedy Apr 2013 #141
Next thing you know, he'll bring a stapler into school gollygee Apr 2013 #144
Are the kids allowed to have scissors? liberal N proud May 2013 #152
This is stupidity run amok Aerows May 2013 #154

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
5. WTF does Political "correctness" have to do with a stupid decision by administrators?
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:44 PM
Apr 2013

and why scare quotes?

(This phrase is tossed about by right-wingers all the time who don't have any clue. Just saying...)

RL

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
7. Due to the fact...
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:46 PM
Apr 2013

... that there seems to be an effort to sanitize anything anywhere that could have a hint of violence.

Logically, it won't stop one ounce of blood from being spilled but it makes people feel like they are doing something.

Kids suspended for

-Chewing a pop tart into a gun shape
-Threatening to shoot a friend with a hello kitty bubble gun
-Tossing an imaginary grenade into an imaginary box
-Wearing a shirt with the Marine logo on it

The list goes on...

Interesting that it was the teacher this time though...

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
10. THis is all lack of common sense. Not Political Correctness.
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:49 PM
Apr 2013
Political correctness and politically correct (PC) are terms that denote language and ideas, policies and behavior that are perceived as excessive in seeking to minimize social offense within occupational and institutional contexts, by specifically and formally respecting the differences of gender and sexual orientation, culture and race, disability and age, and religion and ideology of people who are not of the societal mainstream.


Let's get our outrages straight, shall we?

RL
 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
11. Violence...
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:50 PM
Apr 2013

... in schools in particular, has become a hot political issue.

The standard applies...

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
14. I told my wife and kids...
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:58 PM
Apr 2013

... that when you end an argument with "Whatever" you are effectively conceding.

I pass the same tidbit of knowledge onto you...

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
17. And they damn well better listen
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:19 AM
Apr 2013

Hi,

This is not your living room in which your pronouncements to your chattel carry any weight.

Wednesdays

(17,249 posts)
18. "...when you end an argument with "Whatever" you are effectively conceding"
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:23 AM
Apr 2013

More likely, they've given up arguing with someone who's too obstinate.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
33. ...which is why he keeps hearing it from his wife and kids
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:08 AM
Apr 2013

Inadvertently revealing comment, really.

Skittles

(152,967 posts)
22. no, Pelican
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:31 AM
Apr 2013

sometimes people say WHATEVER because it feels like they are arguing with a table leg

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
34. "Whatever" from a teen to an adult
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:13 AM
Apr 2013

is one of the most offensive things a teen can say. My kids have learned to never use the dismissive term 'whatever' with any adult. They can say it to their friends as long as I am not within earshot.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
29. I always thought that "Whatever" meant that the person was
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:54 AM
Apr 2013

very much out to lunch in terms of the discussion, but it wasn't worth the "whatever-er's" time to educate them.

Rather like talking to a doorknob, is how I (and most people I know) regard the term. Not "effectively conceding" but more like delivering a near - insult that suggests that the person is bit of a hardheaded dolt, without actually delivering said insult.

Your approach to the word is rather unique. You might also want to let your wife and kids know that your POV re: the term is a minority one.

And welcome to DU.

Lady Freedom Returns

(14,120 posts)
30. It is not conceding.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:57 AM
Apr 2013

It is showing mercy. You need it with you and your friend, supernaut, argument that is totally off topic.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
132. That doesn't actually make any sense. But whatever. On another note, when you
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 09:02 PM
Apr 2013

tell your wife how to speak, and you give her the gift of your perfect logic and wisdom, do you tell her you are doing it for her own good? Just curious.

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
133. I think you are trying really hard...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 09:05 PM
Apr 2013

... to find something to be offended about that isn't there.

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
138. Only when they speak poorly...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 10:49 PM
Apr 2013

... or start channeling their inner angst and revert back to their teenage years.

OMG...Whatever...

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
75. And when you come to a liberal messageboard to wag your finger at "political correctness"...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:52 AM
Apr 2013

What would that be called, d'ya think?

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
87. Who's wagging?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 06:30 AM
Apr 2013

I just agreed with the poster above. Ultra-sensitivity and an utter inability to think critically seem to be on the uptick.

On a totally unrelated note. I have to ask... Why does that chihuahua have purple hair?

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
131. Don't believe anyone here was speaking to you.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:33 PM
Apr 2013

and reviewing what I posted above?

You best go find yourself a definition of snark before you go being all net-nanny on us.

Thanks, and have a nice day now...



RL

 

demwing

(16,916 posts)
140. Was Supernaut speaking to you, snarky?
Mon Apr 29, 2013, 07:05 AM
Apr 2013

When you jumped in with your comments?

Nope, no invite needed, no rules here about waiting for permission to post.

Lots of rules about being respectful, though,.and for what it's worth, your " Let's get our outrages straight, shall we?" comment was pure snark.

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
145. Supernaut? The user who has been PPR'd?
Tue Apr 30, 2013, 08:12 PM
Apr 2013

So you're upset I snarked on a troll who has been kicked off DU?

Left your cheese out in the wind on that one.



RL

 

demwing

(16,916 posts)
146. That poster didn't deserve your attitude
Wed May 1, 2013, 07:40 AM
May 2013

In that thread. They did nothing there except disagree with you--and they weren't rude at all. If knowing they got canned makes you feel justified for being dickish, then have at it, little man.

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
149. dickish? So not really a dick, just sort of like a dick?
Thu May 2, 2013, 12:51 AM
May 2013

little man? Is that supposed to be some sort of insult?



That's the best you can come up with? Come on, let it out, show me what you got. Stop holding back, it's not good for you.

You keep defending obvious trolls, and it makes one wonder why.

Maybe you're not dem, but just dem-ish?



RL

 

demwing

(16,916 posts)
150. If I defend obvious trolls
Thu May 2, 2013, 07:49 AM
May 2013

I'd be defending you

I would love to let loose on you, but I'm not ready to lose my DU account for the likes of you.

I'll simply take satisfaction in the fact that your "best" response has been to ape my old, used barbs, laugh at your own jokes, and lamely question my party loyalty.

You're not as clever as you think. You're not even original.

RetroLounge

(37,250 posts)
157. I'm sure you take your satisfaction wherever you can get it.
Thu May 2, 2013, 08:52 PM
May 2013

Good luck with that!



"You're not as clever as you think. You're not even original."



Irony alert!



RL

 

Pelican

(1,156 posts)
90. Good question...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 07:58 AM
Apr 2013

I think that people (voting age individuals) would tend to accept more restriction in schools than they would ever accept for themselves. We've seen time and again how one vocal parent can set a standard for an entire school or district.


Secondly, much of the silliness in schools following Newtown was self inflicted by administrators and teachers following the time honored principle of CYA. It didn't translate to mass popular support for gun control in world outside of schools.

My $.02

MADem

(135,425 posts)
27. I'd say that's more like "stupidity."
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:46 AM
Apr 2013

The school leadership cannot, apparently, tell the difference between "gardening tools" and "weapons."

I wonder if they have the same problem distinguishing between, say "cell phones" and "toilet paper?"

That teacher needs to find a job at a smarter school.

NickB79

(19,114 posts)
46. Those ARE common gardening tools
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:57 AM
Apr 2013

You've never tied up tomatoes with twine? Strung up bean and pea vines on a trellis? Pruned a fruit tree?

XemaSab

(60,212 posts)
139. Pruning shears aren't very good for cutting rope, wire, and plastic ties
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 11:51 PM
Apr 2013

or taking the wire off roses and other bare-root plants.

That's what the needlenose pliers with wire cutters and heavy-duty scissors are for.

It's all about the right tool for the right job.

sibelian

(7,804 posts)
81. Pf. Wimpy gardening.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 04:22 AM
Apr 2013

I regularly set about my green babies with a pruning saw. I also have the sharpest pair of secateurs in Christendom.

Kitty, my dearest puss-cat, in what Universe are a box cutter and a pocket-knife not gardening tools? They are generic cutting tools and therefore of great use in gardening.
 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
106. What universe do you use a box cutter instead of a pruning saw or pruning shears or a loping shear?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:34 PM
Apr 2013

sibelian

(7,804 posts)
117. Mine! The one I live in!
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:44 PM
Apr 2013

I use whatever cuts! Pruning saws are sometimes too much. I have a solanum outside, secateurs are overkill for trimming wind-damaged leaves. I use anything sharp. I've used a stanley knife in the past.

Sometimes I have to trim thin stakes for support. Box-cutters are good for this.
 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
119. LOL! So you basically use them tangentally… which is exactly the words I USED in my original post.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:46 PM
Apr 2013

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
153. Where did that come from?
Thu May 2, 2013, 08:33 AM
May 2013

I read two articles and they both specified "wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers." I saw nothing about box cutters or knives. Is there a story I didn't see?

markpkessinger

(8,381 posts)
91. I think you have your socio-political trends mixed up . . .
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:07 AM
Apr 2013

. . . This has nothing to do with "political correctness." This is one of those "zero tolernace" policies, which in most cases are put into place, on the advice of counsel, out of a school district's overblown fears of being sued.

Lex

(34,108 posts)
116. "Political Correctness" has NOTHING to do with this.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:44 PM
Apr 2013

This is a stupid decision by idiot administrators.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
28. We had "shop class" when I went to school-- lotsa tools!
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:48 AM
Apr 2013

And in home economics, there were sewing machines with pointed needles, and HOT STOVES.....and KNIVES.

Oh, the Huge Manatee...

SummerSnow

(12,608 posts)
128. I had home economics and sewing class.My brother had
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:08 PM
Apr 2013

shop class.Woodworking and metal. Something is wrong here.What happened to us?

deutsey

(20,166 posts)
147. I shudder to think what terror may have been unleashed
Wed May 1, 2013, 08:04 AM
May 2013

had our shop class miter saw fallen into the hands of the evil duzzers.

BlancheSplanchnik

(20,219 posts)
49. this fits the fundy pattern. Bring out the pitchforks, gather a mob.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:04 AM
Apr 2013

Looking at sharp metal things could encourage some bad kid. Aghhh! Eeekkkk!!!!! Freak out and run around!!!!!

Oh right. Because pschos neeeevvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr get frothed up over the Bibull.

In their demon-filled world, badness must be kept out of the circle of Grace. I'm serious; there ARE some who really think this way.

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)
56. I hope those tools do encourage some bad kids...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:17 AM
Apr 2013

...to take up gardening. As a horticulture student this really enrages me, they are trying so very hard to keep backyard farming down so we are wholly reliant on corporations.

There is an interesting history behind tools and weapons, like the "pesant" weapons in Japan, where the lower class was forbidden to use weapons, so they just took up their farming implements and used them instead, but this is a far cry from that, I mean, pliers?

ReRe

(10,597 posts)
65. Yeah, this story is a first hand example of....
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:28 AM
Apr 2013

... if it sounds to stupid to be true, then it probably is pretty effed-up stupid. At least I got a couple laughs out of it...

deutsey

(20,166 posts)
148. Sure, go ahead and laugh...
Wed May 1, 2013, 08:13 AM
May 2013

But here's graphic proof of what can happen the moment we let our gaurd down and allow runaway usage of pliers to remain unregulated:

BlancheSplanchnik

(20,219 posts)
63. haha! I just edited to add something to that effect.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:26 AM
Apr 2013

Only at the grade school administration level, I doubt they're thinking on an abstracted level..... I think they bought the Fox mind set ...propaganda, I mean. Teaching their minions to be DEATHLY afraid of "suspicious" people....anyone around them COULD be a dangerous lefty commie blah blahdee blah bark bark oink.

Report Suspicious People!!!!!

frazzled

(18,402 posts)
6. Oy, not this again
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:45 PM
Apr 2013

This was covered last week here, where it was pretty much shown to be a story being pushed by right-wing blogs (how the "healthy home economist" picked it up, I don't know). It was not a story in either of the Chicago newspapers at the time or now. Really, google this story: you'll see it being pushed on infowars and lightfromtheright.

And no, it wasn't garden tools like pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches (who uses those in their garden anyway?). It included a pocket knife and box cutter. For second graders. It was a lousy four-day suspension. Which he deserved.

Pffffft.

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
8. Wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers are NOT gardening tools. I gardened professionally.
Sat Apr 27, 2013, 11:47 PM
Apr 2013

only in the most tangental way are those tools used for gardening.

Screwdrivers I used to pry old rubber washers out of hoses…. Wrenches and pliers? Never.

REP

(21,691 posts)
32. I grow orchids, and I do use pliers a lot
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:00 AM
Apr 2013

For attaching wire hangers to baskets; bending rhizome clips from bulk wire; wiring spike supports; and maintenance on my irrigation system. I'd think, though, tools like spades, hand cultivators and maybe a hoe would be thing to show young kids to explain how plants are grown.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
35. Of course wrenches and pliers are used
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:16 AM
Apr 2013

within the context of gardening. What tools did you use to repair other garden tools such as wheelbarrows or garden hoses?

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
36. what does fixing wheelbarrows with have to do with GARDENING in the context of 2nd grade children?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:19 AM
Apr 2013

Nothing.

Garden tools to show children> trowel, hand hoe, rake.

And you missed the word "tangental" in my original post.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
94. Refering to those tools as 'weapons'
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 10:45 AM
Apr 2013

in the context that they were used is ridiculous beyong comprehension. The school did not overreact in this manner because they should not have reacted at all.

Earth_First

(14,910 posts)
109. So clearly you never adjusted an irrigation head...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:38 PM
Apr 2013

or fixed a hose bib or re-tightened guy wires to new trees?



I landscape/garden professionally daily for the past 15 years.

I use all these tools daily.

It's too bad that in an age when a 15 year old cannot adjust the throttle cable on a push mower that an instructor who had the foresight to explain how this may be a functional application is railroaded by showing them "weapons"

FFS!

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
110. wtf do ANY of those things you mention have to do with gardening IN THE CONTEXT OF 2ND GRADERS?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:40 PM
Apr 2013

Furthermore, I used the word tangental… as in indirectly.

This thread, in all it's stupidity illustrates how even those who consider themselves liberal & well educated do not read or investigae and simply react according to their own preconceived ideas.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
115. Actually, this thread illustrates that even people who do read and investigate...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:43 PM
Apr 2013

...do so according to their own preconceived ideas which then color the results of said investigation. Your reaction is an excellent example of it. Oh, there is indeed a lot of "stupidity" in this thread....

 

DesMoinesDem

(1,569 posts)
123. Just because a tool may be used by a gardener doesn't make it a gardening tool.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:24 PM
Apr 2013

Can you find these tools in the gardening section at the store? Nope, because they aren't gardening tools.

 

DesMoinesDem

(1,569 posts)
121. I believe the belief that these were garden tools came from an article that
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:11 PM
Apr 2013

called the tools garden variety. The editor of that article thought that meant garden tools so they used garden tools in the headline. It was obvious from the article that they were not garden tools, so how this has continued to spread is beyond me. How can you write an article calling wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers garden tools? How is it continuing here?

I actually started a thread about it here a couple days agothat didn't get any replies.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022740653


Drudge Fail

or at least a CNSNews.com Fail.

This is the headline at drudge: Teacher Suspended on 'Weapons' Charge -- For Showing Students Garden Tools!

it links to an article with this headline: Teacher Sues School over Suspension for 'Weapons' Charge: Showing Students Garden Tools

This is the first sentence of the article:
Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have filed a civil rights lawsuit against a Chicago public school district on behalf of a second-grade teacher who was suspended after he displayed garden-variety tools such as wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers in his classroom as part of a "tool discussion" in his class."


http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/teacher-sues-school-over-suspension-weapons-charge-showing-students-garden

I'm guessing the term garden-variety confused the hell out of the editor at cnsnews.
 

immoderate

(20,885 posts)
129. Absolutely amazing!
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:18 PM
Apr 2013

I read down this far, incredulous that a teacher got suspended for showing tools to his students. And DU is aflame with whether they can "legitimately" be classified as garden tools. An argument, as most are, over what words mean.

This poor teacher -- guilty of attempted education!

--imm

bluestate10

(10,942 posts)
135. Anyone that put up fences using T-posts or U-posts certainly use pliers.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 09:11 PM
Apr 2013

In addition, anyone that build a garden gate that has hinges will use screwdrivers. If a person uses bolts for items like 6x6 planks for raised growing beds would need wrenches to tighten nuts. But you are right in one regard, those tools are not commonly used in gardening. I wonder what the administrators would have done if the teacher had brought a digging fork into class?

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
40. teacher brought box cutter and pocket knife. And it was a lesson tools, not garden tools.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:38 AM
Apr 2013

some article wrote "garden variety tools" and that became "garden tools" later on.

This is a rightwing story.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
48. No, this is an idiotic story.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:01 AM
Apr 2013

Idiotic because of the reaction on the part of the administrators. That you think their reaction reasonable says a great deal about you.

 

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)
15. Let me guess, he's a right-wing teacher being defended by wing-nut posers
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:05 AM
Apr 2013

The title is a total sham if he brought a weapon into a classroom.

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
80. I still have blue spot on my leg where my brother jabbed me with a pencil 55 years ago
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 04:15 AM
Apr 2013

Yeah, pencils can be hazardous, it really wouldn't be hard to kill someone with a pencil.

Douglas Carpenter

(20,226 posts)
25. this is the same Rutherford Institute that represented Paula Jones against Bill Clinton
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:42 AM
Apr 2013

So keeping in mind this is a right-extremist group. However, on the surface of it at least - it does sound like the Chicago School District administrators really screwed up big time. Extremist hate groups do sometime latch on to legitimate complaints. If they never did - they wouldn't have any credibility.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
31. They've been on the side of some issues championed on this discussion board, too, though.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:00 AM
Apr 2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutherford_Institute

You might be surprised at some of their cases--they are a VERY mixed bag, I'd say.
 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
37. Anyway, this teacher brought a box cutter and a pocket knife…. story later changed in telling
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:23 AM
Apr 2013

that a lesson on tools became garden tools… probably from this article that uses phrase "garden-variety".

Googling shows this story heavily posted on fundie websites:

On August 8, 2011, in connection with a required “tool discussion” included in his teaching curriculum, Plaintiff displayed to his second-grade students several garden-variety tools, including a box cutter, a 2.25? pocketknife, wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers. The visual aids were used in an effort to facilitate student understanding and remembrance of the curriculum. As he displayed the box cutter and pocketknife, Plaintiff specifically described the proper uses of these tools. Neither of these items was made accessible to the students.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
41. Why even bother with a box cutter? Jeez.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:40 AM
Apr 2013

It's one thing to show the kids the difference between a phillips head and a flat head screw driver, but box cutters? Does this school have a "Future Warehousemen of America" club?

Why waste time on a module about tools, anyway--teach the little farts math, fachrissake.

 

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)
100. "Why waste time on a module about tools?" That is kind of condescending and elitist.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 11:29 AM
Apr 2013

Yeah lets look down our noses at anyone who gets their hands dirty to make living.

Tools? Who needs to know how to use tools when you can just pick up a couple Mexicans from the Home Depot parking lot? You wouldn't want kids getting interested in building and fixing things; those jobs are for the menials.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
42. Tnx for the clarification.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:41 AM
Apr 2013

The OP indicated it was gardening tools, and of course the normal reaction is WTF? However, it appears they were "garden-variety" ( ie: common) tools, which included a pocket knife and box-cutter. I'd have to say it probably was a bad decision to bring any kind of knives to a class-room, and definately without clearing it from supervisors. The four day suspension is probably on the light side, and reflects his otherwise good record.

jmowreader

(50,453 posts)
64. You of course know what I was thinking when I read "garden tools"...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:26 AM
Apr 2013

"If he'd have shown them a hoe, he would have been arrested for promoting prostitution."

Douglas Carpenter

(20,226 posts)
50. I stand corrected. - they have represented some cases I would be very sympathetic to - Although
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:07 AM
Apr 2013

they do have some right-wing elements. Also they do as an organization oppose the death penalty under all circumstances, So describing them - as admittedly I did - as a right-wing hate group would not be at all fair


In 2004, the group filed a lawsuit against Muskogee Public Schools in Oklahoma on behalf of Nashala Hearn, an 11-year-old Muslim student who was suspended for wearing a religious headscarf to school.[17]

In 2007, the group filed a lawsuit against Freehold Township, New Jersey on behalf of an orthodox rabbi, Avraham Bernstein, alleging that the town was persecuting Bernstein for holding prayer meetings in his home on the Sabbath.[18]

In 2011, the group took up the cause of Laura George, founder of the Oracle Institute, who wanted to build a "Peace Pentagon", a proposed interfaith study center and retreat, on the banks of the New River in Independence, Virginia. When George was refused a building permit when the local Board of Supervisors voted to deny the project on health, safety and welfare grounds, attorneys acting on behalf of The Rutherford Institute pursued a legal action to acquire the permit, alleging religious discrimination.[19] Eventually the building permit was granted.[20]

Freedom of speech

In 2012, The Rutherford Institute filed a lawsuit on behalf of Harold Hodge, a man arrested in January 2011 for standing outside the United States Supreme Court Building carrying a sign which read, "The U.S. Gov allows police to illegally murder and brutalize African-Americans and Hispanic people."[11] Other cases include defending an Albemarle High School student's right to wear a National Rifle Association t-shirt to school and contesting the firing of a California teacher who referred to "Zionist Jews" during an Occupy Movement protest

Search and seizure

In 2008, The Rutherford Institute joined a coalition of civil libertarians and activists who called upon President George W. Bush to release a number of Muslim Uighurs who were being detained indefinitely in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.[21]

In 2010, the group took on a number of cases regarding the Transportation Security Administration's controversial security procedures at American airports. The organization filed a lawsuit in November 2010 against Janet Napolitano, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security as well as John Pistole, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, on behalf of airline pilots Michael Roberts and Ann Poe. The pair of pilots objected to being subjected to "whole body imaging" scanners, which reveal the nude body of the subject being searched, as well as a pat-down. John W. Whitehead said of the matter, "Forcing Americans to undergo a virtual strip search as a matter of course in reporting to work or boarding an airplane when there is no suspicion of wrongdoing is a grotesque violation of our civil liberties."[22] The next month, The Rutherford Institute filed another lawsuit on the behalf of three passengers that took issue with the TSA screening procedures: a 12-year-old girl placed in a body scanner without parental consent, a man who was subjected to an invasive pat down in his genital area due to an abnormality caused by a childhood injury, and a woman who had undergone a mastectomy and was forcibly patted down in her breast area.[23]

In 2010, President John W. Whitehead sent a letter to Ken Cuccinelli, the Attorney General of Virginia, decrying his legal opinion that school officials may seize and search student cell phones and laptops upon suspicion that a student has broken school rules or the law.[24]

In 2011, the group filed a friend of the court brief in the case U.S. v. Jones, imploring the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that the placement of a GPS tracking device on the defendant's car without first obtaining a warrant constituted an illegal search. In January 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that police must first obtain a warrant before placing a physical GPS tracking unit on a suspect's car.[25]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutherford_Institute

MADem

(135,425 posts)
53. You are probably "righter" than not....they're right-libertarians with a religious freedom bug up
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:10 AM
Apr 2013

their asses, but they've branched out in recent years--like I said, a bit of a mixed bag.

Their start was a little weak, but they have stuck their beak in some worthwhile cases.

I do think some of the leadership there are heavy-religious types, but that doesn't stop them from sometimes doing the right thing.

PD Turk

(1,289 posts)
38. Hmm
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:38 AM
Apr 2013

When I read "Gardening tools" in the headline, I thought the suspension would be over gratuitous use of the word "hoe".

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
39. Good heavens! Some kids are in 4-H clubs associated with the schools.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:38 AM
Apr 2013

When I was in Jr. High, I had a community or Victory garden. I used hoes and other tools on school property. This is just bizarre. Kids need to know the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench, for example.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
44. Not gardening tools.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 01:46 AM
Apr 2013

A poster above clarified the story. It was "garden variety" (ie: common) tools. Poor choice of headlines. And the tools included a pocket knife and box-cutter...which I think we can agree shouldn't be brought to school, unless cleared in advance by supervisors.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
52. No, we can't agree on that.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:09 AM
Apr 2013

I'm sorry, but this so mind-numbingly stupid that it isn't even funny. These are tools used around the house on a daily basis. Tools kids are likely to come across. Do you REALLY think it better for the kids to try and discover on their OWN what these tools are rather than have it shown to them in a safe and controlled environment?

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
58. Second graders? Without supervisors approval?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:17 AM
Apr 2013

Its a bad idea to bring any weapon to school, even if the intent is good.
And if the intent was to teach kids about tools, then the lesson fails if they can't touch them.
I'm all in favor of teaching kids about gardens...which doesn't usually involve wrenches and screwdrivers. And I'm all in favor of teaching kids about tools...leaving sharp ones out until they're older.
Plain and simple, the teacher fucked up.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
97. So a "Box cutter" and "pocket knife" are to now be classified only as "weapons?"
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 11:15 AM
Apr 2013

What a crock, pure and simple. These are tools used around the house every single day. A pencil can be used as a weapon, but that does not make it a damn weapon! And no, the kids don't need to actually touch them to learn a lesson from it. If that were the case, we might as well destroy every school book in the nation, as they are apparently useless.

No, the knee-jerk reactionaries fucked up, as they have been fucking up time and time again for decades. This "zero tolerance" idiocy, directed both at teachers and students, is what makes me contemplate homeschooling my children every day.

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
108. two words- Age. Appropriate. 2nd graders don't need to be introduced to razor blades as tools.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:36 PM
Apr 2013

And that's what a box cutter is. It's a retractable razor blade.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
111. If it is something they might come across in their daily lives ...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:40 PM
Apr 2013

...then it is something they should be introduced to in a safe and controlled environment. End of story. So this is very much age appropriate.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
155. What about hammers and wrenches
Thu May 2, 2013, 09:14 AM
May 2013

Those could be just as deadly. This is over reaction run amok.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
62. I use a box-cutter to prepare materials for gardening. Not often, but occasionally.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:23 AM
Apr 2013

I would not want a second-grader using these tools, but they should know what they are.

Curiosity is more dangerous than the tools themselves.

Don't you think the kids' parents use these things and have them in their homes?

When I was a child and was given my first nickel, my grandfather asked me what was I going to do with it. I said I was going to go to the hardware store and buy some nails.

Some kids (and I was a girl) love working with their hands. Some kids grow up around people who work with their hands and admire that kind of work. Those are kids who would love a lesson about tools in the second grade.

Kids know there are knives in the kitchen. As long as the knives are kept out of reach of the children, what is the problem?

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
68. Some of the kid's parents undoubtedly own guns.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:32 AM
Apr 2013

Should the teacher bring a gun to class to show the kids?
If the kids weren't allowed to handle the tools, then there was no lesson being taught that couldn't be done with pictures.
Teaching kids about gardens is a great thing...let them do hoeing, raking, etc. And its not a bad idea to teach them about basic tools...although sharp ones like knives, chisels, saws probably should wait till a bit older than second grade.
Think about it, second graders are still using those blunt scissors in art class. Bringing in items that are typically classified as a weapon into class, especially without clearing it with supervisors, was a bad idea.

eqfan592

(5,963 posts)
98. Actually, there was a time when schools did indeed teach children this young about firearm safety.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 11:17 AM
Apr 2013

And it was a "Hands-off" lesson as well, usually conducted by a law enforcement officer.

Also, seeing an object in person has far greater impact than seeing it in picture form for the vast majority of people.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
122. I went past my local high school the other afternoon.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:12 PM
Apr 2013

It looked to me like the kids were playing with rifles -- real ones -- doing formations of some sort.

One of the children looked maybe 12 or 13.

I assume that was ROTC. We do teach children to use guns in our schools.

CBGLuthier

(12,723 posts)
151. read every post in this thread and you
Thu May 2, 2013, 07:57 AM
May 2013

will get a real good clue as to just how stupid people in this country are getting. This thread contains some of the stupidest arguments about nothing I have seen in 20+ fucking years of the internet.

blackspade

(10,056 posts)
156. No doubt.
Thu May 2, 2013, 01:04 PM
May 2013

It was a discussion about tools and their uses.
What does it matter what the tool was?
I talk to my kids about what tools do what, including box-cutters, screwdrivers, etc.
The fact that this teacher was disciplined at all is crazy.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
60. Uh, wrenches and screwdrivers aren't gardening tools.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:23 AM
Apr 2013

But I imagine it was the knife and boxcutter that got him suspended. Bad idea to bring items typically classified as weapons into a classroom.
And if the kids couldn't handle the tools, what lesson are they learning? Wouldn't pictures have sufficed?

 

Apophis

(1,407 posts)
66. Nothing is mentioned about a knife or boxcutter in the article.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:29 AM
Apr 2013

Pliers, wrenches, and screwdrivers are NOT weapons.

Good god.

 

HooptieWagon

(17,064 posts)
71. Exactly. They couldn't generate poutrage if they reported the story accurately
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:36 AM
Apr 2013

What gets people fired up?
"Teacher suspended for bring garden tools to class"
or...
"Teacher suspended for bringing knife and boxcutter to class"

The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
72. Back in my school days you could have pocket knives
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:38 AM
Apr 2013

What do you think kids will do with them, take out a whole class?

When did we become so scared of one another???

I hear it is guns. Then knives. Then box cutters. Pastries shaped like guns. Kid's drawing guns and such.

WTF has happened to us as a society that we are all now running scared of one another?

Oh...I know. It is the government and others telling us that me and you are the enemies. Fork over cash (for private companies) and more taxes and we will keep you safe.

I was safe in elementary school. My dad was. My mom was. My sister, brother, cousins. Dad took his gun to school for gun club and gun safety lessons. I had a little pen knife I kept with me many times for school patrol, fishing (yeah it was after school but I kept it on me), etc.

What has changed so much in society now that we freak out over the smallest of things when no one is being harmed???

Fear. It sells. We buy it and run with it.

We weren't afraid of each other. Now all we see on the news are stories about school violence and such. How many schools in the US and how many incidents are there? Very few percent wise. The right pimps fear of muslims, both the right and left do the same when it comes to fear of each other.

When we believe we are all possible suspects (except those in government who are doing the real killing) we start to fear and hate one another and think we are all out to get each other.

It's not true. But is sells papers, air time, and helps get people to vote and contribute in hopes of being more safe.

The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
74. Ok...what changed
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 02:51 AM
Apr 2013

Why and how?

You can't blame guns. They were here before.

Movies? TV? Religion in schools? What has changed now that we are more afraid than ever before?

Our mindset? Sucking up news that is negative and promoting fear? If times have changed, explain what about the times have changed.

 

supernaut

(44 posts)
84. Mainly the media.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 05:22 AM
Apr 2013

Force-feeding an unwitting population fear over the last couple of decades has done a lot to create this sort of mindset.

sibelian

(7,804 posts)
82. Pictures may have "sufficed"...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 04:25 AM
Apr 2013

...but I've you to hear from anyone what might have been sinister or untoward about showing the kids the box-cutter or the pocket knife.

southerncrone

(5,506 posts)
78. Teachers--the new scapegoat for everything they do, or don't do.
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 03:42 AM
Apr 2013

If it's not on the standardized test, it's not allowed in school. This is why I left the profession.
Sad times we live in.

Buns_of_Fire

(17,121 posts)
92. OMG, that rake has multiple pointy things at the end of it!
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 09:40 AM
Apr 2013

Will a "Leatherman" multitool soon be designated as a weapon of mass destruction? (OOOOOH, I'm gonna give you such a PINCH!)

How in hell did any of us survive to puberty?

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
93. This school district most be a little behind the times. Do they have any idea how many people are
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 09:52 AM
Apr 2013

gardening now. Plus thos specific tools are used for many other jobs. They should have to pay him for the damages done to his reputation.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
95. Agricultural tools, eh?
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 10:59 AM
Apr 2013

Maybe the teacher brought in some of these:




All are common tools of agriculture. Some are outdated, but are still in use.

 

RC

(25,592 posts)
103. Absolutely NONE if the tools mentioned in the story were "garden tools"
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 11:47 AM
Apr 2013

"...pliers, screwdrivers and wrenches..." Who was the T-bagger that wrote that story?

And speaking of weapons, aren't pencils weapons? Pointy and sometimes even sharp?

 

burnodo

(2,017 posts)
113. "Put the school on lock-down! There's a child with a compass!!"
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:41 PM
Apr 2013

And a full bookbag makes a hell of a weapon also.

 

southernyankeebelle

(11,304 posts)
104. OMG, let's get this straight. The man had gardening tools he kept locked up and
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:27 PM
Apr 2013

he got suspensed right? Yet it will be ok if in the future the teacher can carry a hand gun. This country is F'd up.

Earth_First

(14,910 posts)
112. Yet. Yet. YET...they want to arm teachers and faculty with firearms...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 12:40 PM
Apr 2013

HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE FUCKING CRAZY!?!

SummerSnow

(12,608 posts)
126. ATTENTION ALL PARENTS!!!!
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:03 PM
Apr 2013

If you own a pair of pliers, a wrench or a screwdriver remove them.immediately from your home or you will be arrested from gross misconduct and negligence. If any parent is a carpenter or builder you will be terminated and flogged.Anyone seen with a tool belt will be apprehended.

CincyDem

(6,283 posts)
127. Why in God's name did he bring this dangerous stuff into a school. He should have brought a...
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:05 PM
Apr 2013

...Glock. His reprimand for "possessing, carrying, storing, or using a weapon" might have been the same but at least he's have Wayne LaP on the Sunday show hawking his defense.

Who's going to help this guy now - you think the Garden Club of America is going to step up and do the right thing here?

Noooooooo...way.

It's like I always say, why grab a screwdriver when a gun will work just as well.

no_hypocrisy

(45,786 posts)
130. I could understand the reprimand if the teacher had attacked his students
Sun Apr 28, 2013, 08:23 PM
Apr 2013

with a piece of fresh fruit . . . . .

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
144. Next thing you know, he'll bring a stapler into school
Mon Apr 29, 2013, 05:59 PM
Apr 2013

Lord knows the trouble he could get into with that.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
154. This is stupidity run amok
Thu May 2, 2013, 09:11 AM
May 2013

We are now calling pocket knives and box cutters - that the students didn't even touch - deadly weapons?

A freaking hammer, which is a tool, is just as dangerous as a box cutter. You can beat someone to a pulp with a wrench.

Good grief. And people wonder why some high school graduates are so uneducated. Anything practical that teachers could teach, they can't teach because it might offend or scare someone.

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