Via Drudge: First-grader suspended over drawing

Okay, okay … it’s in Oregon. Those people wet themselves at someone’s desire to keep themselves alive through force if necessary. That doesn’t make it any less stupid though.

Two things stand out for me here. First:

The drawing was inspired by an episode of “The Simpsons,” Weathers said. In the television cartoon, a character displays a drawing of a student being shot by a gun.

First-graders should not be watching The Simpsons. Second-graders should not be watching South Park. Just like Third-graders should not be watching Jackass, etc. etc.

Next:

Weathers said he owns a handgun, but he keeps it in a safe in a storage facility.

“I do own a .357, but my son’s never even seen it,” he said.

Well there’s your problem right there. That’s ridiculous. First of all, what friggin’ good does it do you locked up in a storage facility? Second, nobody should be afraid to show a gun to a kid as long as you’re not posing in front of the mirror, holding it sideways, and talking about popping a cap in someone’s ass.

Stop. Don’t touch it. Get a grown-up right away. Right after my son turned five he had those three simple steps memorized. Even at a young age you can get kids to understand that it’s serious, it’s not something to play with, and that it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

But as a parent, you have to de-mystify it. If you’ve got a 7 year-old playing Grand Theft Auto, then it’s your fault as a parent if they show a complete lack of respect and understanding. If you’re not teaching them and engaging them, there’s nobody to blame but yourself.

Any time my son wants to see the gun, I’ll show him. He’ll ask questions, and I answer them. Then I put it away and his curiosity is completely satisfied. And every time I show him, I check it three times and tell him out loud what I’m doing just as I make sure he can see what I’m doing. First, no bullet in the chamber. Second, nothing in the magazine and the magazine is ejected. Then I check it again. Then I check it again, and at that point he’s seen me do it, he’s seen how careful I am, and if he wants to see it up close in a safe condition, that’s fine. Drill it in their little heads, and then show them what happens when you’re NOT careful:

It’s a shame this kid had to get suspended, but there’s blame to go around in plenty of different directions. Should he be suspended over a drawing? No. For threatening other kids? Well, then you’ve got a discipline issue to deal with. The drawing has much less to do with the story than the Mail Tribune would like to recognize.