Why i took such issue with the over the top opinion of the principal.- It gives the appearance of yet more activism from a position of trust. - Yet given the details of the laws as we now know them in that location. It is a non story in terms of what the headline implied. Technically it was a BB gun, but having seen the report, it was a realistic style BB gun and not something an unfamiliar person to firearms could feel comfortable was other than what it looked like.
I have a huge issue with the news reporting of our day. A responsibly accurate headline for that story would have been more like " Maryland law requires teacher to call the police on a boy with his
BB gun in plain sight during video class session" Because that is what clearly appears to have happened. The story should then have gone on to explain why, and what the public needed to be aware of in light of the story. Instead, the headline is put together in an inflammatory way, with the inclusion of the principals statement further fanning the flames. -This is a public disservice, and situational awareness about our information sources is the only defense.
A hoax photo of the Lincoln memorial was circulated in the last few days showing the monument severely defaced by protesters. It was false, all that ever happened was a single one of the steps leading up to the monument was tagged, and quickly cleaned up. These examples, our story here, and the Lincoln monument hoax, were all the more dangerous because they seem plausible in the current environment and events.
I think the real story here for us, is that there are manipulators out there willing to play both sides against each other, getting people all up in arms over things that never happened the way they were portrayed. We as 2A people have faced this for a very long time, and we should learn from these examples and be very wary of the fact that we too, are being played in like manner.
Thanks to the civil dialogue here, and people as respectfully as possible, voicing their concerns and views, I feel we have a clearer and much more accurate picture. We should add this to our situational awareness!
Agree, the U.S. press corps cannot be trusted. They have proven this over and over. We should keep that in mind when we discuss disconcerting headlines.
Well done Michael7 , and all the folks here who kept it civil and reasonable even when emotions can understandably run high. I keep in mind that it was your profession under assault and cast in a bad light by the reporting, and you had experiences that validated the mandates in question. yet you were able to give some room to the other feelings and opinions in play when the full necessary details were not yet exposed. with some investigation by william220 that filled in some critical details, the real culprits of the situation could come to light.
I confess i had to rewrite or self edit posts several times for this particular subject. It really hit a nerve, and felt like an outrage, but as we eventually were able to discover, it wasnât quite what it looked like, sort of like that BB gun. It was important that we got to be informed about the truth of the situation, we need to be aware of these laws and the affects they have on peoples actions.
Thanks. I was blessed to work in a district that was firearms friendly and very well armed. Every year during deer season a few of our students would get caught with their rifles in their truck. Luckily for them the principal lived across the street from the school. He would have the offenders move their rigs to his driveway.
Not that I am going to disagree, but ANY person in a position of authority over you is not your friend, and you should treat them with respect and wariness.
@Michael7 Very good post. That is one realistic looking âtoyâ! I have to go back to laying the responsibility for the level of our outrage squarely at the feet of the mediaâs reporting. How realistic the BB gun was, and the accurate depiction of the law in that area, were vital aspects of the story. Instead of doing the public a service by educating, they sensationalized, misrepresented, and inflamed. - In my opinion.
Naturally, after the years of unfair representations about the subject of guns in America, and all the activists, vllifying, and overreacting we have been subjected too, we might be counted upon to take exception to that story, as well perhaps we should. But then I donât think we were given an accurate depiction upon which to base our reactions.
It was right that we should be made aware of the story. But i think the real concern here is that our attentions were shifted away from the real culprits in this story, that of the law, the realism of toy guns, and how vulnerable we are to the unwitting self exposure while video conferencing. We were made to assume guilt on the part of an educator ( how ever eager they may personally have been ) who would have had to report it, under the law, even if she had been a great gun rights supporter. It makes me very angry I have to be so leery of my own countries media! Thatâs the REAL outrage, in my opinion, exposed by this story.
I hope communists have been defeated by the time I have grandkids or grandpa will be in trouble.
I would have my grandkids use this fun virtual background, fell in love with it first time I saw the movie Kingsman.
COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy and Protection Act). I really doubt the students parents gave the school permission to collect photos of the childâs room and then share that data.
While I disagree with the teacherâs and principalâs actions, and assuming the duty to report, I doubt COPPA applies but FERPA would apply. But FERPA has exceptions for
Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.
The reporting and providing the photo to police would be appropriate. The photo of the childâs room does not include the child and appears to have been release by the mother with her consent.
I still think the most ridiculous part is the principal saying having a gun in the distance learning frame is the same as bringing a gun to school.
Mike I agree totally with your post. I understand the anger expressed by many on this thread but like everything else in life there are two sides to the story. Hotline reports are not made without serious vetting (at least in the schools i taught in) and they are always made in the best interest of the child. Any mandatory reporter that abused their responsibility would be severely disciplined.
I was hoping you would comment. I always learn from your input.
I would not have let the officer in the house plain and simple. I donât see a duty to inform here. It was hanging on the wall. They should have started with the parents.
