en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2456327 Comments by jfb5146 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment124436440 I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the idea of this system where the kid OBVIOUSLY had no intention to shoot anybody...at least on purpose, but is still punished for this. It's really stupid of the parent to leave the gun just lying around like that. The kid should just be let back to school and the dad should get all the judicial bullshit to deal with. The kid won't be labeled as an outcast or anything, he's FIVE YEARS OLD. I don't remember five year olds being known for their great memory. I would give it a week and it would all be blown to the wind and everyone in the school would go back to doing the same thing they do every other day. I do see that the system is in place to protect everyone against any incident similar that might produce worse results, but there should really be a point to who this actually effects. Five year old's shouldn't be in that list, much less any kid under like 8 I guess. Seriously, it just mindfucks you when you hear stories about little kids getting hold of a gun and accidentally blowing their own face, or a friends' off. The parents are always the first to blame, but it doesn't seem like it right now in this case. I really just think he'll get a slap on the wrist while the kid has to be the one facing the consequences. Zero-tolerance in a lot of cases is the right decision, its all to ensure the safety of people blah blah blah but then shouldn't there be a zero-tolerance for parents neglecting their kids and making sure things like this don't happen? No? 'Kay cool because the way a kid is brought up and raised doesn't effect any later decisions they might make in life nah. Only thing I see in this whole situation is : kid saw a gun, thought it was cool looking, decided to bring it to school (probably to show off to friends), gun fell out, got arrested. Step-dad just sucks at his job of keeping his shit where it belongs under lock and key. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:58:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/americans-gone-wild/#IDComment124436440