All cops are out of control in this country. we as a so-called civilized society have given law enforcement way too much power. Remember, power to the people. Not power to the cops. If you want to break down the biggest organized crime ring in the world, remove the power from the cops, judges and prosecutors. We have become a witch hunt society. Sacred of our own shadows.

Agree

how is this ridiculous? how did everyone know this gun was not real ? what just cause he is black the NAACP jumps to his rescue. No child should bring any toy weapon to school.. school is for learning not for playtime GI joe shoot ups

It is so ridiculous that this was taken this far. What a waste. The schools have become so paranoid, that any little thing, requires that a federal case be made. This poor kid was just being a kid. These so-called educators, have just made this child not trust adults. A similar thing happened to my son and a few of his friends (in the 90's) when they had a lighter in the shape of a gun (a very small item) and the school got wind of it - the idiot school officials in Fairfax County promised these boys that they would not get in trouble, that they just wanted to know who's it was and where they found it, etc. Well, those morons LIED to every one of those kids. I stood up to all of them (I still have the letters) and told them they had no business being in the positions they were, because they just taught all of the kids at Key Intermediate School that it's better to lie. And I'm sorry, but, as a parent - if this is the way they treat all of these stupid situations, then I'd lie right along with them and I told them so. They proved to be the biggest bunch of hypocrites with absolutely no common sense. These so-called "educators" might be book smart, but they sure are common sense STUPID. All these people with this "power" need to get a grip and get over themselves.

My question to the NAACP is why is it more tramatic to an African American child to be arrested than to a child of any other race? There have been children suspended from school for taking a plastice toy soldier holding a rifle. It shouldn't make a damned bit of difference what the child's race is.

"Subjecting any child, and especially an African American child, to arrest and a possible criminal record over a toy is foolish and insulting to our community.”

Especially an African American child? Really? Why is that? Why should any kid of any color get better treatment than anybody else? Perhaps the mission statement of the NAACP is innately racist. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People might serve our citizenry better if they had a broader sense of community.

Agreed - I had to read this through because I thought it was a joke............(sigh), still can't believe it.

I just read most of the comments posted here and my question to you all...is there something wrong with all of you? Do you all live under rocks? NO WEAPONS are permitted at any school or school function for several reasons, the latest reason is called Sandy Hook Elementary. All schools have a Zero Tolerance Policy on any type of weapon. The multiple school shootings have changed the scenery of education forever. Classroom doors are kept locked at all times, video surveillance of all areas, dress codes and Zero Tolerance are all consequences of the violence that has swept over our schools. The feeling of paranoia is rampant among both educators and students. The authorities were right in their actions against this boy. I guarantee you that he was fully aware of the Zero Tolerance Policy when he packed the "toy" gun (not once, but twice) in his bag. How did "everyone" know this was a toy? A child (no age given) went home and told her parents that a kid on her bus had a gun. Come on, what would you do if this happened to be your daughter/granddaughter telling you this? The little girl who went home could have been in kindergarten and not know that the gun was fake, in light of today's violent world, who is going to take that chance? Zero Tolerance is zero tolerance regardless of the child's race, gender, or age.

It's a Brave New World.

I agree with Tracy. Zero Tolerance is Zero Tolerance. I don't care what race, gender or age this kid is, no guns means no guns. Real or fake. Too many people have died because someone brought a gun to school. The school took appropriate actions. There are policies they have to follow. School is for learning. If you want to play with your toy gun, that is fine. Just keep it at home. Don't bring it to school. School is vulnerable because we all send our kids there. It is a place full of children. I don't want to hear that another student brought a gun to school. How do you know its a toy gun. Did you see it??? Did everyone get a chance to see that it was a toy gun??? After what happened at Sandy Hook, why chance it? Why would you want your children to get hurt? Race is not the issue. The issue is that that kid brought a toy gun to school and that is against school policy. End of story!

You see here's the thing, as a child of the late 50's and 60's, most young boys of the day played Army, Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers. We had B.B. guns hunted squirrel and quail and with dad hunted deer and ducks. But never, ever did we have deranged students blowing away classrooms or have alcohol/drug problems.
So,what is the generation change here? For one, when we got home from school, there was mother, to make sure we did our chores and homework. Parents had expectations of their children and there where consequences for children who didn't meet them..
If I wanted a powered model airplane, I worked to earn money/allowance and learned from my father the Four "S's", Systematic Savings Spells Success.
Back in my day, children didn't have lawyers or national advocacy groups interferring with a parent's actions in rearing their child. In school, we had corporal punishment for unruley students, and when I misbehaved (and boy did I), my father gave me the right to go out to our orange grove and cut my own switch. A belt to the behind is a great motivator.

As I see it, the problem with our children in this country today is directly related to the progressive movement which took over our school, local, state and federal systems and took a once great nation of personal responsibility into a nanny state where "it takes a village" to raise a child.

Since it was a toy it's not a weapon. Get a life. When we were kids we'd play cowboys and indians with more realistic looking toy guns than they are allowed to make today. We took them to school, stores and even resturants. We didn't affend anyone because there was common sense back then

Yes, today we seem to over-react...more and more...

When I was a kid every boy took a jackknife to school. no problems. Now they get suspended for it. Cap gun? No big deal.

and my question is why does the NAACP raise so much hell about an african american youth that gets arrested for having what could have been seen as a real gun whether it was a toy or not, but the little white girl whose grandfather gave her a mere piece of paper that was kinda in the shape of a gun and they said nothing. I am not a racist of any kind but it was a piece of paper hand torn to look like a gun and she was discipline but this young man has a toy gun which people have actually been shot at night because you cant tell the difference between a toy gun and the real thing. No way you could mistake a piece of paper for a real gun.

I agree with you re: the race card issue. However, given the climate regarding guns, and the current hysteria that goes with it, I think it still would have made news.

Have to disagree with you. Not long ago, on two seperate occassions, 2 other children got into trouble for the same thing and they were white. Both were suspended from school. One little kid had a toy gun that shot nerf balls and the other was playing "cops and robbers" on the school playground and pointed his finger like a gun and said bang! They were both under the age of 7.

Paula, did this happen in Alexandria? Did Sherman recommend expulsion? Did the police come to school and perform a sting operation against the white children you referenced? Did the Principal talk with the parent(s) prior to engaging law enforcement personnel? And finally, did the white children get assigned probabtion officers? More context would be appreciated.

My son is a white kid and got in trouble for this stupid stuff back in the 90's.... they story is posted in another blog above. And this was in the 90's.... But, yeah - good point. Why did the NAACP have to get involved?

It always does, I have no idea how 16 percent of the total population of this country,can think they are so special they can live by their own set of rules and the masses need to accept it. We have bent over backwards to show sorrow for what happend 170 years ago ,we are made to feel guilty for something none of us did, to those who had nothing done to them. It is like continuing to blame bush for obamas whitehouse, we keep the white race feeling as though we have done something wrong. I am 67 years old and lived the times when blacks did have it bad, and I marched along side them in many towns in the south,to show support for equality, had my cars tires slashed at my job ,later fired for no reason other than my best friend henry Mccoll was a black guy, they even burned a cross in my yard ,good ole boys southern die hard democrats ,same as my father and his before him. well in hind sight i see my efforts were totally wasted as now i am called a racist ,by the very people I supported.at some point this mess has to end ,or there will have to be a war,as my father always said would come from actions i took at 19 years old.

I agree, people need to get real. Who cares what color a kids skin is, no means no. That's the problem, no one can give punishment anymore. And all these people who say, "take power away from the cops" will be the first ones to cry when they need a cop. "Where were you to protect me?" Here's what I say, quit whining! No one is above the law. Should common sense have played a part? Yes, a "Pretend" arrest where the kid doesn't know it's not real would have served well and that boy might have learned a valuable lesson!

"We cannot remain silent on guns." How bout "We cannot remain silent on the missing use of common sense."

Agreed .. You are correct. F&F

Robert. You are SO RIGHT! We are already becoming a 3rd world country with all of the crap going on here. Finding caring, considerate people who live by the Golden Rule are few and far between. Everyone is in panic mode, thanks to this administration, who is slowly but surely taking away all of the rights that the Constitution allows. Thanks to all of the immigrants who think they don't have to abide by the laws of the land and the crooked politicians who just want the votes from these people, we are losing everything that our ancestors fought for.

I was thinking the same thing. Why is subjecting a black child to arrest for this incident any worse than subjecting a white child to it. The comment "especially a African American child'' is as racist as anything they could have said.

Well put Henry... would the NAACP get involved if it were any other kid? The organization itself is racist.

The police engaged in a sting operation against a ten year-old. How many other ten year olds have gotten popped in Alexandria for toy guns? Or is this the first such incident? If it's happened before, were they arrested, suspended and recommended for expulsion? Do they have probation officers?

Since when are toy guns illegal? The kid was TEN YEARS OLD. Do you not understand how stupid this was?

Breaking the law..Chee. Noadays a kid that has to take meds can't take them in school. Dumb stuff.

How did the kid break the law?? Since when is having a toy gun against the law? You want people to be able to own real guns but you dont want a child to have a toy gun. You dont make any sense.

I thought the same thing when I read it, "Subjecting any child, and especially an African American child..." is a pretty racist thing to say. Now if some organization representing white people said "especially a white child..." Jesse Jackson would be out there picketing the newspaper, but because he's black white folks can't say any thing about it or we're racist.

Yes, I read of whites being killed by blacks almost everyday, no outrage, we are still suffering from guilt for our ancestors to their ancestors and they have used that for too many years now. It is time to draw a line in the sand. We had a young white male,killed in charlotte ,while walking to meet his girlfriend to see christmas lights, 3 black teens, youngest 14 and a female ,beat him to death on a street in daylight took 3.00 and his phone.No outrage from anyone ,no marches like with the martin kid, whites are expendable ,blacks arent.

Amen. I don't care if he's black or purple! What ignorance.

ahhh the bliss he says..

Jaydee 1958: The cop's "discression" is with your spelling: In the toilet.

Sure is. What the heck happened?

The cop should be praised, however it needed not be a "legal" arrest rather a putting in the car and taken to wait for mom to pick him up. There has to be some fear instilled so these kids don't grow up to be thugs.

Whats his/her gramma have to do with it? How did she come in the pic?

Right Jack.

The "problem" here is not being P.C. or race, just the lost of innocense and no common sense!

I can agree. No one is addressing the Bus. This incident didn't happen at the school, it happened on the bus. I am wondering though, did they know it was a toy before or after they got it? Also, if everyone is so concerned about toy guns, why are manufacturers still allowed to make them, and then make them look real?

Yes, you are right. Why is it that everything ends up being a racial issue, when in fact, it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the color of one's skin? The fact that the NAACP has gotten involved has made it a race issue. No one makes such a big deal over similar situations when it's a white kid - it is always forgotten in a day or so. But the NAACP makes a federal case and has then created more racial tension just by keeping it alive. If whites kept it alive, we'd be labeled racists.

Great point!

Has been that double standard for years, white man speeds, 90 in 55, stopped he admits he was speeding, black guy speeding stopped 90 in 55, yells ,i was only atopped because I am black, excuse is old and used up,worn out and should be banned. The race card should be banned as well.

He showed the gun on the bus to a group of students. Video from the bus shows the kids all looking at something. One girl went home and told her mother. The mother calls the school. The school claims the boy "is well known to us" but they cannot locate the boy's mother. The next morning, the boy shows up on the bus at school and walks through the doors. The principal and the Alexandria Police Department are waiting for him. He is searched, arrested and hauled off to some juvenile detention center until a bond/court hearing later that afternoon - where he is finally reunited with his mother. The boy is ten years old. It boggles the mind...

Principal should have made more effort to locate the boys parent, including asking the ACPS School Resource officers to intervene if need be at the boy's home. If they were unable to do that, they should have met the boy at the bus stop in the morning to make sure he knew that getting on that bus and going to school with that Dollar Store orange-tipped toy gun was against the rules. Rather, they waited until he committed the crime again and set up a sting operation in front of his friends and classmates at McArthur. Again, it just boggles the mind...

Never happen since no one pays any attention to him anymore. He is about as effective as a hot air balloon.

A liberal using common sense or logic. You have to be kidding. They never heard of either word.

Oh, "That Thing You Do."

I am pretty certain they do know the diference - and have seen enough children who are on the path to join the gangs and use real weapons. Remember in the article the line about the child being well known to the district. Why do you think that is?

12 year olds in street gangs in los angeles and chicago, are they ganstas, or just 12 year old kids?

Here are the two paragraphs that followed the "especially an African American child" sentence in the statement from the NAACP branch:

"The United States is the world's leader in incarceration with 2.3 million people currently in the nation's prisons or jails -- a 500% increase over the past thirty years. These trends have resulted in prison overcrowding and state governments being overwhelmed by the burden of funding a rapidly expanding penal system, despite increasing evidence that large-scale incarceration is not the most effective means of achieving public safety. This over-reliance on incarceration has also had a disproportionately serious impact on communities of color: 57% of incarcerated inmates are racial or ethnic minorities and 88% of inmates are male. Specifically, as of mid-year 2009, whites represented 42.5% of all incarcerated inmates; African Americans, 39.2%; and Hispanics, 16.2%.

"We want to make certain our school officials know we will not stand for uncaring and insensitive treatment of our children while in their care. Opportunity is stifled when children are expelled and suspended because of inappropriately applied school policies. That is especially true for African American children. We intend to meet with our School Superintendent to make certain this situation never happens again. We encourage other like-minded citizens in our community to do the same."

How do you know that and how did you become so insufferable?

Henry, your comment is racist. You can guarantee that you pay more taxes than this kid's mother does? You just assume she is poor because she is black?
Perhaps she couldn't be found because she works two jobs to be able to afford school clothes and toys for the kid?

Where was a 3 year old accosted by the TSA? Link please.

Lisa, where have you been? The TSA incident has been all over the news..... You give these people a badge and they think they have all the power in the world.

The way they handled it, what kid is going to respect authority? I, personally have NO RESPECT for these imbeciles. They spent a LOT of money on their educations, but they forgot to teach common sense!

AMEN!!!

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

Of course, the NAACP is only outraged because it happened to a black child.... as they so aptly pointed out.

And, I guess it is also legal for the NAACP to think that African American children should be treated better than white children.

I agree.But, I think it goes beyond the "race card"... I think that statement is flat out pure racism on the part of those NAACP people. What they were really saying is that African American children are worth more than white children.

Good point. White Americans are a becoming a minority nowadays, but why isn't that brought up and used in the same way other race issues are brought up. If this was a white child nothing would have been said and it surely wouldn't have made it this forum.

It has nothing to do with being trigger happy. The term "trigger happy" denotes a lack of training, skills, and disciplined technique. Had that had been a real gun and he hesitated guessing about some juvenile he would be dead. If it looked like a gun and he had intent, weapon, and delivery system your husband should have and would have been justified in shooting that kid. More than one child has done something stupid and been shot and every time it has been proven the officer does not have to become a target to find out if the perceived threat is authentic. That goes with the open intoxicants in a moving motor vehicle. Lots of kids think its funny to wash out a beer can fill it with soda and then drink and drive. Well the laws on that topic say it's illegal as the representation was same.

You Sir, are an educated, and most reasonable man. It is not about race. What happened here was wrong. Schools are supposed to be places where kids can err, get punished, and then bounce back up with new understanding. Everybody was complaining about there rights. Well, you got what you wished for. We won't violate your rights with corporal punishment, we will just have you arrested, and make you a criminal. See where all these whinny babies have led us.....

If they were afraid there may be "evidence of intent to threaten, scare, intimidate...etc" then police should have confronted the ten year-old before he got on the bus the next morning. If the safety of the students was paramount, the APD and ACPS should have intervened before he put the children on the school bus in more danger - assuming you actually thoink this was a good arrest.

Toy gun could get the child killed, but it certainly won't be hurting anybody else. It's not a weapon. The boy was ten. They let him back on the bus with the gun the next day. How concerned were they?

You're either naive or just trolling if you think this is the first time a ten year old brought a toy gun to school. It's perfectly reasonable to ask whether the policy that you endorse so overwhelmingly has been applied uniformly among all students and at all ACPS schools.

Just because Sherman said they couldn't reach the mother doesn't make it true. Why not send Officer Lingle or another school resource officer to the boy's house that evening? If not, why not send a school resource officer to the bus stop to make sure the boy doesn't get on the bus the next morning with the gun? Instead, they chose to initiate a sting operation without the mother's knowledge. If this was a matter of saftey, the school dropped the ball BIG TIME by letting the child back on the bus the next morning with the toy gun.

And it's also perfectly reasonable for the NAACP to wonder aloud if this state policy you endorse so robustly has been applied evenly among students of all stripes and colors here in Alexandria.

Thank You Edmund Lewis! it's obvious to those of us who have lived here for the past 30 plus years that times have changed. It's also quite obvious that despite the defense of "our hands were tied by the state" that has been offered up so much, there is leeway in how the school officials handle these things. Of course they have to address it, but how they address is seems to be up to some discretion - as it should.

Here's what weapons are already allowed in industrial arts classrooms: Hammers, chisels, screwdrivers, scribes and awls, razor knives, mauls, sledge hammers, pry bars, staple guns, pneumatic nailers, cutting torches and reciprocal saw blades.

Allowed in physical education... baseball bats, javelins and hand weights.

Allowed in home economics: Cleavers, butcher knives, steak knives, carving knives, paring knives, forks and meat tenderizing mallets.

ALL of the above can be used as an assault weapon and actually kill another human being. So put the gun shaped Danish rolls and chicken fingers aside and dig into the real problems!