Are children today being taught to fear?

[Deleted]

6 year old punished for brandishing a toy gun smaller than a quarter.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=25389744

7 year old suspended for making a gun out of pastry

http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/13/su...n-kids-record/

Child punished over making a paper gun.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ted-paper-gun/

The purpose of this thread is not to discuss gun control, infact there are no real guns involved here, instead I want your views on these subjects. Are we wrapping children in cotton and protecting them too much? Children are being punished and having black marks on their permanent records because they are fashioning pretend firearms out of every day plaything, how many people here used to grab a stick and play soldiers with their friends?

Or is it infact better to scare children into being afraid of firearms of all kinds? What are your views on the subject?

[valliant13]

I think the protecting the youth of EVERYTHING in general is getting out of hand. They will have no life skills when they are older. To me one of the best things to learn life skills is sports. However nobody loses in youth sports now. My son plays soccer and its completely uncompetitive(nobody keeps score) but there was a game he played where they got eight goals and the opposing team got zero and the coach of the "losing" team asked if they could just take turns with the ball instead of actually play the sport the way its meant to be played(not like they do anyways its 3v3 with no goalies and the goals are about 2 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide. Losing is an integral part in life and these kids are being brought up like they will always be winners and get rewarded for mediocrity. If we think the US is bad now...just wait for these kids to take the country over when we are older.

[Deleted]

I think the protecting the youth of EVERYTHING in general is getting out of hand. They will have no life skills when they are older. To me one of the best things to learn life skills is sports. However nobody loses in youth sports now. My son plays soccer and its completely uncompetitive(nobody keeps score) but there was a game he played where they got eight goals and the opposing team got zero and the coach of the "losing" team asked if they could just take turns with the ball instead of actually play the sport the way its meant to be played(not like they do anyways its 3v3 with no goalies and the goals are about 2 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide. Losing is an integral part in life and these kids are being brought up like they will always be winners and get rewarded for mediocrity. If we think the US is bad now...just wait for these kids to take the country over when we are older.

We have the same problems over here, take this for an example....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education...-stressed.html

Parents are not allowed to attend their own childrens sports day because it puts too much pressure on them to win, many schools do not even give out winners medals and trophies anymore, instead they all get "taking part" awards.

[Palmz]

I'll make sure my children (when I have them) know if they lose or win a soccer game by keeping track myself. As for Field Day in elementary school. Same deal.

[Sarthan]

Same here in Oregon, in elementary school (1st to 5th grade) has no trophies or winners. Same as Middle school (6th-8th grade). Then high school comes and if you are a male in my hometown you are expected to play football and demanded to win. The school doesn't put pressure on young kids anymore so when they get to high school they have know clue on how to win. This shows in not only the sport scores but also in the work ethic of the kids coming out of high school.

[Deleted]

Same here in Oregon, in elementary school (1st to 5th grade) has no trophies or winners. Same as Middle school (6th-8th grade). Then high school comes and if you are a male in my hometown you are expected to play football and demanded to win. The school doesn't put pressure on young kids anymore so when they get to high school they have know clue on how to win. This shows in not only the sport scores but also in the work ethic of the kids coming out of high school.

This is the big problem that is developing, people expect to be treated equally when the truth is that no one is equal, you have to fight for good opportunities in life and children are no longer being taught that lesson.

[Kalis]

People like to over nanny kids, been happening for quite a while now. Part of the reason is teachers are petrified of doing anything that may cause distress to a child and getting sued/attacked by the parents.

When I was younger we used to go over the local woods and beat the crap out of each other with sticks, or play with a tennis ball on concrete playgrounds that ended up with kicking lumps out of each other - very few of us suffered any permanent brain damage, so our parents were cool with it.

[ovm33]

This is the big problem that is developing, people expect to be treated equally when the truth is that no one is equal, you have to fight for good opportunities in life and children are no longer being taught that lesson.

*Blink*

That is one of the truest statements I have read on these forums. People are created equal. They don't remain so.

[Deleted]

They should be taught that real guns, and all weapons are dangerous, but to punish them over a toy ? That slike firing someone from work for collecting Warhammer stuff and claiming they are a danger to the workplace ; /

[NoRest4Wicked]

Something I've noticed that isn't exactly what you're saying, but I think contributes to this "everyone is a winner" mentality is my nephew graduated kindergarden, then first grade and soon second. They actually hold ceremonies and give them mock diplomas for passing each grade through k-4. It's a little ridiculous (not to mention expensive because they are expected to wear the gown and cap).

[Templar 331]

Or is it infact better to scare children into being afraid of firearms of all kinds? What are your views on the subject?

I feel it is a good thing to put the fear of a firearm in a child early. But to do that through punishing them is a step in the wrong direction. Maybe make a "Firearms Awareness" week. Teach them about the risks and dangers of guns. Teach them about the deaths that come from people using them. Not to the point of them hating guns, just enough to give them fear of using them at an age where they don't know the consequences.

[Deleted]

Geez... We used to play with metal replicas of lugers that even did the loading motion when you pulled the trigger, guess today I'd be forced to go see a shrink or straight to youth mental institution. Yes, it is getting ridiculous out off hand sometimes, it is toys, the children know this!

[Vizardlorde]

That is beyond ridiculous, punishing children for acting like children just blew my mind away. I might be draconian in my opposition to the lax firearm regulation in the US, but punishing kids for playing with toy guns is just retarded. Most of us played soldiers or cops and robbers when kids running around pretending to shoot at each other with pieces of plastic or squirting water. I dont know what to expect of our future generations...

[NoRest4Wicked]

I feel it is a good thing to put the fear of a firearm in a child early. But to do that through punishing them is a step in the wrong direction. Maybe make a "Firearms Awareness" week. Teach them about the risks and dangers of guns. Teach them about the deaths that come from people using them. Not to the point of them hating guns, just enough to give them fear of using them at an age where they don't know the consequences.

I can agree that children who are around guns should be taught to respect and potentially fear their capabilities. But toy guns, drawing guns or biting a poptart? That's a little overboard. I had GI Joes and toy guns to play "Cops and Robbers" or a varient of the game when I was a child. No harm ever came from it (not counting any outdoors game related injury like tripping).

[DEATHETERNAL]

Are we wrapping children in cotton and protecting them too much?

Children are being punished and having black marks on their permanent records because they are fashioning pretend firearms out of every day plaything, how many people here used to grab a stick and play soldiers with their friends?

Or is it infact better to scare children into being afraid of firearms of all kinds? What are your views on the subject?

In most ways (including firearm and losing that is being discussed), yes (doing the opposite in a couple of specific cases though).

I sure did, and thankfully the Belgian teachers at that time didn't care.

A firearm is a tool. A tool is neither good and right or bad and evil in and of itself, and all tools can be used for good or evil by the will of the wielder. Fearing a tool is foolishness.

This is the big problem that is developing, people expect to be treated equally when the truth is that no one is equal, you have to fight for good opportunities in life and children are no longer being taught that lesson.

That is one of the truest statements I have read on these forums. People are created equal. They don't remain so.

Truth (which I’m glad to not be the first stating so I can avoid getting called racist/sexist/bigot/whatever else in yet another thread lol).

[Al3sinth]

I feel it is a good thing to put the fear of a firearm in a child early. But to do that through punishing them is a step in the wrong direction. Maybe make a "Firearms Awareness" week. Teach them about the risks and dangers of guns. Teach them about the deaths that come from people using them. Not to the point of them hating guns, just enough to give them fear of using them at an age where they don't know the consequences.

I love the idea of a Firearms Awareness week only not to make them fear guns, but to respect them and how to handle them safely.

[Bakis]

This topic is in regard of guns but it could have been about any topic really.
If there is an extreme environment, in this case the gun situation in the US, it will provoke extreme responses.

Obesity will provoke the same extreme responses just as an example. "Fat kids are stupid" whatnot.

[Simulacrum]

*Blink*

That is one of the truest statements I have read on these forums. People are created equal. They don't remain so.

No we're not...

[Twoflower]

Everybody is being taugth to fear. Fear sells news and fear helps control populations.

And yes, we also wrap our kids too much into a pink cotton ball. We are creating a generation of complaining softies who think they get extra rigths when they feel offended or when they are unhappy with anything.

No we're not...

Also, this, yes. We are not created in the first place, and we are also not created equal. Tell that to somebody with a physical handicap. He will try to hit you.

[Templar 331]

I can agree that children who are around guns should be taught to respect and potentially fear their capabilities. But toy guns, drawing guns or biting a poptart? That's a little overboard. I had GI Joes and toy guns to play "Cops and Robbers" or a varient of the game when I was a child. No harm ever came from it (not counting any outdoors game related injury like tripping).

I agree. That's why I said that punishing them like this is a step in the wrong direction. When I was in school, my friends would make paper guns. It was the coolest thing at the time. We never played with them for fear of getting in trouble.