If this kid would resort to bringing this ''toy'' gun to school...he could have very easily taken a real gun to school if one had been available. Don't be fooled by the story that this kid thought this was a ''toy''. I say ''Bull-shizzz''. That is very naive to allow yourself to believe that for one second. If you knew much about these airsoft guns, you would realize there is an extrememly good reason why protctive clothing and eyewhere is required to ''play'' with them. They not only could ''easily'' blind someone....they could also knock some teeth out. Knowing that...you be the judge about how much of a ''toy'' they are. Expulsion ''is'' appropriate...for the rest of the school year. Let him finish this grade out with home schoolong and then let him back in the next year. It was not like he was bringing it for Show-and-Tell day. His intent was to do harn to someone. This kid needs to learn that turning to weapons is not going to get anyone any slack. The system failed this child..the bully skated... but thaere can be ''zero'' escuse for ''any'' weapon broght to school that was to be used as a weapon. Nowdays ther are plenty of stories is kids this age killing other people.

CJ, I totally disagree with you. The parents are responsible for what a six year old brings to school or even has access to. A six year old can have short term immediate consequences for being rude, talking back, etc (six year old misbehaving) but six year olds are below the legal age of reason (7 years old, and even then their brains don't process abstract ideas well) and cannot be legally held responsible for their actions so how can anyone talk about punishing a six year old for trying to do what makes sense to him to stop someone from bullying him? Expulsion is NOT appropriate and I think a court of law would agree that it is unlawful to deprive a six year old of schooling with his peers due to an action that was due to negligent parents. He could have brought a real gun to school and I would still blame the parents for negligence and hold them responsible if anyone had been hurt, as would the courts.

Janie. I can tell from all your outlandish views that you would ''totally disagree'' with me. I would never waste my time trying to change the mind of someone like you...I know how futile that would be. Your idea of ''counseling'' is fine...but it can be done while he is expelled. It's never too young to learn some hard lessons...some people just make the wrong choices way too early...but punishing them is not wrong. It may suck...but it is the right thing to do. Nobody ever said life is easy..not even for a 6 year old. It is a tough break for this kid...but he will get over it and if he is taught to take his punishment...he will be better person as a result of this experience. If he had a parent like you...I am not too sure of that, though. Some people live their whole life thinking they are special and have special rules that don't apply to them. You sound like that. A 47 %'er?

No CJ, we owned two small corporations, one a union HVAC/mechanical contracting business, and I was a social worker for the State of Washington. Retired now and that "dumb as rocks" six year old is a child psychologist. Libertarians who vote Republican as the lesser of two evils, and gun owners with permits to carry concealed and if this goes to court, it not only "sucks", it is morally reprehensible and illegal to punish a child of six for any action that child is not responsible for. Had the parents left out a real gun instead of an air gun and the child had killed the bully, he would not be held responsible in a court of law, but his parents would have been charged with negligent homicide or something similar depending on the laws of the state it occurred in. You cannot "teach" a child of six or four or two to accept treatment that they have no understanding of or awareness of why they are being mistreated. Your mindset is similar to that of those who would execute rape victims as a lesson to women n to stay home after dark, because life sucks but let it be a lesson to all. I feel sorry for a twisted mind incapable of understanding the difference between a choice and the actions of one too young to reason in the abstract.

CJ, learn to read. I said "when my father-in-law died, we took our six year old to the cemetery". He died in the 1970's. Our six year old is now an adult almost 40 years old and is a child psychologist.

Oh Janie..just ''shut up''. Now we see you are now just going to resort to bragging and tall tales. I read fine, Janie...it's just you are not worth paying too much attention to in the real world...but here in a blog...it's hard to let some of the loopy things you say just go by. It now sounds like your grown ''Psychiatrist Son'' (yeah...cough, cough...right) is fixing you up with some ''feel good'' pills. You obviously need them. You are nuts....so it is a good thing your son now does what he does...although...it would not surprise me if his Psychiatric specialty is German Shepherds.

Janie. You wrote:
''I feel sorry for a twisted mind incapable of understanding the difference between a choice and the actions of one too young to reason in the abstract. ''

..and that comment, folks, is coming from a lady who makes up some goofy analogy between the rape of a woman and a kid taking a gun of some sort with the intention of using it on someone...

This has now entered that place somewhere between reality and another dimension that is called The Twilight Zone.

CJ, you need to stop spewing your idiocy for all to see; apparently you have no idea that a psychologist has the same education as a grammar school teacher while a psychiatrist is a medical doctor who then goes on to specialize in psychiatry. It would be sweet if my daughter were a psychiatrist, but unfortunately she's not. It takes 5 years to get a masters in psychology; it takes 12 years to become a medical doctor with a further degree in psychiatry. You really should learn to read every word before you write nonsense, unless you enjoy looking foolish.

OMG. CJ. Is it actually possible for you to leave Janie alone?!?!? Anyways, she is right....BTW. GET A LIFE!

Oh come on Taylor...we are all big people here. Are you serious...to jump to her aid on this? You support and defend this kid? I hardly think she wants or needs anybody to do that. You insult us all here with your lame interference. Get off the porch if you can't hang....and please...don't treat me like I am 'picking on her''. This is a blog. Please review the comments...she is the one who first made a return reply to me. She has resorted to her psycho-babble just to defect the valid points I have made to her...and to simply ''brag''. Yes...the psychologist/psychiatrist thing she threw in as a detour is true enough...and I certainly knows the difference...but any of that is hardly the essence of the disagreement between her and I on this. I simply brushed past that because she was just gloating. You may fall for her tactics, but that is fine if you want to expose yourself as her supporter. Go ahead...but please don't confuse me for thinking the rubbish she does. You obviously ''don't get'' how blogs work. You don't start things you are not prepared to finish. You will also find that it is obviously that most commenter's here would not agree with her...just as I did not. Her position is ridiculous considering the very real threat of violence in schools today..or perhaps you are too old like she is to have noticed? I am old also..but I can keep up with what's going on. Try it yourself.

Hh..and Taylor...your comment on this was the first one again since over 3 weeks ago. As I said..see if you can keep current.

I totally agree!!

I will side with the school also. The parents should have been more responsible. I was about that age when I pointed a toy pistol that I just received as a birthday present at a friend of mine. My father saw what I did and immediately took the pistol set from me. I didn't get it back for a week. And then with instructions. My father had always been very serious about gun handling. Toy or not.

If we started putting the parents into jail for what their children do things would straighten up in a hurry! Fear will be the driving force to get parents to do what they are supposed to do.

Arrest the parents for the behavior of the child. The whole thing will stop when the parents have something to loose.

Actually if the parents had done their job, this would not have taken place in the first place. No doubt they are going to whine and cry about how unfair it was to their kid. Other students have the right to be protected from kids who bring any kind of weapon to school and the parent who is either negligent in his/her supervision or just doesn't care. Why would you expect or count on parents who are irresponsible to deal with this? They won't.

So let me ask you this...how exactly did this "non-incident" make the papers, and now the internet? Could it be because it had the word "gun" in it? Media sensationalism anyone?

Very well said!

EXACTLY!!!! No 6 year old can buy one of these guns so he should not be playing with it or bringing it to school!

Why not lock up kitchen knives too and baseball bats, ban the game and get boys to learn ballet instead. restrict airsoft guns and punish severely a little, remorseful six year old. The school officials act like they are doing something to protect the kids
Meanwhile they ignore the nuts and criminals, perverts and animals because they either don't know what to do with them or its too hard a problem to solve but a six year old is easy for a whole school board to go after. At least the cops have a little more sense then those high paid PhDs
In my NYC today, the paper had a guy that 2 years ago tried to kill 2 cops with a knife. He went to jail, got out, terrorized the neighborhood and his family, cut up his mother into pieces and got himself arrested finally. Now that guy you should throw the book at, not a little six year old who knows he did wrong.
Wanna take bets when that other guy will be out? And our billionare polliticians here don't feel we need to defend ourselves. Lets lock up the criminals real well and not the toys or 6 year olds. Maybe some of those billionares and politicans too.

You're wrong, as usual the kid and his friend showed it to the intended victim at a bus stop. aha! NOW you remember !

I am with you on that one Betty. Still it doesn't seem like they want to address the root of the problems. N

Try this again..........I am with you on that one Betty. Still doesn't seem like they want to address the true root of the problem, which is the threat of harm. Not that what he chose to do was right. Bad decision. But also why at 6 years old was there no adult present at the bus stop - in this day and age, receipe for disaster. I would think ONE parent for the children would supervise prior to the bus getting there. I would say there is a ton of blame to go around here.

My daughter is an adult now, but when she was 6, in first grade, she and a few friends would play jacks at recess and some 4th & 5th grade boys would kick the jacks and push the girls sideways. I thought the boys were just playing because she didn't sound upset when she told me about; she also neglected to tell me they were big boys. One day I get a call that my daughter has been taken to the hospital because the girls had been playing jacks on the cement at the top of the stairs and when a boys pushed my six year old, she fell down the stairs and landed on her head, knocking her out. I sat her down and told her to tell me EVERYTHING that had happened. Then I showed her how & where to kick a boy who bullied her, using her ankle/calf for better leverage instead of her foot. A few weeks later she did, and the school called and I went to the school and told them I had told her to kick them in the b*lls and the fact that she had to meant the playground teacher had gone back to NOT paying attention again. I told them my next stop was the paper and TV if they didn't start protecting the younger children. The bullying at recess stopped.

Good Job Janie. It got their attention for quite a while.

In the article it stated that the child brought the gun to school because he was threatened by another student......

Perhaps you should google "airsoft" and see exactly what types of "toy" guns they are selling.

Oh, for the days when I could play cowboys and indians in peace! AND if the bully was taken care of this poor kid would not bring a gun to school. You should be talking more about the REASON he brought it and fix that!

I agree whole heartedly! I got caught with a pocket knife in school and had to tell my parents! ( Dads bone handled Barlow)! I can still feel the butt whipping today!

If you think growing up "happy" requires a gun you seem to have a perverted impression of what "happy" entails. Good luck with that! Have you heard of the controversy over guns at school. Hello, its 2013.

No six year old is "old enough and smart enough to be punished just as an older child would be". Are you in your right mind? 5 to 10 minutes of time-out is all normal parents give six year olds; most start with 2 year olds and give them two minutes of time-out. An older child/teen could be grounded, have the car privileges taken away, made to do yard work, the dishes, etc. No sane person would punish a child legally below the age of reason the same as an older child would be punished. Legally it would be considered child abuse.

Janie..you sound like a lawyer who got thier law degree by sending off money to an ad from the back of a comic book. You mentioned you have a 6 year old? What...is someone else raising ti? You don't sound like you know a thing about 6 year olds. It's scary what they know. You are way off..and have zero credibility.

So let me shoot you in the eye with that BB gun... I bet you will have an injury...

First, this kid's intent was to harm someone who was threatening him, and the types of "guns" that airsoft sells are the type of toys that will get you shot if you began waving them around in public, and last, you need to cease ranting about intelligence until you learn how to spell it correctly.

I'm glad they weren't around me and my suction dart gun! I would have been the 1st six year old in prison!

I am 61 and grew up knowing 2 kids that were blind in one eye from their own BB gun. So maybe giving children guns, even bb guns wasn't so intelligent.
Intelligence, not intelegence.

the movies got more violent and the average kid by 6 yrs old has seen many many murders, stabbings, chokings..etc And now days many kids have picked up what they thought was a toy and killed a parent sibling...etc. Now many people have assult weapons and have gone into schools and murdered many children... Now days kids are better off enjoying life in America minus the pretend killings....
Sadly it hits too close to home now.

We did too and when you pointed the "gun" at your friend and said "bang", they would drop to the ground like they were dead. And most of us did not grow up to be serial killers. But the fact that this little boy thought a gun (regardless of what kind it was) was the only way to deal with a bully is what should be foremost in our minds. What kind of world are we living in where a 6-year-old child thinks that problems can be solved with guns?

Well Rose. Do you remember when kids played with guns as you were growing up...cowboys and indians, then cops and robbers? Healthy fun, good guys and bad guys, you know like real life. Airsoft guns do no damage to people. They are a little plastic pellet which is fired from a gun. It's a toy, nothing else. It's not a bb gun which could actually hurt someone, but a little plastic pellet. Safer than what most 6 year olds do to each other.

I was wondering the same thing. I didnt read anywhere in this article where it said anyone was actually shot with this airsoft gun. as far as airsoft guns go, my son has had many of them and some will hurt you while others will barely shoot a couple of feet, so without knowing what type of gun (spring or air) I could not say whether it was even a real threat. This is only about the airsoft gun itself and not the boys intentions mind you.

Michael, you are right. Parents need to be involved with there kids. But I also think that there just may not be a story here. The kid brought the gun and showed it to a bully? Does that make any sense? I'm thinking the kid, when confronted by school authorities, could have very well made up the story as an excuse.

So a 6 year old, accused of a "crime" is a credible witness? Kids are kids, they live in a world of imagination. The story says "he showed it to the kid who was bullying him at the bus stop" And this is a crime.....how? Are all toys banned in school? How did the school find out about the gun? Is the bully a tattletale also? Is this what school is all about now....hand out condoms and teach about "my two mommies" but no toys?

The fact remains that we are talking about a SIX YEAR OLD, a child below the the age of reason, both legally and scientifically, a SIX YEAR OLD. How can schools or any system legally punish a child younger than the legal age of reason by expelling them for a crime they are not old enough to be held responsible for?

The fact is I'm not talking about the punishment. I'm just saying that you play it off as no big deal. Comparing it to toys and bubbles. It is not safe, there should be some punishment and counseling and be done. I never said what to do with the kid, you can debate that with someone else. Airsoft guns are an issue in some families. Not all. Maybe not even this one. Who knows. My debate is to those calling airsoft guns just toys, which is wrong in many cases. (Unless the airsoft gun is a weak one). My son will have one when he is older and I will keep it locked up when not with an adult.

I have no idea what an airsoft gun is and really don't care; it could be a real handgun. People are talking about "punishing" a six year old for something he is not legally or morally responsible for. A counselor could try to explain it to him, the results would be about the same as trying to explain death to a six year old. "grandma's dead. She's not here anymore; she's gone to heaven" response: "OK, can we see grandma tomorrow when she gets back?" After my father-in-law died, we took our six yr old to the cemetery & tried to explain that Grandpa wasn't sick any more but was buried under all the flowers. She told her dad that our German shepherd was a real good digger & could get grandpa out in no time. She was very smart for six, could read way above her age level but six year old minds do not work like those of older children or adults. You can't or shouldn't punish a six yr old for something that he wasn't responsible for. Adults are responsible for babies and young children; if a lighter is left on a table with a young child & he picks it up & lights it & he drops it & the tablecloth catches fire and burns the house down & someone dies, would you blame or punish the child? You think there should be some punishment & counseling but six is too young for that type of counseling (about abstract results of actions & the reasons for rules pertaining to abstract results). No six year old should be punished for the inattention of his parents. Send them to counseling

Why is it people like CJ make rude nasty comments about people or their children when you disagree with them? I was giving an example of how a six year old responds when parents try to explain the death of a grandparent. Their minds cannot comprehend the totality of "forever gone". CJ is low class enough to get personal when someone disagrees with his/her comment and say a six year old who doesn't understand death is dumb as a rock and must be blonde.

Besides, Janie, my remark that your 6 year old shows signs of being blonde and dumb as a rock was not in reference to her problems ''you claim'' with ''death''...it was more in reference to the part about ''this'' that you wrote: ''She told her dad that our German shepherd was a real good digger & could get grandpa out in no time''.
I ''do'' know 6 year olds...and I seriously doubt that hardly any would ever have such a space cadet comment like that to make. A 4 year old...''maybe''. Kids are ''way'' brighter than you are feigning to know about.

...you see, janie...you switched persons to butt heads with using your same broken record...but it ain't working here either....the men in the white coats are looking for you...but your daughter is trying to delay them...maybe she is using ''psychology''...lol... on them ,even though you yourself has said she is not qualified to do so...the apple does not fall far from the tree I see...

I'll tell you what is scarier than this kid with the gun:
A just under 7 year old girl who does not realize at a funeral for her Grandpa that her dog can't dig him up later and he will then be fine..and someone like that is now grown up practicing as a Psychologist. It sure helps explain why she never went on to become a ''Psychiatrist'', especially since we now know her mother, due to all her bragging on how rich she is, could have certainly afforded to send her to as many years of college she ever would have needed.

Last week a 7 year old was arrested for POINTING HIS FINGER AND SAYING BANG because the rules say guns "real or play" and the school claims by making the gun shape with his hand, his hand became a play gun. Another 5 or 6 year old was either arrested or suspended (I forget which) last September for bringing a toy soldier to show & tell because the toy soldier had a miniscule, fraction of an inch long gun. How about the little girl (I believe she was six too) a couple of weeks ago who was labeled a terrorist and had the police called when she was overheard by a teacher telling another girlfriend that she had gotten a Hello Kitty Bubble gun and did the girl want to come over her house so they could shoot bubbles at each other. Where has common sense gone? Why aren't school officials, who are supposedly educated enough to deserve good salaries, educa6ted enough to differentiate between something normal and harmless and something potentially dangerous. Why aren't they aware of bullying problems if they have at a minimum a masters in child psychology or education?

Janie, I don't know the whole story and don't have a comment on what I believe is the correct punishment, but airsoft guns are NOT toys. The other stories you are talking about are toys and pretend. Airsoft guns are not pretend and not toys, as stated by the NRA.

Allen...If the time comes when America ''fails'', as you call it...that will be a time when violence takes to the streets and people like you will be the first kind that other Americans will ''eliminate''. What a horrible thing you said. You thinking is messed up. Waht a foud person you must be to make such a statement. There are other places in the world to go live, you know. Go.

Ahh...Janie...thanks for showing more of what kind of person you like to buddy up with. Allen is a real charmer...uh...he is not your son-in-law or anything..is he?

Honestly, Janie...it's is ''head shaking'' to see that you just chummed up with a guy who just said he will be glad when America fails.

To be fair, the analogy you pointed out between a kid who brings a gun to school ....and a kid who points his finger as a gun......that truly is an interesting analogy...but you are goofier than a Jaybird if you think those two stories match up well. ''Of course'' most of us would agree that is unfair what happened to the kid using his finger as a gun....however...it does ''zero'' to change the viewpoint on the kid who brought the gun. Are you OK? Because you sound flipped out, to be frank. Have you missed some ''meds'' today? That said....I do agree with you that the ''zero tolerance'' policy that many schools adhere to is full of very bad faults and lacks the very real need of descretion. I also agree that this kid who brought the gun ''deserves some descretion''...but I certainly don't see him as the innocent little angel that you try to make him out to be. This kid committed a ''very unfortunate'' error...but the message has to be clear to the rest of the student body....that ''feigning'' a mistake can't be accepted. This kid knew all to well what he was doing. He may fool ''you'' ( and I can believe that...lol) ...but he is not fooling many others.

Michelle my parents told me what to think when I was in sixth grade. They were very active in their parental responsibility. If I messed up I paid. One good crack on the hind end sets your vision and thinking straight.

I don't get your point?

So true, I had a bb gun, drank out of a hose, had a 22 rifle at 12/ You ae 100% correct. Thet are so worried that they wii offend anyone blacks whites gays etc. How bout just doing what is right just and just fucking just the way it should be. You all should be in that 6 year olds shoes and see what its like to be bullied.

Ever hear of a thing called ''TV'', Todd? maybe ''you'' should go...and go watch it if you don't like it here. Or...you could just go jump in a lake.

Schools dont do anything about bullys, And thats a fact, Pointing fingers? I dont think so. Bullies will allways be there cause the schools wont do shit. The so called parents of the bully will come to school with a laywer and say not my billy he never dose anything wrong, get a life stat living in the real world.

I agree. If this airsoft gun IS dangerous it never should have been left out where the six year old could get it. Further, even though six year old minds cannot comprehend "gone forever" (they get blown up and are back the next day in video games) this little boy must have been scared and frustrated to the point that he felt he had to do something do get the bully to leave him alone. If he actually threatened the bully (sorry, but good for him if he did) with the airsoft gun, had he been able to get hold of a real gun, he probably would have done the same, and had he killed the bully, his parents would have been charged, not the six year old. If the child had fired the gun, it's because he's learned that it's good & fun to "blow away" the bad guys, not understanding what death REALLY means. The schools need to step up and protect the children being bullied, not heap further punishment and trouble on them when they feel forced to take matters into their own hands.

Janie...and now you team up with somebody named ''Cheech''...lol...is that poetic justice or what?

Maybe ''Chong'' will show up next, Janie...and you won't have to bogart no more...lol.

You guys are two peas in a pod.