Arvada boy, 11, arrested over violent stick figure drawing

[The Stonker]

ARRESTED?!

Ok, I can see some kind of punishment in order (or at least being called in by the principal to be told "This is NOT acceptable behaviour, cut it out"), but ARRESTED?!

0_o Overkill, much?

Why? I would argue freedom of speech.
Heck, I took my principal on a debate and won, when I was 9.

I'm not saying I would punish the kid, I'm saying I could understand them wanting to punish him.

With the rise in school shootings, I can see schools being jumpy about stuff like this.

However, I'd personally have just taken the kid aside and asked them why they drew that particular picture, and then have told them that there are somethings that you shouldn't do, because it'll upset people and get you in trouble if they decide they are upset enough to want payback.

People who are against video games use that logic alot.
"Because some school shooters played video games, that means that every single video gamer is a school shooter!!!"
It's silly.
Plus I thought that violance in America was declining?

 

[ADDLibrarian]

Edit: I'm American, and I think this is ridiculous
I do hope the parents get some good legal assistance. This is wrong wrong wrong on so many levels. That poor kid. He was just doing what his therapist advised and was throwing it away anyway. That doesn't strike me as "violent" behavior. Hell, I used to write horrible letters to people I was really mad at, then either shred them in to teeny pieces or mutilate them with staples (the letters, not the people!). It was pretty cathartic. Calling a school and threatening to bring a gun or telling kids you will bring a gun to school= grounds for arrest. Doing therapeutic drawings with no intention to follow up on them = not grounds for arrest. I'm wondering if the teacher got paranoid or something. Heh, release Anonymous on that "justice" system! lol.

 

[Korolev]

In my day, kids drew such stick-figures all the time, and no one was arrested for it. Then again, usually kids were smart enough not to get caught with such drawings.

I mean, you really think you're going to prevent another school shooting by banning violent stickfigure drawings? 99% of kids who draw such stuff never, NEVER act on it, and the 1% who do WOULD HAVE ANYWAY. Drawing violent stick-figure pictures does not cause violence in schools, nor does it cause the anger - the anger was ALREADY there, given the fact that he was drawing such figures in the first place.

This accomplishes nothing, except telling the kid to suppress his emotions deep down inside himself.... and nothing can ever go wrong with that right?

Just... once again: Drawing angry stick figures doesn't make a kid angry. ANGER makes a kid draw angry stick figures. It's a really simple concept.

 

[Jerre138]

Well I certainly feel safer knowing the police are dealing with possible future sociopaths in such an applaudable fashion. Justice has been served here, and I shall sleep well tonight, knowing that these monsters are being nipped in the bud.

It's just drawing silly pictures now, but this could gestate into much more threatening behavioral patterns.

I shall now withdraw from this website and continue perusing Fox News at my leisure, as the sight of all this videogame nonsense is frightening to me.

 

[Irridium]

I once drew stick figures killing each other. All I got was counselling. That was fun.

"Why were you drawing violent images?"
"I was bored."
"I don't think thats the reason."
"Well, it is."

Went on like that for a long time.

And besides, every kid has dreamed of killing a teacher. I don't think he should have been arrested, probably keep an eye on him yeah, but its not that big a deal.

 

[Wolfram23]

Wooooow that is fucked up. They can arrest an 11 year old for THAT???!??!? I'm dumbfounded.

Back in elementary, I used to draw TONS of stick figure drawings. Usually with them shooting eachother, limbs would go flying and blood spurting. Tanks and planes would blow them up... all kinds of shit. Sure I never labelled anything as teachers or other students, but I hardly feel that distinction matters when we've all had teachers we hate and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I had 'fun chats' with friends about our hatred. Especially my grade 5 teacher. She was a *****.

 

[antigodoflife]

The police eh? Cause of a stick figure?

You mean after decades of teaching the profession still hasn't figured out how to answer to this sort of thing that's been going on since students were given things to draw with and something to draw on?

Between July 4th, 1776 and 9/11 it's like you guys completely lost your marbles down there. Everyone's so god damn afraid of everything.

Fixed

My theory is when he get's out of Juvy he's going to illegally purchase a gun and shoot everyone involve... just saying.

 

[BioHazardMan]

I used to draw violent stuff too, punch something imagining it's the person I hate etc. It's way more healthy than a school shooting I'll tell you that much. This is a case of everyone over reacting like usual.

 

[Wintermoot]

yeah because why catch really criminals when you can also catch kids drawing violent stuff

 

[RollForInitiative]

I drew stuff like this all the time when I was a kid. Hell, what kid doesn't dislike one or two of their teachers? What a ridiculous and reactionary response.

 

[Iwana Humpalot]

*facedesk* Oh come on!! This is just stupid. Who the hell calls polise for this type of thing. You should give him detention, not arrest him. Little kid was angry and they told him to draw rather than act out his anger in class. He did, and this drawing didn't harm anybody, ofc you might not want to see your self getting shot in a drawing but this is still stupid as hell.

 

[King of Wei]

Is it foolish to still be surprised when crap like this happens?

I really can't see the logic in this at all. The family should sue for emotional damages to the kid, get at least something back from this mess.

 

[esperandote]

15 people in different locations were killed while the police was arresting this kid.

 

[Thumper17]

IF that gets you arrested this guy should be on Americas Most Wanted, just under Usama.

http://www.stickdeath.com/frameset.htm

 

[DSK-]

This reminds me of a story I wrote in English about teacher turning into a zombie or something. I can't remember what happens other than I think I stab him through the chest with a chair, only for his heart to be re-started by a rat that rubbed itself against it's chest...yeah it was beyond fucked up.

I got on pretty well with tha teacher after a while, it was a shame he left

OT: I think it's harmless. At the time I wrote the above story, I was extremely hyperactive and my head was always buzzing. As long as the child doesn't act on it there isn't any thing wrong with it. If you tell someone to put their anger and frustrations on paper you are bound to see stuff like that.

 

[sageoftruth]

Definitely sounds a bit paranoid. Unless there is more to this story, that sounds like an overreaction.
Anyone else familiar with the elementary school song, "On top of old smoooookey...All covered with blood... I shot my poor teacher with an M-61." I didn't even know what an M-61 was at the time. I guess I should be thankful to have grown up before the Columbine incident.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

That's a violent stick figure drawing? That's a family summer picnic compared to the Stickmen battles I draw.
Damn, gotta make sure the teachers don't look into MY notes jotters!

(The tip is to not put any names or text on it, so it looks like anonymous stickmen shotting other anonymous stickmen)