Sixth graders beg for lives as teachers stage fake gun attack:

[Praxius]

The ChronicleHerald.ca

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Staff mem­bers of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students dur­ing a class trip, telling them it was not a drill as the children cried and hid un­der tables.

The mock attack Thursday night was intended as a learning experience and lasted five minutes during the week­long trip to a state park, said Scales Ele­mentary School assistant principal Don Bartch, who led the trip.

“We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situa­tion," he said.

But parents of the sixth-grade stu­dents were outraged.

“The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, be­cause they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip.

Some parents said they were upset by the staff ’s poor judgment in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 students and professors dead, in­cluding the gunman.

During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose.

They were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet.

A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on a locked door.

After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said.

“I was like, ‘Oh My God,’ " she said. “At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out."

Principal Catherine Stephens de­clined to say whether the staff mem­bers involved would face disciplinary action, but said the situation “involved poor judgment."

F'ing Stupid Moronic people..... First I report about a teacher reading a poem in regards to a teach shooting kids in his class and now this happens, which occured with a similar age level.....

What the hell are these teachers injecting? Where are their brains?

[Scoobydoo]

I cannot believe this....I think I would not have my child return there in teh fall. I'd also think about filing a grievance, and possibly a lawsuit for emotional endangerment

[brien]

What the hell are these teachers injecting? Where are their brains?

Their brains are obviously in their rectum. Could it be an agenda here?

[Praxius]

Yeah I was thinking of that general area as well, lol... I just didn't want to say.

[ladyphoenix]

The agenda being what, Brien, social conditioning??

[RickSp]

Terrorizing elementary school kids as a lesson in preparedness?

The teachers who pulled this stunt deserve to be shot.

[Praxius]

Yeah, something like this I can see happening for kids around Grade 9 and up, who can comprehend this a bit..... but to do this to Grade 6'ers and tell them that it's Not a Drill? Isn't that kind of illegal?

[brien]

The agenda being what, Brien, social conditioning??

I can't speak for the school system. I can only speculate on a few possible agendas. Let's just review what could be the results of this activity..

1) Scare the kids with respect to guns and condition them to be afraid of them.

2) Scare the parents to think the school is vulnerable to condition them to be afarid for their children's lives.

3) Scare the adults by intimidating their kids with the idea of guns harming them thereby conditioning the adults to be afraid of guns.

4) Scare the government into thinking there is a problem in terms of a repsonse.

I can't see what possible positive effect this type of activity would have upon students of this age. This is what leads me to think someone has an agenda to frighten those affected by the so called "drill" for some very selfish reasons. Perhaps it is the school's way to condition people to be afraid of all of those "dangerous guns".

But then again, it could be merely some stupid people trying to educate kids in their own stupid way.

Again ,just speculation on my part here.

[Slevin57]

Why would any sensible person do that to impressionable children..

[Madeline]

Idiotos!

[Rinoa]

How disgusting. I hope the teachers at least get a pay cut. But knowing the USs reliance on unions I doubt they will even get that...

Funny how it was a huge debate of acceptable or no when the violence was read, but when it's acted out the stance is unanimous. (sp?) Though we've yet to see fushigis trouble making in here.lol

[Osborn F Enready]

brien said:
I can't speak for the school system. I can only speculate on a few possible agendas. Let's just review what could be the results of this activity..

1) Scare the kids with respect to guns and condition them to be afraid of them.

2) Scare the parents to think the school is vulnerable to condition them to be afarid for their children's lives.

3) Scare the adults by intimidating their kids with the idea of guns harming them thereby conditioning the adults to be afraid of guns.

4) Scare the government into thinking there is a problem in terms of a repsonse.

I can't see what possible positive effect this type of activity would have upon students of this age. This is what leads me to think someone has an agenda to frighten those affected by the so called "drill" for some very selfish reasons. Perhaps it is the school's way to condition people to be afraid of all of those "dangerous guns".

But then again, it could be merely some stupid people trying to educate kids in their own stupid way.

Again ,just speculation on my part here.

I couldn't agree more. It was the first thing that crossed my mind I must admit. (the thought of "alternate" motives playing a role on the teachers part)