School says deaf boy's name sign looks too much like a gun

[The Straight Story]

Brace yourselves, because this is the dumbest thing you'll hear all day. The Grand Island (Neb.) school district is forcing a 3-year-old deaf boy to change the way he signs his name, because they say his gestures violate their weapons policy. Preschooler Hunter Spanjer's personalized name sign is a registered sign with Signing Exact English -- a modified form of American Sign Language -- and involves extended index fingers that the district says resembles a gun. (And that sound you just heard was our heads exploding from all the stupid.) "We are working with the parents to come to the best solution we can for the child," a school spokesperson said. Um, how about letting him keep his own name?

http://now.msn.com/school-says-deaf-boys-name-sign-looks-too-much-like-a-gun

[niyad]

1. well, blackburn saying women don't want equal pay laws is right up there. . .

[Fumesucker]

2. Tough competition today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022937910

[NYC_SKP]

3. ADA. Sue their asshole asses out of existence.

FFS.

[The Straight Story]

4. Lawyers from National Association of the Deaf are set to weigh in on it

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Grand-Island-Preschooler-Forbidden-Sign-Language-for-His-Own-Name-167394325.html

[NYC_SKP]

8. Good. Update already:

That didn't take long.

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/School-District-Says-Deaf-Student-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

[The Straight Story]

12. Thanks for the update - fact that it was even an issue is a damned shame (nt)

[SunSeeker]

42. That update link has the school's statement that they are NOT requiring the kid to change his name.

And they released this statement immediately, when the story broke back in late August of 2012. The school, located in Nebraska, got death threats, according to the article.

Your headline is misleading. That is not what the school "says." Their actual statement says they are not requiring "any student to change how his or her name is signed."

But I can understand why someone would revive this old inflammatory story about something that ended up not even happening. With all the actual stories about the insane, truly shameful acts by gun nuts, it is tough to come up with counterpoint stories of "gun grabbers" gone wild.

Even though this story is about a conservative school district in Nebraska and even though they did not require the kid to change his sign name, I guess beating this old dead horse was worth it since it did manage to get in the "Left Column" on a progressive discussion board, where gungeoneers could huff about how the "anti-gun agenda" has "gone too far."

[Squinch]

47. Very well said. The post title is misleading, and the OP is inflammatory, but has no substance.

[tammywammy]

15. This all happened in August 2012. n/t

[PatrynXX]

33. yeah August no less

think this thread can be removed before too many go red.

[SunSeeker]

39. So the school immediately backed down back when this happened in Aug. of 2012? nt

[NYC_SKP]

40. I dunno, it's not my OP.

It could be that the wheels of justice take this long, or that there were gag orders???

[tammywammy]

43. The OP is 28 Aug 2012, and your update is from 29 Aug 2012. n/t

[Squinch]

49. And it looks like the problem had nothing to do with guns. It looks like the issue

was that the school wanted the child to use American Sign Language, and the was using another form of sign language.

[Ian David]

5. "Here, this is the new way I sign my name...

[Newest Reality]

9. That would be cool!

The parents come in and say, alright, we have his new, signed name:

FUCK YOU!

[RKP5637]

18. K&R! n/t

[eShirl]

23. Exactly.

[47of74]

56. I'm down with that.

[chillfactor]

6. that is like asking a hearing child to change their name.....

how STUPID can a school be?

[niyad]

10. continuing the tradition --think about the native american children forced into reservation schools,

forced to change their names, give up their culture, etc.

[LuckyLib]

32. and Latino students who routinely have their names changed at school, or

feel pressured to "Anglicize" their perfectly fine given names, because of fear of discrimination, disrespect, or wanting to fit in.

[arcane1]

16. There was a kid in my elementary school whose last name was "Gunn"

I suppose now his kids will have to use their maternal grandmother's last name

[Newest Reality]

7. How do you sign:

Sorry little boy, but rather than give-up our hysteria and lack of sense, your gonna' have to change.

People who make a hand sign into even the equivalent of a weapon in their minds should not be teaching children anything because the children could teach them more, obviously. Who is acting childish here?

Well, then, there is the Orwellian aspect of the "thought crime" and if they are intentionally teaching our children "Newthink" then that should be addressed and nipped in the bud. Really.

[Squinch]

11. This story is a year old:

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/28/13531342-deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-like-gun-parent-says-school-told-him?lite

It seems to have been resurrected yesterday by something called the "endtime headlines."

[csziggy]

13. His name is Hunter so the connection is logical

But it is insanity to attempt to force him to change his name just because the sign for it violates a stupid rule.

A statement from GIPS Communications Coordinator Jack Sheard said there's more to the story.

It reads, "The sign language techniques taught in the school district are consistent with the standards of the Nebraska Department of Education and ASL [American Sign Language]."

Hunter has been using S.E.E., or Signing Exact English, at home.

The school's statement goes on to say, "Grand Island Public Schools is not requiring any current student with a hearing impairment to change his or her sign language name."

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/School-District-Says-Deaf-Student-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

[newmember]

14. I can sympathize with the schools actions what if the boy

made a sound like ...pew.. pew ..pew when he signed his name.

The school would have to call SWAT and have the boy tasered at the very minimum

[arely staircase]

17. silly ass motherfuckers

imho

[liberal_at_heart]

19. Where do these school districts get these people? Who is running our schools?

[defacto7]

20. Lawyers and people who aren't allowed to

make a reasonable decision on their own.

[downbythelake]

21. seriously!

This is an example of the anti-gun "agenda" going way to far. The fear mongering over guns and everything gun related has to stop. Guns are not going away in this country anytime soon if anyone was wondering.

Do people really think that hiding their kids from images of guns etc is going to do any good? This sounds like teabaggers and sex education. Ugh....

[niyad]

41. nice try, blaming it on the anti-gun agenda. this is just another example of school district

personnel who cannot make intelligent, rational decisions, rather than their "zero-tolerance" nonsense. who do you blame for the child who was suspended for sharing his lemon tart candies with a friend?

enjoy your stay.

[Squinch]

48. Seriously, given that this story is a year old, and the incident was resolved in favor of

the family within a day or two, and resulted from a misunderstanding, it seems like an example of the gunners "agenda" using bogus information to fear monger about gun control. This sounds like teabaggers with bogus death panel reports. Ugh...

[FunkyLeprechaun]

22. He should learn how to speak his name

The comparisons to other groups is just plain silly.

[no_hypocrisy]

24. Why stop there?

Why not ban the letter "L" from the Manual Alphabet to make sure there is nothing reminiscent of a gun?

[KurtNYC]

25. Then this video would scare that school board to death

..guess he'll have to pick a different song for the school talent show.

[Javaman]

26. I have a very low tolerance for grossly ignorant people. nt

[Brickbat]

27. This is from a year ago; is there a follow up?

[The Straight Story]

31. Yes, see upthread

But even after a year, the stupid still burns.

[Locrian]

28. well or course it does...

And all those hand signs - how do we know he's not flashing gang signals? Hmmm, ..... (do I reeealy need the sarcasm thingie..)

[Arkana]

29. This is some Arrested Development shit right here.

NO TOUCHING!

[KamaAina]

30. The sign for Texas involves shooting off two imaginary six-shooters

the way Texas Tech fans do after a touchdown.

So i guess all the Deaf kids will flunk geography.

[benld74]

34. I gots your Exact English translation -right here,,,,

[ThoughtCriminal]

35. Today's Lesson...

is brought to you by the letter "L"

with funding from the number "7"

[Egalitarian Thug]

36. Oh please, you're drastically underestimating how much dumb is

generated on any given day.

[adieu]

37. Well, his name is Hunter

At least the parents didn't name him Killer or something more severe.

[VA_Jill]

38. Common sense

is not longer found in American school systems. A kid can't nibble his GMO-Pop Tart into a shape that "resembles a gun", point his finger at anyone whether making a noise or not, suggest a square-off with bubble shooters.....or even sign his name the way he has been taught! This is effing INSANE!

[lbrtbell]

44. The story is from LAST YEAR.

The update is from LAST YEAR.

Dead horse. Please stop beating it. Thank you.

[The Straight Story]

46. And what has changed? And don't we still talk about bush on here?

Oh....I forgot. Things that happened in the past we just need to forget and move on from.

Given stories of late (and at the time of posting didn't realize it was from last year) it still seems relevant since similar things keep happening.

[SunSeeker]

53. But nothing "happened in the past." The school did not require any kid to change their sign name.

Bush, on the other hand, did happen. And what he actually did continues to severely affect us on a daily basis.

If you've got "stories of late," then talk about those, not this old nonstory. What "similar things keep happening"?

Come on, you've been on this board a while now. You know bullshit gets called out here. You shouldn't be surprised to get called out when you post a misleading, inflammatory headline to an old nonstory.

[Squinch]

62. A year ago, this controversy was resolved, and it was not even about guns. It was about which

sign language system the child was going to use to sign his name. The school wanted him to change to the more universal ASL.

[rpannier]

50. I don't see it listed under Latest Breaking so I don't see what your problem is

I hadn't heard of it

[Nanjing to Seoul]

45. With the passage of zero tolerance laws, automatic reporting and punitive punishments for minor shit

Legislators have encouraged schools to do this, then get to wipe their hands clean and say "this is not what we intended when we passed this law."

Bullshit. . .this is exactly what you intended. Regimentation, cookie cutter laws with little ability to use judgement.

Sue the schools, administrator, teach that complained, district, superintendent and, if it is a state law, the sponsors of the bill.

[orpupilofnature57]

51. A case of " Homeland Absurdity " ....

like the 1st grade kid that got expelled for pointing a chicken McNugget at a teacher .

[SunSeeker]

52. More like a case of "Headline Absurdity"...

Last edited Mon Jun 3, 2013, 11:22 PM - Edit history (1)

The day after this story surfaced last August, the school issued a statement that they do NOT require any student to change their sign name. http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/School-District-Says-Deaf-Student-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

It looks like it was a misunderstanding between the parents and the school, as noted up the thread. Either way, the headline of the OP is misleading. That is not what the school "says." Certainly it is not what the school says now, and it appears it is not what the school ever said.

Speaking of which, got a link for that McNugget story?

[orpupilofnature57]

57. It was part of the movie ' Bowling for Columbine '

[Buns_of_Fire]

54. When Chicken McNuggets are outlawed...

...we'll all probably be a lot better off.

What, you were expecting something else?

[uppityperson]

55. Let me guess, it is an H name. Yup, Hunter. IDIOTS there.

[SunSeeker]

58. It didn't happen. You're being played.

The day after this story surfaced last August, the school issued a statement that they do NOT require any student to change their sign name. http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/School-District-Says-Deaf-Student-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

It looks like it was a misunderstanding between the parents and the school, as noted up the thread. Either way, the headline of the OP is misleading. That is not what the school "says." Certainly it is not what the school says now, and it appears it is not what the school ever said.

This old inflammatory nonstory appears to have been resurrected so gungeoneers could huff about how the "anti-gun agenda" has "gone too far." (See Reply #21 up the thread).

[uppityperson]

61. Aha, thank you. That all makes sense. Huh, I see he missed

adding smoking into the mix too. Oh well. thanks for the story, missed it.

[hrmjustin]

60. Welcome to DU my friend!