Story Archive

Imagine Heroism

An 8-year-old boy in Arizona imagined himself protecting humanity. He wrote about it in his journal, and he drew pictures of the warriors he was contemplating being for Halloween: a ninja, a soldier, or a character from Star Wars. The headmaster of Scottsdale Country Day School threatened to expel him. The headmaster told the boy’s parents the drawings were “highly disturbing,” and some of the words the boy wrote were unacceptably violent. But the parents didn’t let the headmaster expel him: they withdrew him instead. “I think we really send our children the wrong message when we show that, as adults, we’re so afraid of our shadow that an innocent picture — that any 8-year-old might’ve drawn — is cause for this kind of concern,” said the father, only identified as “Jeff”. But his son’s case wasn’t the first time the school sent that message: its handbook says drawings with weapons can warrant expulsion. (AC/KPHO Phoenix) ...Imagine parents and students who wouldn’t go near a school that has such a rule.