'Pop tart' kid gets NRA membership

[Hum]

The 8-year-old Anne Arundel County boy who was suspended for biting a pastry in to the shape of a gun received a standing ovation and a lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association Wednesday night.

At a fundraiser for Anne Arundel County Republicans, House Minority Leader Nicholaus R. Kipke presented Josh Welch with the membership, which cost $550, during a tongue-in-cheek presentation that involved a Pop-Tart fashioned into pistol and gun safety tips.

Josh's March 1 suspension from Park Elementary School for chewing a pastry into the shape of a firearm captured national attention over how seriously students should be punished for such threats.

Josh, who was 7 at time he was suspended for two days, gave the NRA certificate to his parents at the Glen Burnie event and returned to playing games on a cellphone.

"Everyone keeps asking me why I did it," Josh said. "I don't know why I did it. ... I wish people would stop asking me about it. It'll probably go on for 45 years or something."

Josh said he didn't know what the NRA was or what it meant to have a membership, but chimed in when his parents were asked whether anyone else in his family belonged to the NRA.

"Nope, only me," he said.

An attorney has filed an appeal to expunge the suspension from Josh's record. Anne Arundel County schools spokesman Bob Mosier said Wednesday that he could not comment on the status of the appeal.

Josh also received an autographed photo of himself with David Keene, the immediate past president of the NRA and the keynote speaker at the fundraiser.

source

[hagjohn]

That's pretty wrong on all sides.

[Growled Member]

What a messed up world we live in.

[DocM]

FYI the NRA trains and certifies most all of the US's >110,000 firearms instructors, which instruct not only hunters and private concealed carry licensees but most all security personnel and cops. Many of them are cops. It's an essential part of firearms education at all levels, and NRA certified instructors are often required by state govts.

All of our kids had NRA youth hunter training by age 10 (in Michigan kids of any age can hunt deer if directly superbised by a hunter age 21 or over).

Not to mention, the NRA was founed in England ;)

[Shiranui]

All of our kids had NRA youth hunter training by age 10 (in Michigan kids of any age can hunt deer if directly superbised by a hunter age 21 or over).

C'mon kids, let's go out and shoot Bambi between the eyes, just for fun.

[Original Poster]

Guns are ok. why does everyone have a problem with them ? just because that once crazy person every so often does not have a gun does not mean you are any safer... an explosion can kill more then 30 bullets in a clips

and hunting? so what? I go shooting for fun... I shot the animals... I then slit their throats... or break their necks... then skin them and eat their flesh from bone... and I LOVE DOING IT ... atleast I can say I have a pair and dont need my food raised in a cage if I dont want to... people need to grow the hell up and realize guns are not the problem, people are the problem.

[DocM]

C'mon kids, let's go out and shoot Bambi between the eyes, just for fun

Not entirely. You really need a class in wildlife management.

1) we enjoy outdoor / woods activities including hunting. Don't like it? Tough.

2) food. Venison, small game etc. are GOOD.

3) we donate at least half the deer we shoot to local food banks. 3 charities manage the process. Average is about 125+ lbs of lean meat per deer.

4) hunting / fishing license fees largely pay for the states game management programs, even for species that aren't hunted.

5) game population control. There aren't enough large predators to keep up with the deer etc. birth rate, so they overpopulate the environment, destroy a s**tload of crops, and deer cause >60,000 auto accidents a year just in Michigan. Hunting mitigates this.

6) by reducing the deer population (2+ million) hunting prevent deer famines. I've been in the winter woods after a poor deer harvest - the over-browsing causes the entire herd to starve, leaving dozens of dead deer per square mile and the rest emaciated. THAT is the real danger to Bambi.

[Elessar]

OK, seriously, what teacher or supervisor saw what the kid did and thought "OMG, he's going to hurt someone with that pop tart!" ??? Ugh, the stupid **** that this country does boggles my mind. Wasn't it a few weeks back that two kids got in trouble for pretending to use their pencils as guns? Or the kid who for an NRA shirt to school or something? What happened to letting kids be kids?

[Noir Angel]

Wearing gun club T-Shirts to school isn't "kids being kids", because it's not commonplace for children to do it. It's simply another sign of the way NRA folks like to brainwash their kids into being soulless killers from a young age.

[Hum]

OK, seriously, what teacher or supervisor saw what the kid did and thought "OMG, he's going to hurt someone with that pop tart!" ??? Ugh, the stupid **** that this country does boggles my mind. Wasn't it a few weeks back that two kids got in trouble for pretending to use their pencils as guns? Or the kid who for an NRA shirt to school or something? What happened to letting kids be kids?

Yes, makes you question the qualifications of people who are 'teachers'.

[Growled Member]

C'mon kids, let's go out and shoot Bambi between the eyes, just for fun.

Not until deer season you don't. And you need a license for that too, you know.

[DocM]

Wearing gun club T-Shirts to school isn't "kids being kids", because it's not commonplace for children to do it.

Maybe in some places, but an NRA, Smith & Wesson etc. T-shirt in most of the country would be deemed cool.

It's simply another sign of the way NRA folks like to brainwash their kids into being soulless killers from a young age.

Ridiculous. The vast majority of "killers" are either mentally ill (often schizophrenic etc.) or drug gang-bangers. 1%'ers if that. You don't punish 99% of drivers for the 1% that are reckless, you punish those the offenders. Same should apply here, minus the fear montering by you anti-whatever propagandists.

[Noir Angel]

Maybe in some places, but an NRA, Smith & Wesson etc. T-shirt in most of the country would be deemed cool.

A sign of your gun culture not normal child's behaviour. Normal children aren't programmed to kill. Also, I think actually the "Kill first ask questions later" attitude I've seen you display several times here kinda proves my point.

Also, most killers are not mentally ill, mental illness defences rarely seem to work in court.

[shakey]

Recruiting kids is the lowest form of brainwashing possible. Gett'em while they are young!

[+Raze Subscriber²]

"gave the NRA certificate to his parents at the Glen Burnie event and returned to playing games on a cellphone."

Appears the brainwashing failed.

[Hum]

A sign of your gun culture not normal child's behaviour. Normal children aren't programmed to kill. Also, I think actually the "Kill first ask questions later" attitude I've seen you display several times here kinda proves my point.

Also, most killers are not mentally ill, mental illness defences rarely seem to work in court.

^ Killing for reasons other than self-defense, protecting loved ones, qualifies as mental illness, to me.

[necroxd]

A sign of your gun culture not normal child's behaviour. Normal children aren't programmed to kill. Also, I think actually the "Kill first ask questions later" attitude I've seen you display several times here kinda proves my point.

Also, most killers are not mentally ill, mental illness defences rarely seem to work in court.

Saw a small kid with a call of duty shirt. So that's not kids being kids? Same thing. Hell a S&W shirt I'd pro gun while a cod shirt is pro violent media. I mean if liking guns males you a killer damn liking call of duty makes you a terrorist. What about little kids that wear the swag stuff? Guess their gang bangers then.

[hagjohn]

It's sad when any group of adults exploit a child for their own gain.

[Original Poster]

Not entirely. You really need a class in wildlife management.

1) we enjoy outdoor / woods activities including hunting. Don't like it? Tough.

2) food. Venison, small game etc. are GOOD.

3) we donate at least half the deer we shoot to local food banks. 3 charities manage the process. Average is about 125+ lbs of lean meat per deer.

4) hunting / fishing license fees largely pay for the states game management programs, even for species that aren't hunted.

5) game population control. There aren't enough large predators to keep up with the deer etc. birth rate, so they overpopulate the environment, destroy a s**tload of crops, and deer cause >60,000 auto accidents a year just in Michigan. Hunting mitigates this.

6) by reducing the deer population (2+ million) hunting prevent deer famines. I've been in the winter woods after a poor deer harvest - the over-browsing causes the entire herd to starve, leaving dozens of dead deer per square mile and the rest emaciated. THAT is the real danger to Bambi.

this is why I like you.... you actually know your wildlife conservation .... and guns ... u know guns... I like this...

I got into an argument with a woman in the street cause she called me a murderer for trying to join the deer cull and hunting rabbits ... she said "chemical castration" ... . ye well done dumb ass that will help with survival of the fittest ... -___-

[Noir Angel]

^ Killing for reasons other than self-defense, protecting loved ones, qualifies as mental illness, to me.

Then you obviously know nothing about criminology. People who are of sound mind can, and do kill.

Saw a small kid with a call of duty shirt. So that's not kids being kids? Same thing. Hell a S&W shirt I'd pro gun while a cod shirt is pro violent media. I mean if liking guns males you a killer damn liking call of duty makes you a terrorist. What about little kids that wear the swag stuff? Guess their gang bangers then.

Call of duty is a game, and despite what retards like Jack Thompson say games don't turn children violent. Teaching them to shoot and kill from a young age however does. People like DocM and Kingcracker are a living testament to what groups like the NRA do to people.

[Veiva]

Also, most killers are not mentally ill, mental illness defences rarely seem to work in court.

Pretty sure the law does not care about if a person is bipolar, schizophrenic, or what have you. Insanity in law is defined as the inability to determine right from wrong. That's why not many mental illness defenses work: most people knew right from wrong all along, even when they kill.

Not saying I support guns, but I don't think anyone sound of mind can kill outside of self defense (or military). Even then, people oftentimes feel guilt and such. A cold blooded killer may not have a mental illness, but they're not normal, that's for sure.

[Noir Angel]

A guy with flatulence isn't normal either, doesn't make him mentally ill. The argument was that one simply has to be mentally ill to kill and that's false because they do not.

[Veiva]

A guy with flatulence isn't normal either, doesn't make him mentally ill. The argument was that one simply has to be mentally ill to kill and that's false because they do not.

I have to agree. My point was that mental illness defense is rarely a valid one because of the legal definition of insanity :p.

[Hum]

Then you obviously know nothing about criminology. People who are of sound mind can, and do kill.

I wasn't talking about legal definitions -- but about my personal standards.

In my world view, killing for little reason, is unnecessary and very mental. ;)

[Growled Member]

I could kill if I had to.....if my life or any of my family's life was threatened. I would hate to and it would haunt me for the rest of my life, but I could do it.