Kennedy 0 #1 October 20, 2004 http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2004/10/13/musket13.htm That's right folks, a kid with a non-firing replica of a civil war musket was arrested. The best part? He was encouraged to join the club by the school. He has been arrested, suspended, and is now facing charges. Someone, please tell me that the pendulum has gone as far as it can, and will come back towards common sense some time soon. QuoteCostume gets kid cuffed By Christian M. Wade Times Herald-Record Pine Bush – Last weekend, Joshua Phelps was fighting Confederate soldiers with a Civil War-era musket in his arms, re-enacting the epic 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville. When the Pine Bush High School senior was done charging around the grassy fields behind Montgomery's Brick House Museum, he tossed his musket, a bayonet and Union soldier's blue uniform in his car and forgot about it. Yesterday, a security guard at the high school saw the butt of the musket. He called the cops. The discovery by the guard sparked a chain of events that got the B-average student arrested, suspended from school for five days and facing weapons charges. He could be expelled from school and even jailed. Phelps, 17, was sitting in study hall when the security guard told him to come to Assistant Principal Aaron Hopmayer's office. When he got there he was told that a rifle had been spotted in his car. He wasn't concerned. He knew they would understand. "I actually thought it was kind of stupid, at first, when I heard it was about the musket," Joshua said. "I didn't think I'd get arrested over it." He went with them to the parking lot and let them search his car. They pulled the musket from his back seat along with a uniform and Civil War-era accessories. Minutes later, he was arrested by Town of Crawford police, handcuffed, and charged with fourth-degree criminal possession, a misdemeanor. The cops confiscated the gun. His mother, Valerie Michaels, is outraged. "They arrested my son for having a Civil War costume," she said yesterday. "The school district has blown this incident totally out of proportion. It's ludicrous." The musket was part of the teenager's Civil War-era costume, which included his uniform – shoes, leather belt, jacket, hat, powder keg and a leather cartridge box. Over the weekend, Phelps participated in the re-enactment of the May 1863 battle of Chancellorsville at the Brick House Museum, an annual event hosted by the 124th New York State Volunteers, the famed "Orange Blossoms." The re-enactors model themselves after the original regiment, which was mustered into action from Orange County in the summer of 1862. The unit would take part in the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg the following year – key conflicts in the war. Michaels said she understands how school officials would be concerned, in the post-Columbine era, after discovering the musket on school grounds. But she said once they learned the musket was a replica, they should have given him a break. "I don't understand why the school wants to push this so far," she said. "There are bigger problems at that high school than this. It just doesn't make any sense." Town of Crawford police Chief Daniel McCann disagreed. Replica or not, he said, the musket could have been used to fire a projectile, such as a small rock. He said officers found 14 to 15 rolled cartridges with black powder, and a bayonet. "I know this might appear to be a minor thing, but it's not," McCann said. "The musket was found in his car on the high school grounds and could have been used." Pine Bush Superintendent RoseMarie Stark called yesterday's incident a "student discipline matter" and declined comment. School officials say bloody massacres like the April 20, 1999, one at Columbine High School, have prompted state and federal governments to enact laws about weapons in schools. Many states have a zero-tolerance stance, meaning a fake musket that fires blanks carries the same penalty as a loaded AK-47 assault rifle. In New York, each case must take into account the weapon, the circumstances and the student's history. "There is a concern among school districts, even with replicas or fake guns," said David Ernst, a spokesman for the state School Boards Association. In Pine Bush, the high school had recruited students to become involved in the Civil War re-enactors club. Phelps, who joined the Civil War Club a few months ago, said he was looking to get more involved in extra-curricular activities, hoping it would boost his standing on college applications. He found an ad for the club in the school district's annual catalog. After joining, the Orange Blossoms, who are affiliated with the club, gave him a uniform, the replica musket that shoots blanks, a powder keg and a Union soldier's uniform. "If they [the school district] were really so afraid that a replica musket could be used to shoot someone, then why are they giving them out to 17-year-olds?" Michaels asked.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #2 October 20, 2004 Everyone...all together now...we want them to hear us...say... THANK YOU DEMOCRATS!!!!! Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #3 October 20, 2004 Well, I guess this is just one more story was can chalk up in the Zero Tolerance Equals Zero Intelligence category.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #4 October 20, 2004 Do you think that school teaches a course in logic? Perhaps they could have special guest lecturer Ted Kennedy give a series of lectures on cause and effect - why he didn't REALLY kill Mary Jo! sKerry could then follow Kennedy with a talk on how he really voted for the $87 billion before he voted against it. Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa! Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrad 0 #5 October 20, 2004 Thank goodness, a good old fashioned gun thread. I was getting sick anf tired of all the election threads.When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy. Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #6 October 20, 2004 QuoteEveryone...all together now...we want them to hear us...say... THANK YOU DEMOCRATS!!!!! Pine Bush, isn't it in a Republican district?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 23 #7 October 20, 2004 Add to your story the one in Arizona. A senior graduation class wanted the class picture to have an American Flag in it. The school would not allow it. So the students decided they would bring in small flags and get them in the picture that way. The teachers took the flags away from the students. Left wing acadimia gone wild once more"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #8 October 20, 2004 QuoteAdd to your story the one in Arizona. A senior graduation class wanted the class picture to have an American Flag in it. The school would not allow it. So the students decided they would bring in small flags and get them in the picture that way. The teachers took the flags away from the students. Left wing acadimia gone wild once more Link? School policies are made by elected school boards, not by the teachers.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markd_nscr986 0 #9 October 20, 2004 ***Left wing acadimia gone wild once more You guys quit talking about Kallend like that!Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #10 October 20, 2004 Haven't you guys had a Republican dominated house and white house for the last couple of years? Shouldn't be too hard to curb stupidity like this in four years. Ahh never mind, just easier to blame other people.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #11 October 20, 2004 Quote***Left wing acadimia gone wild once more You guys quit talking about Kallend like that! Still waiting for some verification of his claim... Especially interesting since he claims it happened in Arizona, which is hardly a left leaning state. But I expect you are predisposed to believe it.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christelsabine 1 #12 October 20, 2004 Quote Thank goodness, a good old fashioned gun thread. I was getting sick anf tired of all the election threads Oh Lord, I already felt kinda turkey here.. Now my world is vertical again.. LOL dudeist skydiver # 3105 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #13 October 21, 2004 QuoteLink? School policies are made by elected school boards, not by the teachers. Just more evidence of an ignorant and apathetic electorate dominated by sound bytes and idiocy to the exclusion of all rational thought. D.A.R.E. is another good example. It has no shown value whatsoever, but no board or administrator will suggest it be put to rest. Why? Parents like it. Why? God only knows, because it's just a waste of my tax dollars.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunaplanet 0 #14 October 21, 2004 What is DARE? Forty-two Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #15 October 21, 2004 Drug Awareness and Resistance Education (or some similar acronym) It's basically a "drugs are bad, mmmmmmmmkay" class for middle school children. Haven't you seen the goofy "DARE to keep kids off drugs" stickers and confiscated cars?witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunaplanet 0 #16 October 21, 2004 It sounds familiar but still foggy. Why do you say it's not a good idea? Does it cost a lot of money? What specifically makes it unproductive? Forty-two Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #17 October 21, 2004 QuoteQuoteAdd to your story the one in Arizona. A senior graduation class wanted the class picture to have an American Flag in it. The school would not allow it. So the students decided they would bring in small flags and get them in the picture that way. The teachers took the flags away from the students. Left wing acadimia gone wild once more Link? School policies are made by elected school boards, not by the teachers. Given some time I'm sure that I could dig it up. However, before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, you should know that the school policy forbid -all- props in the senior class photos. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #18 October 21, 2004 QuoteDrug Awareness and Resistance Education (or some similar acronym) It's basically a "drugs are bad, mmmmmmmmkay" class for middle school children. Haven't you seen the goofy "DARE to keep kids off drugs" stickers and confiscated cars? DARE stands for "Drug Abuse Resistance Education" (unless they changed it). Around here, I've seen cop cars decked out as low-riders, with fancy rims and paint jobs and accessories, all "DAREd-out," trying to appeal to "homey." It's a sickening waste of money. Cops trying to appeal to gang-bangers and shit reminds me of Mayor Quimby on The Simpsons trying to "relate" with the kids at the comic book convention, but calling the superhero "Radiation Man" instead of "Radioactive Man." All the kids knew he was a fuckin' poser jerk. -Jeffrey-Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #19 October 21, 2004 QuoteQuoteQuoteAdd to your story the one in Arizona. A senior graduation class wanted the class picture to have an American Flag in it. The school would not allow it. So the students decided they would bring in small flags and get them in the picture that way. The teachers took the flags away from the students. Left wing acadimia gone wild once more Link? School policies are made by elected school boards, not by the teachers. Given some time I'm sure that I could dig it up. However, before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, you should know that the school policy forbid -all- props in the senior class photos. - Jim In order for his statement to be anything other than another right wing scare story, he needs to (1) verify the story, (2) show that the teachers were responsible for the policy, and (3) provide evidence that the Arizona teachers were left wing. He's gone very quiet.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #20 October 21, 2004 Kallend, any comments on the "Costume Kid" arrest, or the value of DARE (lack thereof)? As to the AZ flag thing, yeah, I think it's stupid to ban flags too, but the policy was set as "no props - zero tolerance." The kids tried to speak out, and were silenced. It's not a huge conspiracy, just one more dose of idiocy from bureacrats gone wild. Maybe someday they'll realize silencing everything ends productive and healthy acts, as well.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #21 October 21, 2004 QuoteKallend, any comments on the "Costume Kid" arrest, or the value of DARE (lack thereof)? . Idiocy knows no political, racial, gender, religious, or class boundaries. I think I'm becoming more of an anarchist as I get older.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #22 October 22, 2004 QuoteQuoteKallend, any comments on the "Costume Kid" arrest, or the value of DARE (lack thereof)? . Idiocy knows no political, racial, gender, religious, or class boundaries. I think I'm becoming more of an anarchist as I get older. That's because we continue to get nothing but lame, lukewarm individuals leading the world in all of those areas. The smart ones never enter those areas and choose to stay in the private sector._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #23 October 23, 2004 QuoteHaven't you guys had a Republican dominated house and white house for the last couple of years? Shouldn't be too hard to curb stupidity like this in four years. Ahh never mind, just easier to blame other people.... States' rights and the constitutional separation of powers prevent congress from stepping into this (see amendments nine and ten). The responsibility lies with the school board, the administrators, and the school staff.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #24 October 23, 2004 QuoteQuoteHaven't you guys had a Republican dominated house and white house for the last couple of years? Shouldn't be too hard to curb stupidity like this in four years. Ahh never mind, just easier to blame other people.... States' rights and the constitutional separation of powers prevent congress from stepping into this (see amendments nine and ten). The responsibility lies with the school board, the administrators, and the school staff. When was the last time a new right of the people was recognized under the Xth Amendment?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #25 October 30, 2004 An UPDATE That's right, instead of being lenient on the kid when it turns out to be a prop from a school encouraged activity, they school QUADRUPLED his suspension. I suppose it's a good thing that the kid miss a month of school and possibly miss his SATs? What the hell are these people thinking? http://www.wesh.com/news/3867516/detail.html QuotePINE BUSH, N.Y. -- A student Civil War re-enactor who was charged with weapons possession for bringing his musket replica to school has been suspended for 21 days. School officials in Pine Bush have tacked on 16 days to Joshua Phelps' original five-day suspension. He was arrested this month after a security guard patrolling a school parking lot spotted the musket in Phelps' car. The senior had used the musket during a re-enactment the previous weekend. Afterward, he put the gun, a bayonet and his Union soldier uniform in his car and left them there. Police were called and Phelps was arrested and charged with criminal possession. He was initially suspended from school for five days. The student's mother accuses the school district of over-reacting. She said she's concerned her son might not be able to take his SAT exam next month since he's not allowed on school grounds. She said school officials should have given him a break after they realized the musket was a replica used for re-enactments. Phelps joined the Civil War re-enactors' club after seeing a school-sponsored ad urging students to get involved. He's scheduled to appear in court to answer the charge Monday.witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
