How about imaginary discipline?
You can add now to the deadly weapons banned in school a finger (with accompanying mouthed laser sounds).
Nickolas Taylor, a 10-year-old student at Stacy Middle School in Milford, Mass., was suspended for two days last week after two female students in the school cafeteria said they felt threatened by his imaginary gun.
"It's the difference between intent of the action and what the person feels receiving it," Superintendent Robert Tremblay told the Milford Daily News. "It's just the same way you can't yell fire in a crowded movie theater. There are things you can and can't do."
The boy's father, Brian Taylor, rightly said the suspension represents abuse of the rules and a "complete disconnect" between policy and reality.
Although Nickolas had been diagnosed with ADHD and sometimes been disciplined when hyperactivity made it hard for him to focus, he had never been suspended.
"I think this is very slanderous toward Nickolas and his character," said the elder Taylor, who is withdrawing his son from school and filing paperwork to have him home- schooled. "It was non-threatening. He's just a typical boy with an imagination."
His son, he said, is "confused as to why he got suspended. He doesn't realize he did something wrong."
How dare you protect your family?
Michelle Duggar, the mother on the popular TLC show "19 Kids & Counting," has learned that freedom of speech only goes so far. If you have conservative values, your opinion shouldn't be heard.
The mother of 19, nine of whom are daughters, had been outspoken recently in opposing an ordinance under consideration in their Fayetteville, Ark., hometown to allow transgendered men to use women's bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and other female-only facilities.
"Parents," she said, "who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pool's private change area?"
Because of her stance, though, a San Jose, Calif., man launched a campaign on Change.org, urging people to sign a petition that calls for TLC to cancel the Duggars' TV show.
"The Learning Channel & Discovery Networks need to separate themselves from this bigotry and put an end to the Duggars' show," the petition reads.
The petition even notes that one of the family's sons, Josh Duggar, works for the Family Research Council, an organization that promotes the family but which is described as a "hate-filled, anti-gay organization."
Families? Freedom of speech? What's not to hate?
Gassed at the pumps
The city of Berkeley, Calif., is hoping it can make you feel so guilty, you'll stop driving.
The liberal bastion's City Council voted last week -- though not unanimously -- to draft an ordinance by next spring that will put global warming warning stickers on gas pumps throughout the city. San Francisco, just to the southwest, is drafting a similar proposal that could be voted into law by March.
The proposals are believed to be the first of their kind in the country, The Associated Press reported.
A mock-up of the proposed labels, written by the San Francisco city attorney's office, says, "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that a typical passenger vehicle burning one gallon of fuel produces on average almost 20 pounds of tailpipe carbon dioxide, which the EPA has determined is the primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to recent climate change," the San Francisco Gate reported.
The city, where voters approved a city plan to reduce emission by 33 percent between 2000 and 2020, will have to fork over $20,000 the first year for the stickers. City officials hope they will convince residents to drive less.
However, Western States Petroleum Association, an oil-industry lobbying group, claimed the plan "compels speech in violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution," the AP said.
Someone feeling guilty?
Mike Amoroso learned recently he couldn't be pro-choice about the pro-life T-shirt he wore to exercise at a Planet Fitness in Orange City, Fla.
When he wore a shirt emblazoned with the words "Abortion Kills A Person," a staff member came up to him and asked him to leave because someone had complained.
"We have someone who is not happy with your shirt," the 70-year-old Amoroso told WFTV in Orlando, Fla. "Someone is offended by your shirt. ... They said I would have to leave if I didn't change the shirt."
He left and returned the next day with a shirt baring the words "Pray To End Abortion." Again, he was asked to leave.
Amoroso says he has nothing against the women who make the choice to have an abortion, but he'd like to see an end to abortion in general.
He didn't want to offend anyone, he said, but hoped at least he may have started a conversation.