Did you know playing tag in school is not allowed?

[fancydancy]

My family had an interesting conversation the other night. On
the local news it asked "Is banning playing tag at school
going to far"? I thought it was, and then my 15 year old
daughter said kindergarten was the last year she was allowed
to play it, which surprised me,and then my husband said it's
you liberals fault, of course referring to me. I took offense
to that comment, but it made me start wondering? How did we
get to the point where we can't play tag anymore at school. 

I thought how lucky we have it here, our country isn't being
bombed, and than I thought what if we were? We can't even
handle playing tag, how would we handle a war in our country?
Would we say, "Please MR. Enemy I didn't even get to play
tag, how am I going to handle a war, it is not safe for
me."

Our country as a whole takes for example a tag accident, and
applies it to all tag situations, so no one can play it
anymore. 

My question is how did we get to this, and is it good for us?
I have my ideas but I would like to hear others.

[kiraboo]

1. I have no answer for that one. There is no such rule in our local

school district.

[blm]

9. Not in any district I know of - fancy should SHARE her ideas on the issue.

Most posts SHARE their ideas about a subject BEFORE they ask for others to do so.

[kiraboo]

15. Oh, let's not leap to conclusions. At least, let's not do it loudly!

[blm]

23. encouraging someone to share their ideas is not a leaped conclusion

fancy SHOULD share her ideas on the issue she brings up as standard protocol for posting on any forum.

[kiraboo]

29. I was kidding. And I agree that his/her opinion should

have been made clear at the outset, if only to avoid criticism.

[blm]

35. oops....I did take it seriously.

;) Oh well - that's me.

[kiraboo]

45. No problem! Sometimes it's impossible to tell, isn't it?

[fancydancy]

52. my opinion

I must apologize if I wasn't allowed to post, but I just pushed the post button and it went through, crazy me!!

My opinion on the subject is that we are taking every little accident and making a rule or law against it. I understand the post that it could be dangerous, as my daughter says walking across the street is dangerous. We don't have to play tag, are our choices being taken away? I feel this little subject touches two important issues, taking away our choices, and not preparing us for life.

I am on the side of safety, I had a son die in a car accident, but I still drive, my daughter has her permit, scares me to death, but I don't want to give up living, and I am not a daredevil.

This story was on KATU Channel 2 in Portland, Oregon over the week-end. It does sound like it might be a joke but since it happened in my family I believe it!! Which leads to another question, why can't we ever believe what people tell us? I know the answer, just kidding. maybe

[Midlodemocrat]

73. Why can't we ever believe what people tell us?

You seriously don't mean that, do you? This is an anonymous internet message board and when people post things without links or facts, people get suspicious of the veracity.

[Lars39]

2. It was probably stopped

because too many little shytes were being bullies playing it.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. What planet are you on? All the kids here play tag in school.

:eyes:

[fancydancy]

67. I am a woman so

I guess its venus, and I am blonde too!

It was reported on KATU Channel 2 in Portland Oregon.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. it started when they outlawed Dodgeball

:D

Man, I loved that game, one of the few I was good at. Now they say it's too dangerous. :eyes:

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Well, I can see that.

Some kids throw the ball really hard at other kid's heads. But tag? C'mon folks this has to be a hoax.

[Monk06]

27. Where I come from Dodge Ball is called Murder Ball........

We didn't throw the ball we kicked it.
It was played in the gym where you lined up
against the wall and took the hit. If the kicker
missed, you took his place.

There was no American Football teams in town.
Just Rugby and Soccer so every kid in town
could kick serious smoke and very accurately.

I remember coming home with cowhide tatoos after
an hour of that.

[incapsulated]

16. Ok, I'm all for banning dodgeball!

I always viewed this as little more than a reason for big kids to slam and potentially injure the smaller or slower kids with a large, hard object. Noses have been broken. I wouldn't blame any school for banning that "game".

But tag? Come ON.

[Roland99]

22. I was a much smaller kid in school. I was great at dodgeball, even in HS!

Harder for them to hit me. I'd turn sideways and virtually disappear!

[incapsulated]

57. I said smaller and *slower*

I saw a kid get a broken nose "playing" dodgeball. Meaning, he didn't get out of the way fast enough and *BAM*.

I hated dodgeball. I always thought it was a sadistic "game". If kids want to play it outside of school, fine. If I was the principle I wouldn't allow it. Not with the way people will come after you with a lawsuit at the drop of a hat, nowadays.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

87. Kids get hurt.

It's part of growing up. I managed to get through it without breaking anything that wasn't part of another person. I was the tiniest, skinniest kid in school. I liked "dodgeball."

[TimeChaser]

55. We always played it with foam balls

[incapsulated]

59. Well, that is fine with me.

When I was a kid it was a big, HARD ball that came at you like a fuckin' cannonball, lol.

[kiraboo]

5. Oh, how rude of me. Welcome to DU!!

Glad to have you here among the sane!

[400Years]

6. if it has been banned where was it banned?

You have to lay out the facts first.

[karlrschneider]

18. OP profile sez Oregon

...

[libpunkmom]

28. I'm in Oregon , Portland to

be exact. Tag is banned in my son's old school.

[MissB]

96. Tag is *not* banned at our school.

Another Portlander here.

[karlrschneider]

97. Sorry to be so late, had to run errands. I get to Beaverton & Tigard

fairly often...I really love that part of the world! :D

ks

[MissB]

98. Portland is nicer.

:P

[The Straight Story]

93. here are some places

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial_s&hl=en&q=playing+tag+banned&btnG=Google+Search

[NoPasaran]

8. This should be good

:popcorn:

[Rosemary2205]

10. Our school system

has done away with outdoor recess all together. One lawsuit over a skinned knee was all it took in our "low money" school system.

[Duer 157099]

11. Kids aren't even allowed to RUN at my son's school!

(except in PE of course)

[Midlodemocrat]

19. LOL. Kids at my daughter's school run laps every day in addition

to PE and outside time.

[libpunkmom]

12. Tag is not allowed

at my son's school (K-5) Or should I say the school he used to attend. On the first day of school there is always an assembly to go over the "rules". One is no tag. Reason- someone might get hurt.Or as my SO and I called it the "we really don't want to be sued this year" rule.

[karlrschneider]

17. I'm glad they didn't outlaw pencils after I got stabbed in the palm with

one in the 3rd grade (accidently)...
:eyes:

[Goblinmonger]

90. Hey, listen, Frank

you know you fucking deserved it. If you hadn't been calling my mom names, I never would have done it.

[fancydancy]

71. and that is

another reason why we can't do anything, we are all sue happy. right on.

[Mythsaje]

13. Welcome to DU!

This dovetails into the thought behind a post I made a couple days ago, in a thread that's still going. My comments were well-received by some, and not appreciated in the least by others. Still, it's been an interesting debate.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1119788&mesg_id=1119788

[karlrschneider]

14. Looks like someone isn't an "it getter"...

;-)

Welcome to DU, I think.

[fancydancy]

53. thank-you

I have been reading DU along time, find it very encouraging, just thought it was something different of a topic than what this country is going through. I must say it probably is Bush's fault though!!!

[havocmom]

20. I hear a lot of that 'you liberals started this..' re school policies

But when push comes to shove, it is RW parents I witness hollaring the most about 'unfair this and unfair that' when their little darlings come home from school with hurt feelings.

We get accused of all the absrudities of Political Correctness run amok, but I have seen a helluva lot of RW parents being the loudest mouths coming down on school administrations for holding their kids accountable for anything

Just my personal observations...

[Ravenseye]

43. Agreed

The liberal parents are rarely the ones kicking up the biggest stink about their poor widdle kid.

[seabeyond]

56. well i know if not the only liberal, i am close. and i have told them not

to hassle other kids, but be aware, whenever i have had situation with my child. like a child saying if not baptist you are going to hell. and my son said he doesnt believe that. it then went thru out class that he did not have god in his heart and was going to hell and didnt believe in god. i did step in, but told teacher, do nothing, just be aware we think differently in our house. we love all. we dont hate. we arent exclusive. so if there is a to do, you dont have to treat him like an atheist, he is christian, just not that way.

my expereinces with school is letting kids handle it with teachers having an understanding of things if they need to step in, for the best of all kids, both right and wrong.

whereas the repug in kansas doesnt want her kids to read harry potter so she stops it for all.

[jjmalonejr]

21. Uh...yeah...right.

:eyes:

[RayOfHope]

24. My husband is an elem PE teacher, tag is still played

and he has many variations of tag games.

[blm]

37. thanks for setting the record straight.

.

[BuyingThyme]

25. I suspect that some of the people going underboard on the tag issue,

are the same people who went overboard on the poor kid who touched his classmate's waistline and was treated as a sexual predator.

[moc]

26. My daughter broke her ankle playing tag about 4 months ago.

She's in 4th grade. No, playing tag is not banned in our district. How silly, imo.

[azurnoir]

30. This is true

a few years back my daughters school k-9 used to hold "gunfire" drills, the school was located in a gang ridden area of the city and the schools would hold drills to see how fast they could get back inside, they were kind of like reverse fire drills. So inner city kids might be a little more well equip ted to handle that situation. Still doesn't make it a good thing.But they were not allowed to play tag either.

[tsuki]

31. Question to ask the school. They might have a good reason,

they might not.

[NoPasaran]

32. At my kid's school

They're not even allowed to open their textbooks after a nasty lawsuit over a papercut!

[maddezmom]

33. Not sure about this year, but it was okay to play in TX last year

and the kids are still playing tag here in the UK everyday. :hi:

[troubleinwinter]

34. "it's you liberals fault". Hm.

[devilgrrl]

36. Damn Liberals!

:sarcasm:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

38. As the veteran of literally thousands of recess

sessions, let me tell you that tag is not an inconsequential little game. It can be rather violent, with the little frail losers always getting tagged first, and totally unable to tag anyone else. It is a real bully birthplace. And also when kids set out to tag someone they totally lose their good sense in their fervor to not BE the tagee. And then they hurt themselves.

My kids don't play tag. Or dodgeball.

[fancydancy]

84. I remember

once when I wanted to humiliate a close friend in school, my lesson after was I felt rotten, and would not do it again. Can we not learn anything from playing with people?

By taking it away do we not give-up any learning experience from it? GOOD or BAD. I don't know the answer, and if I saw kids play it like you do everyday I would have a different opinion I am sure.

[donco6]

39. It's OK in my district.

?? We must be too RW.

[Dora]

40. Did you know that the first story that pops up when I googled this...

I googled "playing tag not allowed," and a FOX news item from 2002 popped up.

Nothing else of any substance.

Don't believe everything your husband tells you, and certainly don't believe everything that's blamed on liberals.

Welcome to DU.

[Bridget Burke]

76. Hey, I found a Fox story from 2003!

"Increasingly, schools are designed for wusses who can't play tag without filing a lawsuit -- or do recess without a datebook. Schools are becoming a hostile environment for physically active, competitive, independent-minded children. Boys are more likely than girls to rebel, and try to get out of the classroom as soon as possible."

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,86469,00.html

Apparently tort reform & vouchers will solve the problem. And keeping them wimmins out of college.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

89. A couple months ago, they did a special about it.

"Tag: Innocent Childhood Fun or DANGEROUS GAME?"

Something to that effect. I didn't listen to it, it was just on a bar tv. My Republican friend looked at it and said, "what the fuck? Can't they ever find news? I'm pretty sure there's a WAR going on!" He's a Republican against Bush though.

[Bunny]

41. I didn't realize that we could start a thread with our very first post.

That's not normally allowed. Hmm....

[Ravenseye]

42. Yeah i noticed that

I couldn't start a thread for awhile. How is it she has 1 post and got to start a topic?

[Coyote_Bandit]

46. 1 post since 1/12/2005? Hmmmm...... n/t

[applegrove]

44. Forget the war on christmas. Now it is a war on childhood?

[Libby2]

47. You liberals?

Says it all for me.
What a bunch of horse puckey.

[wicket]

48. Welcome to DU!

:hi: :toast:

[IA_Seth]

49. those damn liberals...

that's why!

Can't you see that we hate you for your freedom to play tag!

Honestly, how the hell can you blame liberal ideology on the banning of a game in a single school district? And yes, I would have to say my bleeding heart does think that banning tag is going to far. Now, if someone were playing tag with people who didn't want to play, I can see an issue, but "tag", as a game, is hardly worthy of banning.

Besides, isn't the Republican Party the party of restricting rights?

[seabeyond]

50. isolated. limbaughs have made this nationwide like attack on christmas

and it is not. rightwing talking point along with red pen and dodge ball. all are used or played in my boys schools in texas. both private and public. my kids have never run in an insistance where they were not allowed to play tag. but there are areas of the more liberal parts of the nation that have said no to competition and no to tag or dodgeball. i think it is wrong. but it is not nation wide

yes it is part and parcel of liberals protecting us from us........kinda like another thread i am in

but it is also the rightwing playing it in such a way that dismisses common sense adults not allowing it to happen in their community, both liberal and conservative. rightwing are using this to bash liberal and it isnt true. i dont let my brother play this card, tell him, it isnt nationwide, and is a repug ploy to yell about something that isnt a problem to tarnish the democrats.

[fancydancy]

58. If we liberals are responsible

than maybe we should rethink our position, I believe we need the far left and maybe the far right, so that we can make change in this country, but now maybe we have now gone to far on some issues, and we need more balance, more common sense.

[seabeyond]

61. it has been years. we arent in power

these were happening in the 90's, not happening now. rw agenda now, firstly. and i am always for fighting all this shit. so are most on this board until it is an issue they are in favor of, then it is jumping off boat to support that one issue.

i agree, i dont take the shit from the right or left. right now the right is cramming more this is how you are suppose to live bullshit in our face than the left ever could. tell your hubby to at least be consistant and go after his party for doing it right now

[kiraboo]

62. I think it's pretty safe to say that the issue of banning tag

is a nonpartisan one; neither liberals nor conservatives want to be sued and that is surely what it's all about.

[seabeyond]

64. or a boy child touch a girl child cause it is surely sexual

i bet that is as much it as anything. we are so retarding our children at an age that is so inappropriate and i dont know what side is doing it. but i dont like it

[fancydancy]

74. If I guess

the right is doing it for lawsuits and money and the left the safety of our kids, there has to be some common sense there.

[kiraboo]

77. I tend to believe that parents on both the right and left care

about the safety of our children. I guess the question is whether banning an activity like tag has any real effect there. My six-year-old was punched and kicked by some kid because he tried to get him to obey the rule where children must not walk up the slide, but only slide down. The same kid knocked somebody off a swing today. It makes more sense to me to discipline the aggressive kids than to take away the games they all enjoy.

[seabeyond]

78. that is the way i generally see it, but right, lawsuits, money, religious

beliefs. left,....... to protect us from us........cause we are all so stupid and incapable and need them to tell us the decisions to make

[Misunderestimator]

51. Your 15 year old daughter never told you this before?

One would think she might have brought it up 10 years ago. How odd....

[fancydancy]

54. no she didn't

My daughter never told me, and it wasn't a subject I thought to ask about!

I bring up tag as an example, it could relate to many things.

[Misunderestimator]

60. Oh? What other things could it relate to?

[fancydancy]

63. It could relate to

regulation of wearing motorcycle helmets, bike helmets, smoking, (I don't smoke and appreciate non smoking restaurants and bars) seat belts, and even abortion, our choices are being taken away, we can not decide what risks we want to take. I think skydiving is stupid, but I don't want it outlawed or that choice taken away.

I guess since we can't spend any money on education anymore we need the government to think for us, and than I guess it would get to the religous right thinking for us, that scares me.

[seabeyond]

69. this is the bottom line. so what parent out there is NOT going to

give up hteir rights with their children. every school has given me rules, and though things have come up, i have never layed down and let them do, i have always been the decision maker for my kids, and the schools, though at first hesitant, gladly habd that to me, getting to know me. what i have found is so many schools are just expected, adn so they do the best they can. they dont ask for it, they dont want it,..... but i insist we go back to being reasonable adults, using the power of our parenting role. it has worked for me as an individual.

[kiraboo]

75. In some of these cases, smoking for example, the "offender" is

making decisions not only for himself but for others over whom s/he has no jurisdiction. And while I appreciate your point about, say, mandatory seat belts, when I consider that my health insurance rate is tied to costs incurred by other subscribers - subscribers who may not use seat belts or motorcycle helmets, who may drink while driving, or smoke two packs a day - I can't help but find myself having a vested interest in their having healthy habits. I might even consider supporting a law encouraging them to have such habits. But that's just me.

[fancydancy]

81. I understand your view

it makes sense, I just wonder where our choices have gone, I can drink responsibly and I know others can't, should I be forbidden? I don't know for sure, but if you went along the lines of freedom, I should be able to choose, if like in another culture where individual rights were given less value than group rights, or whats best for all, than an argument could be made better for outlawing tag, drinking, and everything else. There should be a happy medium, but than what would we complain and talk about.

[kiraboo]

83. "....but then what would we complain and talk about"

You got me there!

It's hard to decide where to draw the line which divides common sense from overprotective foolishness. And there are always enough idiots out there to ruin the fun for all of us. That's a given.

[Misunderestimator]

85. Some people think they can drink and drive responsibly...

should we get rid of our laws against drunk driving?

Yes, you should be able to choose whatever you want that affects only you. Like... abortion, drinking to your heart's content if you don't drive, smoking in your own home. But laws that protect others, such as seat belt laws, banning smoking in restaurants, etc. make sense.

I think the happy medium you mention is exactly what people are striving for with these laws. The right (with anti-choice legislation) *AND* the left go too far with this in certain cases, and it's our job to fight against such things (though the making of rules against playing tag in individual schools is hardly comparable to legislation against choice).

[fancydancy]

88. Just to let you know

I don't drink and drive, and education has taught me that, and I will admit a law that bans it also helps, but education lets me respect that law.

[Ravenseye]

86. Well the problem is that not everyone can choose

What right does the government have to prevent someone from doing something when it's no harm to others. If you drink you're not hurting other people. if you drink and drive, you're risking other people's lives. The problem with so many of these things is that you might not see a risk to others, but it's there. The problem is that if you smoke and don't wear a helmet while riding a bike, preferablly not at the same time, as another poster mentioned, it raises my rates. I'm paying more money out of my pocket for someone else's freedoms. That's the unfair part.

I wonder if the health insurance company's were allowed to charge differeing amounts for conditions what people would say? They'd go nuts...

"Oh, you and all your parents are healthly, and you live a healthy life? 100 bucks a month. Oh you smoke, ride a motorcycle without a helmet, and both your parents died of cancer? That'll be 2000 bucks a month for health insurance."

For most group plans though there are no pre-existing conditions. It all comes out in the wash. It acutally works better that way, but then it comes down to lowering costs. If you're not willing to pay for it, you shouldn't be willing to do it. That'd be af ully free market system. Otherwise just slap a helmet on and quit complaining.

As far as tag...I have no idea. I think we need to pick on all kids more. It toughens em up. ;)

[fancydancy]

91. I agree and I wasn't

complaining, I just thought it odd that Tag was banned at my daughters school. It actually is very inconsequential to me, banning tag, it is just the idea of it, and I appreciate everyones input, this has been fun. I don't usually post, I usually read the posts.

[Misunderestimator]

82. Hmmm... putting laws about helmuts and abortion together in your post...

just ... I don't know... smells funny to me.

[fancydancy]

94. Wow

all I was doing was thinking and discussing, no I don't have any agenda.

[Misunderestimator]

99. Wow? It just sends up red flags when someone starts out...

talking about their husband saying liberals are the reason for rules against playing tag, then proceeds to lump together helmut and seatbelt laws with abortion. Laws pertaining to protecting others, such as helmut and seatbelt laws do, are quite different than laws that take away a woman's rights to her own body. There is no comparison. And putting abortion in the list makes me wary of the agenda of the person who does that. That's all.

[uppityperson]

92. interesting combo of safety issues and abortion.

watching and reading and waiting.

[fancydancy]

95. it was actually

a choice issue, thats where my brain was at.

[uppityperson]

101. If you are legitimate, welcome to DU. Here's an explanation

in case you didn't know, DU gets its share of people coming here merely to disrupt, to post devisive posts, to merely waste the time of people trying to have a discussion. Standard way is to post "news" without a link, on 1 or more of the hot topics, then become defensive "I never said that", attack, etc. Combining choosing one's own safety with choice for abortion is an odd combo, yes both involve choice, but most of what you gave are for personal safety except abortion. I have heard this sort of thinking from anti-choice people, combining different things, so am watchful. If you are a legitimate poster, welcome to DU, may your stay be educational and involved.

[kiraboo]

65. Oh, I don't know. Maybe.......

SATAN!!!???

(from SNL, in case you don't remember haha)

[ieoeja]

66. Did you know recess is not allowed in many schools?

Conservatives think it is a waste of time and money. So they ban recess. Then when small children get restless, they say children today are just no good. Or worse yet, drug them into obedience.

So, yes, I know my kid doesn't play tag in school. My kid doesn't play anything in school. Because Conservatives decided we could shorten the school hours, and associated costs, by eliminating recess.

[seabeyond]

72. my kids still get recess. so not fair for your kids. even my 5th

grader will get recess.

[xmas74]

68. My daughter is in kindergarten and she plays,

as does my nephew in 1st grade and my niece in 4th grade.

Didn't know it had been banned anywhere.

[Coexist]

70. It is not banned here.

[Guy Fawkes]

79. We still play tag...

last time I walked past an elementary school, they were playing it. And the High School I go to (not for long!) sponsors a dodge-ball tournament every year... No sport is too dangerous if it gets kids exercising. Well... maybe rugby.

[Bridget Burke]

80. Tag is not banned everywhere.

Please let us know where this is the case. When did the bans go into effect?

The schools where all PE has been canceled because of funding cuts don't count.

[realisticphish]

100. At my mom's school

they still play tag, dodgeball, etc, etc. :shrug:

[Midlodemocrat]

102. Locking.

Tag is not allowed on DU either. Nor bomb dropping, helmet wearing, seat belt wearing....well, you get the drift.

Thank you.


DU Moderator.