We are approaching six months since the devastating shootings  at Newtown Elementary School, and, in that limited time frame, it is clear that American educators have completely lost their minds.  I’m not sure if it is fear, inability to think clearly, lack of common sense, or worse, some kind of agenda, but what happened here this week in The Commonwealth in the tipping point of lunacy.

Mieke Crane of Palmer, Ma. was told on Monday that her kindergartener son wouild have to serve a detention Tuesday and would face suspension from school.  His horrendous crime against humanity?  Bringing a Lego gun the size of a quarter on the school bus.  Thank god he didn’t bring a Lego lightsaber with him on the bus, or he’d be rotting away in isolation at Gitmo right now.  Or at Supermax with the Unabomber.

School officials said the other children on the bus were “traumatized”.  Really?  By a Lego gun?  Haven’t most of those kids played with, or at least seen, one of these killing machines before?  The snack pack of pudding they had in their backpack was ten times the size of this “weapon of mass destruction”, I hardly think they were traumatized. 

This is another in the long list of silly actions by the people we pay to teach our kids how to read, how to write, and how to download games off the internet.  Whether it’s a water pistol, a Pop-Tart chewed in the shape of a gun, or the ever horrifying “pointed finger gun”, there is at least an educator a week who throws a kid out of school, or threatens to do so, because they can’t bring themselves to analyze the situation and use common sense.

Or is it perhaps something more sinister that leads to these rediculous situations recurring?  Do most of our educators believe that a child who plays with a Lego gun, or a water pistol, or an air soft rifle, eventually become school shooters? Sadly, I think that’s the answer.  How else do you explain grown men and women, who can’t look at Lego gun the size of a quarter and determine that there is no threat or “trauma” there?

Most children who play with toy guns don’t go on to be school shooters.  And any teacher, or Principal, or Superintedent who thinks so, should rethink their career choice.  Lego weapons don’t kill people, insane immoral criminals do.  And terrifying a kindergartener who brought a toy to school doesn’t do anything to prevent school shootings, all it does it is show what a small, anti-gun agenda you have.  We get it.  Now get back to doing what you are supposed to be doing, helping a 5 year old learn how to finger paint. 

Because I have the phone contact list of a major media mogel, I was able to get Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphy’s on the phone today to talk about their new benefit EP for Marathon victims.  Here’s what he said:

How did the duet with Bruce Springsteen, “Rose Tattoo”, come together:  We knew Bruce was a guy who has a big place for his heart for Boston, alot of people that work for him are from the area and his son went to school here.  I didn’t want to bother him, so our manager asked his manager and his manager said he couldn’t do it because he was busy.  But then his manager came back the next day and said “surprise, surprise he’ll do it”

Did you record it together or exchange vocals digitally:  We were at Coachella and we sent the song to him, and he ended up laying down his vocals the day he was leaving for a norwegian tour. 

Is it hard for a singer, even if it’s Bruce, to do that without the band there:  the engineer said he knew the song and did it in one or two takes

For those who don’t know, how did the band’s relationship with Bruce begin: He first came to see us about 9 years ago. His son, Evan, was a fan, so thank you Evan.  He came to the show and we struck up a friendship.  Now, he shows up when we’re in Jersey or New York. We’ve played with him on stage and as you know, he’s played with us.  It’s a mutual like of each other’s music and we’ve become friends.

All of the proceeds from the sale of the EP go to victims: All the proceeds! Believe it, or not, even Apple and ITunes have waived their fees, which is cool.  We have already raised 250 or 300,000 through the concert and tee shirt sales, which we are starting to distribute so this should raise even more. 

Where were you on April 15th: I was in Santa Cruise, California on tour, and it was my birthday. I looked at my phone saw 20 text messages and I thought they were birthday wishes.  Then I read them and realized what had happened.  There’s a moment of disbelief and then concern because my family and kids were at game, and I couldn’t reach them.  I didn’t know if they had gone to watch the finish after the Sox game.  Plus, McGreevy’s is down there so all that goes through your head.  It’s a surreal feeling to be on the other side of the country and you’re so close to so many people there.  It’s horrible but it was very cool to see the support on other side of the country.  People had signs every night and a compassion and desire to help.

Download the EP for $1.29 on ITunes and all the proceeds go to Marathon victims via the Claddagh fund.

The weekend is almost here, but before I go, I wanted to share my three favorite stories of the week, and why I like them:

1) EL DENTISTA.   This week, Santa Fe police arrested 36 year old Eliver Kestler for practicing dentistry without a license.  Oh, and he was practicing it from his car.  With dentistry tools he kept in a fish tackle box.  And one of the victims paid $400 to have four of her teeth extracted.  I understand the economy is tough, many don’t have dental insurance, but if your “dentist” reached into his trunk and pulled out an allen wrench to take your teeth out, wouldn’t you be a little suspicious?  I guess it does make it easier if you need an oil change at the same time but, personally, I have such an irrational fear of the dentist, I’m choosing one who had an office, and sterile tools, and not getting my next root canal at Speedy Oil Change.  Warning:  if your dentist has to plug his drill into the cigarette lighter of an 84 Monte Carlo, you may want to check his credentials.

2) TUBS OF FUN.  NH resident Henry Gribbohm was aghast this week, apparently, when he learned that carnival midway games may be rigged in the carny’s favor.  The 30 year old father is upset that his lost his life savings at the Manchester Carnival playing the game called Tubs of Fun.  You know the one where you throw the ball in the tub.  And the ball bounces out.  I mean, I see that game when I’m at the amusement park with the kids in Maine, and I immediately think “where’s the catch?”  If it was just throwing a ball in a bucket, everyone would win.  The “tubs of fun” people would go out of business.  Of course it’s rigged!  It’s probably the old rubber bottom trick.  Oldest carny trick in the book.  The worst part of the story is that Mr. Gribbohm lost $300, and wanted to win so bad, he went back to his house to get his $2300 life savings, and then lost that.  There should be a carnival game bartender who shuts people like this off when they’ve lost too much.

3) FINDERS KEEPERS.  Epic week for New Hampshire, by the way.  Derry police are investigating an incident involving Ruben Pavon, who was caught on videotape stealing a grill from a thrift shop called “Finders Keepers”.  Proceeds of sales from the store go to assist military families and the owner says they have never had anyone try to use the excuse this guy did.  “The sign did say Finders and Keepers”, Mr. Pavon said, “I thought it was there for the taking”.  Yes.  So true.  That’s how most stores are.  You just take whatever you want, whenever you need it.  I mean, I’m not sure how they make any money to give to the military families since everything is free, but whatever.  My personal opinion is this excuse loses some validity because the “borrowing” of the grill occured during the nighttime hours.  If this man thought everything was “there for the taking”, wouldn’t he have gone during daylight when it would be a little easier to move a grill?  But that’s just me. I’m one of those idiots who pays for things I see at the store.

Have a great weekend everybody.