Three-and-a-half year old Hunter Spanjer, who is deaf, signs his name by crossing his forefinger and index finger and moving his hand up and down.
To his family, friends and those who know the Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) language that the Grand Island, Neb., boy uses, that gesture uniquely means "Hunter Spanjer."
But to Hunter's school district, it might mean something else. The district claims that it violates a rule that forbids anything in the school that looks like a weapon, reports KOLN-TV.
And Hunter's parents claim that Grand Island Pubic Schools administrators have asked them to change their son's sign language name.
"Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous," Hunter's grandmother Janet Logue told the TV station. "This is not threatening in any way."
Hunter's father Brian Spanjer said, "It's a symbol. It's an actual sign, a registered sign, through S.E.E."
The family told KOLN that lawyers from the National Association of the Deaf may push for Hunter's right to sign his name at the school.
Jack Sheard, Grand Island Public Schools spokesperson told KOLN, "We are working with the parents to come to the best solution we can for the child."
One Grand Island resident said she disagrees with the school.
"I find it very difficult to believe that the sign language that shows his name resembles a gun in any way would even enter a child's mind," Fredda Bartenbach said in the news report.
*****
Hey kid, I got an idea. Change your name to Wirecutter. I sign it like this:
Tell us how you really feel, WC.
ReplyDeleteThis is so unbelievably stupid. And you read my mind, wirecutter. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's it! If I were that kid, my new name would be signed with a single finger.
ReplyDeleteI'd want to know exactly who the fuck-wit that was "offended" was....so i could "offend" them a little more by inserting my size 13 in their poop chute....fuck liberals.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that his name is Hunter, I think he should sign it like he is aiming a rifle directly at the idiotic authoriturds who had a problem with the original sign. That would freak them out much more than a mere digitus impudicus.
ReplyDeleteOr he can sign them like this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv3tadz5Q3o
He SHOULD change his name on the proviso that every one of those idiots legally change Their names to Liberal Shithead.
ReplyDeletehbbill
It will be nice to see the p.c. board hung by the p.c. Americans With Disabilities Act.
ReplyDeleteIdiots!!
ReplyDeleteI like The Magic Finger....
..no confusion there ;-)
I agree. He should be taught to sign something else at the school administrators.
ReplyDeleteI needed that... and thank you for continuing to post/write.
ReplyDeleteThis is an ADA violation.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the stupidest people on the planet always seem to find themselves in a position of school administration?
ReplyDeletePerfect!
ReplyDeleteYou need to register that with the S.E.E..
You ever see "Dirty Signs with Kristin?" Maybe you could get her to perform a special video. Kristin just put up a post from Full Metal Jacket -- I didn't know they could stack sh*t that high -- in sign language. Check it out.
ReplyDelete- Brad