Nanny States of America: School District Bans Game of Tag to "Ensure Emotional Safety of Students"
Mercer Island, WA -- This week the Mercer Island School District in Washington state announced that it will be banning the childhood game of tag. Unfortunately, this is not satire.
The reason for such a ridiculous move is to "ensure the physical, and emotional safety of students," according to the district.
Parents were flabbergasted at the news as their children came home complaining that their favorite recess activity -- is now outlawed. Parents are now left wondering why no one asked them about the ban.
“Good grief, our kids need some unstructured playtime,” said mom Kelsey Joyce.
“I totally survived tag,” said Joyce. “I even survived red rover, believe it or not.”
“I played tag,” said mom Melissa Neher, “I survived.”
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According to Q13 FOX, signs outside of one elementary school encouraged team sports among kids, but noted that the specific game of tag is no longer allowed.
“In this day and age of childhood obesity, there’s a need for more activity,” said Neher. “Kids should be free to have spontaneous play on the playground at recess. It’s important for their learning.”
Neher, who has two kids in public school, has since taken to social media to voice her concern over such an overt move into the Nanny state.
According to some parents, their children no longer want to play at recess because tag was their favorite pastime.
In a statement released this week, the Mercer Island School district stuck by their decision:
The Mercer Island School District and school teams have recently revisited expectations for student behavior to address student safety. This means while at play, especially during recess and unstructured time, students are expected to keep their hands to themselves. The rationale behind this is to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students.
School staffs are working with students in the classroom to ensure that there are many alternative games available at recess and during unsupervised play, so that our kids can still have fun, be with their friends, move their bodies and give their brains a break.
What does it say about the state of America today when public schools are banning friendly, non-physical, schoolyard games, while at the same time police departments across the nation are beginning to resemble a standing army?
Every parent in the Mercer Island School District should encourage their children to civilly disobey this ban by playing tag during every recess.
