Children's safety is of foremost importnce

The State Board of Education recently approved measures that would ban laser pointers from schoolyards.

Laser pointers were originally design as a type of pointer for business presentation and lectures. Rather than using a stick to point at something, a bright red dot can be shown no any surface, and because they are so convenient, they have been growing in popularity.

Yet in a grade school environment they are dangerous.

Laser pointers project a powerful beam of light that, if exposed to the eye, could cause blindness. School children rarely understand or bother to think about the consequences of their actions in such a matter.

In addition to this, laser pointers are distracting. When a bright red dot appears in an classroom, it is difficult to discern the origin. The ability to remain unknown encourages kids to disrupt classrooms, perfectly aware of the fact that they will be difficult to catch.

In the interests of children's safety, laser pointers should be banned from elementary schools. They are tools, not toys, and have no purpose in the hands of children.