OCALA, Fla. (AP) - Two boys, ages 9 and 10, were charged with felonies and taken away from school in handcuffs, accused of making violent drawings of stick figures.

The boys were charged with making a written threat to kill or harm another person, a second-degree felony.

The special education students used pencil and red crayon to draw primitive stick figure scenes on scrap paper that showed a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said.

"The officer found they were drawing these pictures for the sole purpose of intimidating and scaring the victim," said Ocala Police Sgt. Russ Kern.

The boy depicted in the drawings told his teacher, who took the sketches and contacted the school dean, Marty Clifford. Clifford called police, who arrested the boys after consulting with the State Attorney's Office.

They were also suspended from school.

One drawing showed the two boys standing on either side of the other boy and "holding knives pointed through" his body, according to a police report. The figures were identified by written names or initials.

Another drawing showed a stick figure hanging, tears falling from his eyes, with two other stick figures standing below him. Other pieces of scrap paper listed misspelled profanities and the initials of the boy who was allegedly threatened.

Parents of both of the arrested boys said they thought the boys should be punished by the school and families, not the legal system.

Lets step back for a moment and just assume that these students are relatively "average". I want someone to justify how this is a felony. This is art, plain and simple, and no prosecutor on earth is going to be able to prove the intent of their drawings. Sure, its in poor taste. But does that require the children be handcuffed in the classroom? Whatever emotional damage these kids caused pales in comparison to forced apprehension at 9 fucking years old.

I don't think that we should have to except it when people dismiss it as, kids can be so cruel. Are we that dumb that we can't teach our children to love one another? If not, handcuff them and take them away.

I pray someone takes this case and files a counter-suit against the Marion County Schoolboard. (BTW I am a byproduct of this fine institution...)

I taught him that someday he would crawl in a hole and save a puppy. He would be the only one able to fit. He then taught this to his classmates. He is very well liked, greatly respected and has lots of friends.

That's cool. I have a brother who is very obese and get teased for it. My parents just told him that he would beat the other kids in a Big Mac eating contest and he told the other kids that too. The other kids still made fun of him though.

That's cool. I have a brother who is very obese and get teased for it. My parents just told him that he would beat the other kids in a Big Mac eating contest and he told the other kids that too. The other kids still made fun of him though.

good lord, my son should have been put in jail by now.

I just drew pictures of nuclear bombs and mushroom clouds dropping on this kindegarden grade drawing of a house, which I labelled the white house. I'm expecting guys with automatic assault rifles to barge through the door any time now.

So, who are the retarded people in this story again?