1973 vs. 2006

[Deeman3]

<font color="blue">Before someone gets their panties in a wad, I am not saying that any particular group is responsible for this change in political/social environment. No animals were harmed in the cuting and pasting of this piece. I just thought it was cute, but a little true...</font color>

DeeMan


Scenario: Jack pulls into his high school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

1973 - Vice Principal comes over and takes a look at Jack's shotgun, then goes to his own car and gets his gun to show Jack. They discuss hunting, and the shooting sports, then agree to hunt for pheasant later in the week at Jack's dad's farm.

2006 - School goes into lockdown, local police and the FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.

1973 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.



2006 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both students forced to attend mandatory counseling for "bullying" and "conflict resolution."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, and disrupts other students.

1973 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. He now sits still in class.

2006 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin and becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Willy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping.

1973 - Willy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2006 - Willy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Willy is removed, sent to foster care, and joins a gang. Willy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself - and their Dad goes to prison. Willy's mom goes on Welfare.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.

1973 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal, out on the smoking dock.

2006 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Cindy turns up pregnant.

1973 - 5 High School Boys leave town. Cindy does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.

2006 - Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the ACLU. Cindy is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge. She is also given condoms and told to be more careful next time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Juan fails high school English.

1973: Juan goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2006: Juan's cause is taken up by ACLU. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Juan's English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Juan given diploma anyway but ends up selling drugs for a living because he can't speak English.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Kevin takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1973 - Ants die.

2006 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Kevin charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Kevin's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee.

He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him and cleans and bandages his scrape.

1973 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. School reassesses, studies the "problem"

and decides children might get hurt during recess. School cancels all recess in the future because children may take part in "harmful activities"

during recess.

[hondo]

Sad, but true, Brother. I'm retiring after 30 years of teaching this year and I can't wait.
I'm a dinosaur. Everything I say and do gets me into
trouble these days.

[Rich R.]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Deeman3:</font><hr>1973 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. He now sits still in class.
<hr /></blockquote>
Although it was earlier than 1973, I remeber me and a friend getting paddled by our teach, who was also our football coach, because our hair was too long. I wonder how that would play out today. /ccboard/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Deeman3]

Rich and Hondo,

I remember getting pattled with the option to keep my hair! The football coach (see burly, ill tempered, former Pro Line Coach) told me to cut it or I'd get 10 hits. I selected the 10 hits. Strangely, I didn't feel abused. I just felt I earned the right to keep my hair.

As much crap as I have given Hondo over the school system, I would not have his job for love nor money (if Angelina Jolie and Bill Gate's money are off the table). It is easy to blame teachers but blaming the good ones who are handcuffed by the administration and political unions is silly.

Those of us who remember the 1970s know we got something out of life and school that these kids don't today. Those who didn't make it later could not and any with self respect would not blame the schools. We were actually accountable for our actions and knew we would make it or not based on our knowledge and drive, not on a court's decision.


DeeMan

[SpiderMan]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Deeman3:</font><hr> Scenario: Kevin takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
<hr /></blockquote>

Wow, this must be more common than I thought. My first experimental noisemaker was exactly that, old flash powder in a Testor's bottle.

Wasn't a red ant bed, though. We set it in the seat of a sheet-metal lawn chair, so that the seat back would protect us from flying glass. It broke the rivets in the chair.

Can you believe we used to pay 15 cents for those fancy little bottles of paint?

SpiderMan

[Chopstick]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote SpiderMan:</font><hr> <blockquote><font class="small">Quote Deeman3:</font><hr> Scenario: Kevin takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
<hr /></blockquote>

Wow, this must be more common than I thought. My first experimental noisemaker was exactly that, old flash powder in a Testor's bottle.

Wasn't a red ant bed, though. We set it in the seat of a sheet-metal lawn chair, so that the seat back would protect us from flying glass. It broke the rivets in the chair.

Can you believe we used to pay 15 cents for those fancy little bottles of paint?

SpiderMan <hr /></blockquote>

Or black ants work just as well. They were both the same size. I think the red ones were a little meaner.

I can't remember how many of those little bottles I used to have.

[Deeman3]

We need you and Spiderman, the first white emmisary to Voodoo Village, to invite Q to meet you two there....

DeeMan

[pooltchr]

Dee,
Great Post! Life was much simpler when the Government did what governments are supposed to do, and let kids be kids, and parents be parents, and teachers be teachers.
The difference seems to be that one thing is missing today that was ever present back then...Respect!
BTW...Thanks for some good memories of days gone by.
Steve

[Fran Crimi]

Interesting post, Dee. I imagine that the chance of people acting out, such as kids shooting up schools, would be increased as the population increased each decade. All it takes is for one person to do it, and then it sets a precedent for life in the future, which is---be extra cautious and don't let it happen again. Then the majority, who would never even fathom doing something so heinous, has to pay the price. But really, what else do you do, other than try to cut down the population? Retro virus, anyone? I'm sure you know there are major concerns about the world's ever increasing population.

And then there are the opportunitsts who will try to fit any incident into their cause. Would we have as many opportunists if the population weren't so large?

Fran

[Gayle in MD]

LOL, it's ridiculous, isn't it? It's like everything else, the pendulam swings back and forth, things go too far, then they're reined in too far, then it swings back a bit the other way, always looking for the center ground. A few, always mess it up for the majority, just like welfare, the sexual revolution, (which I missed BTW) integration, just to name a few. Bottom line...if we had sent the nuns to Iraq, the war would have ended long ago, and the Talibon, and alQaeda, would be bleeding to death in their caves, scrambling for cover! /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif

When I was growing up, fifties and sixties, there were plenty of teachers who paddled kids, always the boys, and using yelling to keep the girls in line. I never saw a thing wrong with it. Nobody did. No one ever went beyond reasonable action, back then. Parents were different then, also. They were involved with their kids, family, the community, and most Mothers were home, raising their kids. When I became a Mother, though, I surely didn't want ANYONE laying a hand on MY kid! But, that was greatly because I knew there would never be a good reason for anyone to do so. Those bad boys, though, even back in my school days, needed a heavy hand, for sure. It's a guy thing, lol...or it was back then. Parents, have changed, not for the better, IMO, communities have changed, and unfortunately, some teachers have changed. I blame overpolulation for many of our society's ills, that and the love of money, keeping up with the Jones's, and parents who are nothing more than disgruntled emplyoees, too damned exhausted by the time they get home in the evenings, to be there for their kids. I'll bet that Jim and I spend ten times more qulaity time with our Grand Daughter, than most parents do with their kids. /ccboard/images/graemlins/confused.gif Can't do a good job raising kids, if you're not even there!

Gayle in Md.

[Deeman3]

Well said.

DeeMan

[pooltchr]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Gayle in MD:</font><hr> the sexual revolution, (which I missed BTW) <font color="red"> OK! I've finally figured out why you haven't crossed over to our side yet! You have unfinished business!! </font color> /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif

and most Mothers were home, raising their kids.
<font color="red"> Mothers could stay home because a single income was enough to raise a family. The way we are taxed to death today doesn't usually allow for a single income family to survive. </font color>

When I became a Mother, though, I surely didn't want ANYONE laying a hand on MY kid! But, that was greatly because I knew there would never be a good reason for anyone to do so. <font color="red"> I can't speak to this on a personal level, since I don't know your or your child. But there are an awful lot of kids out there that deserve more than a paddling whose mothers still believe they are little angles. </font color>
Gayle in Md. <hr /></blockquote>

(Just picking on you about the sexual revolution thing! /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Steve

[Gayle in MD]

/ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif On missing the revolution, I'd just as soon missed it, tell ya the truth, lol. What was the old line...Mother would never have let me go anyway!

You're right, many parents don't know half what's going on with their kids....we keep our children close in my family.....it's called, strict oversight, lol. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Gayle in Md.