Then and now

[catkicker]

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

 

 

1953 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.

 

2006 - School goes into lockdown, 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 fist fight after school.

 

 

1953 - 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.

 

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

 

 

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

 

1953 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

1953 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

 

2006 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

1953 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal who has a headache also.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Scenario: Mary turns up pregnant.

 

1953 - 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

 

1953: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

 

2006: Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. 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 Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English.

 

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

 

 

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

 

1953 - Ants die.

 

2006 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny'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.

 

 

1953 - 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.

[UncleDavid218]

While I'm not exactly old or wise, I can really see where these are coming from and I really have to agree.

 

I don't like where this nation (and the world for that matter) are headed.

 

 

People are starting to poke their noses into business that's nothing of theirs and being to sensitive to things that don't concern them.

 

People do not want to be accountable for their actions. They sue because of their incompetence.

[red930]

Those without fear of consequences, fear nothing.

[Mirage]

I am older, but n o wiser. But I can attest to many of the above. I got in fights in school, suspended for one (I won). And me and the other guy, while not friends, had a health respect for each other after that. No police, teachers, principles, parents, that was punishment enough. I also fell down and scraped my knees more than once, I cried, went on playing. But I read in the papers anymore that times have definately changed. Too bad, I would like to have seen Johnny's new rifle too...

[old_geekster]

I was old enough in 1953 to see every one of the scenarios that you posed. It worked exactly that way.

 

I'm absolutely disillutioned with our current society.

 

Great post!

[Evil_inc]

Protestors camp out on a road near the presidents house protesting the current war.

 

1953: They are ignored by some and are called innovative by others. The president considers their arguments.

 

 

2006: The president reports to the press that he "just tunes it out". A week later a bill is passed to prevent camping on the side of public roads, the protestors are put in jail.

 

 

It seems the internet is the only free place now, and even now goverments are trying to keep it down.

[Angry_Games]

man I got beaned in teh face plenty playing dodgeball and I nearly had a zillion broken bones (and I DID have a lot of bloody noses, bloody knees, bloody elbows, bent-back fingers, etc) playing "smear the queer" (not sure why that particular game took on that name, but that's what we always called it when we were kids, probably not really knowing nor caring anyway, but it should be just called "if you have the ball, we are going to tackle you in the most vicious way possible").

 

at school

 

elementary and middle school

 

when we had to fight after school, or during school, it was just me and the other guy, I generally got my butt kicked, but the dude stopped messing with me after that and moved on to weaker targets since he realized that I will actually fight him even if it means getting my butt kicked pretty badly just to show him I ain't afraid of him so it's time to move on)

 

no one brought a gun, or even knives, or even bats or chains.

 

only once in a blue moon was it 2 vs 1, and the crowd of kids generally put a stop to that right quick (as it was usually the toughest kid in school that was in the crowd that announced "if you want 2 vs 1, then I'm gonna make it fair vs 2" to which the 2 decided it was better to take their chances 1 vs 1 instead of having this guy kick both of their asses in front of 30 screaming kids including girls).

 

we broke windows out on old abandoned houses

 

we didn't set fire to daycare or any other buildings

 

we shot bottles and old lawnmowers with .22 rifles and 9mm pistols out across the canyon in the desert

 

we didn't even dream about shooting another human being (me myself, I can't even stomach going hunting for deer/elk, yet I have handled guns all my life without anything but healthy fear of the gun itself since it doesn't care who it hurts, only the person holding it can care).

 

in our school, in Idaho, you either learned english or you never got anywhere, because the emphasis was you came to america to have a better life, so if you wanted that better life, you had better speak the language because you weren't gonna go far if you couldn't even communicate with those around you that had the money to spend on your goods or pay you to work for them.

 

we kept score in Little League...every year for 6 years in a row we played in the championship game after being in 1st or 2nd place in the league the entire summer, and every single year we lost the game. And every single year it was the most heartbreaking, devastating experience to know you were the best team in the league and couldn't win the big game (it still haunts me today a bit thinking about it).

 

But you learned to lose gracefully. You accepted that if you never lose, you can't ever learn, and you can't ever know what being humble feels like (so that you could be graceful as the winner and not shame the losers).

 

These days, we are teaching our kids to be sissy boys. You can't keep scores. There can't be winners because there would have to be losers, and if your kid is a loser, he can't ever feel good about himself.

 

Your kid can't ever feel the sting of getting whipped...what a sham. I call it the pussification of our youth and it leads to what we are seeing today. Let's shelter our children from the evil world so the day we actually thrust them upon the evil world to live on their own, they are emotionally and mentally defenseless to just how harsh the real world will treat them as it repeatedly chews them up and spits them out with things like divorce, lost jobs, bankruptcy, drug abuse, etc.

 

But possibly even worse, something I've railed on repeatedly, is how no one has to take responsibility anymore for their actions.

 

I see it here all the time, just like in other areas of life. Boo hoo why did you ban me? Because you didnt have a sig. But i need help! Then follow the rules you agreed to when you registered. But but but no one reads those rules why wont you just unban me and help me? Because you are a moron who can't even follow the simplest instruction like MAKE A SIG AND PUT IN A LOCATION. Boo hoo I'm gonna go complain to your bossman and make him fire you and possibly sue you because you are infringing on my freedom of speech. You do that, and get back to me with how that is all working out for ya ok chief?

 

 

sheesh

 

 

not all kids are braindead, but more and more of them cross my path daily in regular life, and even momma complains about the kids she goes to school with that are her age, saying the most idiotic, moronic things like "OMG I THOUGH ISLAM WAS A COUNTRY!" and "OH BUT WE SHOULD BELIEVE IN THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE IS A CHRISTIAN!" and other moronic nonsense. (these are real events involving real nearly-graduating college students).

 

She grades papers for one of her professors for school credit and the spelling and vocabulary are atrocious..as bad as that l337 crap you see on the internet where 15 year old kids think they are invincible because there's a CRT or LCD monitor between them and the world.

 

Laziness is not a crime, but it is criminal to allow one's self to become lazy to the point where you are a drain on society....this is more than just having a job and paying your taxes. It includes presenting yourself to others that shows you are intelligent and respectful (by spelling properly and removing all of the curse words from your vocabulary when dealing with real people, not your two buttbuddies you get wasted with on Friday nights after the football game).

 

 

Then there are the ones who try to make me feel like a loser by running around yelling about what a jerk I am because of how I live my life and/or run this forum. Boo hoo Angry hates lazy people. Boo hoo Angry hates rule breakers. Boo hoo Angry hates living in fantasy land and tries to make us see common sense and a bit of reality. Boo hoo I hate Angry for trying to show me how to do things better. Boo hoo I hate Angry for trying to make me a better person.

 

heh

 

i just laugh

 

and then go on about my life and ignore foolish people.

 

it ain't all about me so quiet you.

 

I just need to unload and vent a little here and there because like a boiler, steam pressure builds up...better to vent it than to have the boiler explode and watch me go on an ugly tirade that almost equals your Uncle Joey's New Years Eve drunken binge where he groped your mom in front of the entire party then proceeded to pull his pants down and crap in Aunt Mary's fine crushed-velvet easy chair then drag his butt along the carpet for about 9' before passing out face-down in the dog's waterbowl....

 

[Skip04]

A sad commentary on what reality has become.

It's missing one that pertains to the season though.

Teacher says Merry Christmas to her class:

1953: Class says Merry Christmas back and they all exchange cards.

 

2006: ACLU called, Teacher and school both sued, teacher loses job for discrimination.

[OsamaBinAthlon+]

Protestors camp out on a road near the presidents house protesting the current war.

 

1953: They are ignored by some and are called innovative by others. The president considers their arguments.

 

 

2006: The president reports to the press that he "just tunes it out". A week later a bill is passed to prevent camping on the side of public roads, the protestors are put in jail.

 

 

It seems the internet is the only free place now, and even now goverments are trying to keep it down.

 

Your 1953 scenario can not be deemed possible by me. Look up the case http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenck_v._United_States, also during McCarthyism that's just not possible.

[Evil_inc]

I guess 1969 would be a better year, and that article has no relevance to what I said. Protests have always been frowned oppon by goverment officals but still...

[Angry_Games]

um

 

that scenario IS possible

 

there's no ruling that someone can't protest the war

 

the case you linked to was about actively trying to stop conscription by disobedience during a time of war

 

 

protesting a war and actively interfering with the government/military during a war (and we are NOT at war right now, and that whole "war on terror" is not a war, it is a state of mind, as there can be no such thing as an enemy when the enemy is simply an idea or belief, not an actual army) are two very different things.

 

 

as for McCarthyism, there were more than enough protests and you saw eventually how that all ended...a shameful and painful stain for our country.

 

study the law a little better. the right to freedom of speech and protest cannot be interefered with even in wartime.

 

the right to interfere with the government's ability to actively fight a war does not exist (which is what the supreme court ruled in that case)

[Tylosis]

While I agree with almost everything in this post, things weren't as sweet "back in the day" for our non-white friends.