School Days

[The Gooch]

SCHOOL DAYS

1970 vs. 2007

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

1970 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

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

1970 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.

2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

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

1970 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin; Becomes a zombie; Tested for ADD; School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

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

1970 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2007 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

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

1970 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.

2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

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Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1970 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.

2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. 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 is given his diploma anyway, but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

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

1970 - Ants die.

2007 - 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; not allowed to fly again.

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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.

1970 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of psycho-therapy.

[Prybutok]

wow were the 70's really that perfect?

[Doomsayer]

it wasn't perfect but shit the way people coddle their fuckign kids nowadays is disgusting. they tore out all the old playground equipment at the park by my house because some kid got a splinter, now it's all plastic with padded matting on the ground.

[Noteworthy]

wow were the 70's really that perfect?

it was more or less like that when i went to elementary school in the early 90's.

this lame shit only flared up after 2000.

[remagi]

It's all just symptomatic of personal responsibility taking a nosedive overall. It's not just schools (although they exhibit some of it), it's everything. It would be nice if we could get a set of leaders that basically tell people tough shit and deal with it, but the system is self perpetuating once you start the slide.

I've never, ever understood people why people think they are "owed". Where does that come from? Nature doesn't foster these ideas, in nature you damn well fight for everything, and if you're not good enough, fuck you, you're out of the gene pool. Our history as a race doesn't say this. The people who have succeeded and excelled pushed for what they needed, both as societies and as individuals. Our history in this nation is the same. Things weren't given to us, we fought for them or defended them fiercely.

Now we feel like schools OWE us educations, society OWES us an easy life, our workplaces OWE us in just about every way imaginable. I have a lot of friends who have younger kids. In my honest opinion only one of them is a family who actually is involved in their kids education, the same way my parents were when I was young.

And don't get me started on fiscal responsibility.

-Remagi

[Adrienna]

I was in elementary school from 1979-1986 (K-6), and yes, it was that perfect.

[Doomsayer]

you owe me a turkey pot pie!