Now and then

[Botnst]

Works for 1967, too.

B

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1977 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his own 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.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1977 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - 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.
1977 - 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.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1977 - 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.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1977 - 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.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1977 - 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.

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.
1977 - 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 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.
1977 - 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 therapy.

[R Leo]

we're sooo fooked

[Brian Carlton]

Interesting anecdotes.........all.

My question is how and why the country degraded into this fiasco. People don't naturally change from the early scenarios to the latest scenarios. There must be a catalyst in this change.

Personally, I don't believe that society has degraded to the point where such lunacy is justified.

So, what's the catalyst..........the media.........the government?

Damned if I know...........but, the comparisons with the past are striking.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Interesting anecdotes.........all.

My question is how and why the country degraded into this fiasco. People don't naturally change from the early scenarios to the latest scenarios. There must be a catalyst in this change.

Personally, I don't believe that society has degraded to the point where such lunacy is justified.

So, what's the catalyst..........the media.........the government?

Damned if I know...........but, the comparisons with the past are striking.

Seems like people with regular jobs have to spend 6 1/2 days/week struggling to stay above water. They spend less time with their kids. Their kids spend time learning from TV, an uneducated teacher/sitter or on the internet, instead of hanging out with grandpa and learning about WWII or starting a feed store (see, grandpa is still working because his 401K was top-heavy with Worldcom options). The kids in Newberry, SC try to emulate kids in Watts, CA they see on TV/net and they system has to react.


I don't think this is the whole problem, but part of it I am sure.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by John Doe

Seems like people with regular jobs have to spend 6 1/2 days/week struggling to stay above water. They spend less time with their kids. Their kids spend time learning from TV, an uneducated teacher/sitter or on the internet, instead of hanging out with grandpa and learning about WWII or starting a feed store (see, grandpa is still working because his 401K was top-heavy with Worldcom options). The kids in Newberry, SC try to emulate kids in Watts, CA they see on TV/net and they system has to react.


I don't think this is the whole problem, but part of it I am sure.

You appear to be making the assumption that the children of today are in worse shape than we were and the scenarios in the aforementioned anecdotes are necessary and prudent.


Are the kids.........as a group.........vastly different?

Why can't one of them be smacked on the ass when they misbehave?

Why can't Dad slap the kid with a belt?

Why can't a poor performer be forced to go to summer school?

Why is any adult who comes in contact with a child a possible "sexual predator"??


My opinion is that the reaction is way overblown as compared to the stimulus.........a stimulus that is probably not all that much different from 25 years ago.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

You appear to be making the assumption that the children of today are in worse shape than we were and the scenarios in the aforementioned anecdotes are necessary and prudent.


Are the kids.........as a group.........vastly different?

Why can't one of them be smacked on the ass when they misbehave?

Why can't Dad slap the kid with a belt?

Why can't a poor performer be forced to go to summer school?

Why is any adult who comes in contact with a child a possible "sexual predator"??

\.

Not really, what I am getting at is the world has become smaller, and you shouldn't be treating kids the same way in rural LA as in jungle L.A., but when the cultures merge through dissemenation of the wrong kind of information, the system has to react. Like I said, just a part of the problem.

[Mistress]

i'm glad i decided not to make a contribution to the gene pool.

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by John Doe

Not really, what I am getting at is the world has become smaller, and you shouldn't be treating kids the same way in rural LA as in jungle L.A., but when the cultures merge through dissemenation of the wrong kind of information, the system has to react. Like I said, just a part of the problem.

Ain't it da troof?

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Botnst

Ain't it da troof?

Either that or I have been reading too many anecdotes from Gumbo Ya Ya while in my private office.

[G-Benz]

As far as why the outcomes over the last three decades have changed...one word: LAWSUITS!

Nowadays it's too easy to file a lawsuit for just about every conceivable action...especially if it draws attention away from having to own up to responsibility.

As far as the the statement about working parents today working long hours to make ends meet. Two words: EASY CREDIT!

I remember years ago that you had to have a stellar credit history to even be considered for a Sears charge plate. If you couldn't manage finances well enough to keep your credit sound, you either put things on layaway, or did without.

You can just about buy anything and everything on credit without so much as a SS# check for verification. The result is folks can now not only "keep up with the Joneses", but literally "blow them out of the water"! Why buy a Honda when you can qualify for a Lexus?

All of this excess materialism gets a lot of people in financial "$#it creek! That is why they are working long hours to make APR ends meet!

[Hatterasguy]

I'm going to blame bleeding heart liberals and the ACLU.

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by John Doe

Not really, what I am getting at is the world has become smaller, and you shouldn't be treating kids the same way in rural LA as in jungle L.A., but when the cultures merge through dissemenation of the wrong kind of information, the system has to react. Like I said, just a part of the problem.

I agree. The power of the media is stunning today. It appears that the behavior of the adults has morphed into a response to jungle L.A., despite the fact that such adults are still living in rural L.A. in most instances.

The curiosity of this fact is that most of the people involved fail to grasp the difference. They honestly believe that they are living in jungle L.A. and respond accordingly.

I could easily fall into my usual conclusion.........but, I won't.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

I agree. The power of the media is stunning today.

I could easily fall into my usual conclusion.........but, I won't.

Lets take these two thoughts and combine them then and the mbshop server may explode because we agree: the media is powerful, but the above-average parent who is not a moron has more power to protect their kids from it!! (to an extent, but an extent would be better than unlimited exposure)

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by John Doe

Lets take these two thoughts and combine them then and the mbshop server may explode because we agree: the media is powerful, but the above-average parent who is not a moron has more power to protect their kids from it!! (to an extent, but an extent would be better than unlimited exposure)

All true.

However, it's the change in attitudes and the greater involvement of the government that's troubling.

Both parents and the government behave as though the situation is dire. Jungle L.A. exists everywhere and the response must be an order of magnitude greater than the transgression.

My personal opinion is that the situation in surburbia today is not all that much different than 20 years ago...........

This is what leaves me in a quandry. Why is the response so different?

[cudaspaz]

I feel blessed to live in one of those counties that lean toward the 1977 side of things, but I think the school systems are so afraid of lawsuits and negative media attention, it will soon be the norm here too.