1973 vs 2006

[JTimmons]

This was sent to me by a co-worker today. Some of it is kind of funny, but I also found it sad as it has some truth to it.


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

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

1973 -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.

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.

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

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

1973 - 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.

1973- 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.

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: Mary turns up pregnant.

1973 - 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: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July,
puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1973 - 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.

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.

[Stormbringer]

D*mn JT, this has me ROTFLMAO

Priceless...and yes it is sad

Greg

[cabinetman]

Going back to the fifties and early sixties, gives it a lot more truth. It is sad. When we think we are protecting someone or something, it take a whole different path. I find the most damaging effect of the new wave of justice is the lack of home discipline. When these kids, and I call 'em kids even though there are now 10 - 12 yr olds that are 6' -2" and 225 lbs, carrying guns, or worse yet killing people. You don't see the media putting the parents on TV and asking how or why. The parents didn't start soon enough. It's the old dog - new trick syndrome. Sorry 'bout going off like this, but I really get angry watching some of these shows where the parents can't control their children. The kid is swearing or hitting the mother. GIVE ME A BREAK. DUH - when did they start the discipline, the day before. When I was a kid, my father would have punched my face clean off.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[gjat]

I found this sad, because it's true. People don't know how to discipline kids, but society is telling new parents and kids that 'discipline' is really 'abuse'.
Parents are told not to yell at their kids and don't spank them.
Kids are told that yelling is mental abuse and spanking is physical abuse.
That leaves 'reasoning'?
I typed 3 more paragraphs, but it got depressing so I deleted them. I'm glad I was able to raise 2 regular kids who got/get in trouble sometimes and accept the consequences without blaming others.

[Ed62]

Yeah, it's depressing. I've often said that, today, if I corrected my kids the way I did when they were growing up, I'd be in jail for a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-ng time. 5 boys and 4 girls, and somehow we have a strong family now that they're grown.

Ed

[Mrs. Wallnut]

Now to start off I was born in 1973 so I don't remember it well but I do remember when I was in Jr. High and High school being able to stay out at the parks and play with out the thought that some "predator" was watching or trying to grab us. We used to stay out and play in the summer until it was dark around the neighbor hood, but these days you don't send your kids out of the house with out a warning about strangers. And I am sure that most people won't let their kids stay out till dark if you live in a town for fear that something will happen.

The times are changing that is for sure

[jhart]

Have 4 kids that are now grown (youngest is 34) and fortunately they have all turned out well. Had quite a time with the youngest when he was in his early teens, but he is great now. I honestly would not like to be raising kids these days. Discipline really is the key, both at home and in the schools. Most kids don't get it from either place, but instead are asked "how they feel"? The high divorce rate contributes to alot of the kids problems also.

I could go on, but don't want to rant.

Hpoe you all have a Happy Thanksgiving with your friends and loved ones. We'll be having 23 at our house this year.

[Whaler]

When I was a young kid, in the 40s, my cousin and I lived next door and my grandmother took care of both of us. We wore farmers jeans most of the time. When we screwed up, often, she had two nails in the rafters of the garage and we got hung up by the shoulder straps on our jeans. It didn't hurt us and I think we learned a lesson but she would go to jail now.

[germdoc]

Well, most of them I found funny and sad but true at the same time.

However, being cynical and contrarian like I am I would hate to see us get too rosy-eyed about the past. Child abuse, bullying, racial hatred, sexual abuse have always been around and let's face it in the past were more tolerated.

I knew kids who were psychopaths who were tolerated because "what's so bad about a little schoolyard bullying?" Kids whose parents abused them, but, "hey, it's just a little whipping--that's a parent's right." Girls who were "knocked up" and sent away shamefully to never see their child again, while more commonly absolutely nothing happened to the guys.

Would you rather have been a kid with ADHD (which does actually exist), a learning disability, a mental illness, a funny last name, or a pregnant teenager in 1960 or 2006?

On the other hand (getting off soapbox now), scraping my knee in the 5th grade and getting comforted my Ms. Staton--now that's something I use to fantasize about. Was she hot!!

[JR]

He he. My mother used to put a harness on my little brother and clip him to the clothes line. She got complaints even then, but I think it was brilliant!

JR

[gsmittle]

Playing Devil's Advocate - Sort Of

Without going into a huge rant, I'd have to say that corporeal punishment only works some of the time. Some of you may recall in other threads how I told of my abusive father beating the H-E-double-L out of me in my youth. What I learned was better how to cover my tracks--the punishment made me sneakier, not better behaved.

In my 20s I decided I didn't like the way I treated other people, so I set out to change my behavior. Nowadays, when my students irritate me badly enough, my first impulse is to smack them. I have to make an effort to squash that impulse, and work toward solving the issue. I have plenty of other tools at my disposal, including what my students call "The Look."

I find I generally get good results by treating the teeners I teach like young adults until proven otherwise. Once they cross the line, however, no amount of begging, pleading, or crying will stop the consequences.

It's very hard to get most teenagers to take responsibility for their actions--most of them simply aren't wired that way yet. Their brains are still developing. Part of my job is to ensure that actions have consequences and that they see the relationship between their behavior and their consequences.

The mindset today is simply different. I'm old enough to remember that when my one of my classmates brought a rifle to school, it meant he was going squirrel hunting on the way home. Unfortunately, today it usually means he's gonna shoot up the school.

I'm lucky in that I work in a school without metal detectors at the doors. Just the same, I have to be aware of everyone's behavior in the hallways between classes. BTW, the consequences for bringing a weapon to school are swift and harsh.

Some things "back in the day" were much better than today--OTOH, we have it much better today in many ways, too.

I can't find the Socrates quote, but in it he rants about the disrespect and general bad behavior of youth. Just goes to show some things never change.

Do schools and society in general need to change? You bet they do! It's a slow process, and we do it one young person at a time.

I guess this turned into a rant after all....

g.

[gsmittle]

On the other hand (getting off soapbox now), scraping my knee in the 5th grade and getting comforted my Ms. Staton--now that's something I use to fantasize about. Was she hot!!

My high school typing teacher--Miss Nissen..... *sigh*

I found out about a year ago that I have ADD. The Ritalin made an incredible difference. I went from barely able to hold my job to doing well at it.

I don't have the hyperactivity component--I get lost in my own thoughts....

g.

[JTimmons]

I too was born in 73 and remember finding my best friend in a fist fight, back then we got to stay after school with Mrs. Olivas and like Jeff we used to enjoy the extra attention given by her. We were constantly in trouble just to get after school detention, I think my ol'man as much as he said he hated picking me up actually enjoyed it too.
In fact, we used to get into so much trouble just for those after school moments my best friend was shipped off to private school.

Something went wrong a few generations after me that's for sure. I have a little cousin now 18 who really got hit too many times with the "stupid stick" he's always in trouble. His dad / my uncle, went too easy on him if you ask me, the spanking wasn't done enough, but then again that's about the time it was starting to be called abuse. Talking to your kids was promoted.

My dad, didn't hold back. We could be in the middle of Cashway and he lay it out if needed and wasn't shy about taking off his belt either. I think I turned out alright, comparitively speaking to my cousin who's already got a criminal record and a 3 year old little girl.

Talking to your kids is great, not saying anything bad about doing that, but as kids I don't think they fully understand the consequences of their actions in society. To me that's where spanking comes in, a child understands then if I screw up, I get some backside pain. Later on in life, like I did, we understand why dad did what he did.

As far as the principal spanking me, I had to change schools after I got one in the office one time. My dad didn't like the idea too much of someone else hitting his son and the principal soon learned what it felt like to have a retired "Gunny" in his face. I didn't get to see what happened, I was told to wait in the car, all I know is I wasn't allowed to go back.

God I love the ol'man, think I'll surprise him and give him a call right now and see how he's doing.

[scmhogg]

My father was a hitter. You never knew when it was coming. He would hit me in the back of the head and I would get headaches and throw up. He didn't drink, but you never knew when an imaginary line was crossed. I spent much of my childhood in fear, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

I hated my father. I used to lay in bed and promise I would never hit my kids, a promise I kept.

I left home when I was 17. My father and I developed a tolerant relationship as we grew older. I was told that forgiveness is when you give up your right to get even. I think, perhaps, my father's years in a German prison camp may have been the cause.

As you can see, I don't yearn for the 50's.

When I was elected to the school board here in Simi Valley CA, in the 70's, I led a successful fight to eliminate corporal punishment in the K-12 district.

Steve

[Hoover]

The sad thing about these comparisons is that there is a lot of truth into how times have indeed changed.
As a high school student in the early 60's, we did bring our firearms to school, but they remained in the vehicles. One of my teachers brought a rifle to school, and we traded guns, got a real nice 30-30 in trade. The superintendent of the high school said "As long as your guns are unloaded, there's no problem with it."
Yes times have changed.