Monday, June 7, 2010

High School: 1957 vs. 2010

Note: I'm sure you've probably seen this bopping around the 'net and in your e-mail, but I'm feeling mighty unoriginal today. This e-mail is courtesy of a former supervisor of mine whose brother has a wicked sense of humor.

Scenario 1

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957: Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2010: 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 2

Buster and Dale get into a fist fight after school.

1957: Crowd gathers. Buster wins. Buster and Dale shake hands and end up buddies.

2010: Police called and SWAT team arrives--they arrest both Buster and Dale. They are both charged with assault and expelled even though Buster started it.

Scenario 3

Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957: Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010: Jeffrey is given huge does of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4

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

1957: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2010: Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957: Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smocking dock.

2010: The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6

Pedro fails high school English.

1957: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2010: 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 is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up moving lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7

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

1957: Ants die.

2010: ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents--and all siblings are removed from the home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8

Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1957: In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2010: 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.

13 comments:

  1. Sigh.....it would be so easy to say that times were easier or better back then. They weren't. One could hope that the voice of REASON would step in during a situation. Unbendable rules are just as stupid, in some cases, as over reaction to an event. I don't long for the old days. It made me sad when I couldn't hold a child in my lap when I read to them in the school library. Children that needed the hug, the special time on a grandmother's lap. Sitting at a table looking at the book just wasn't the same. But and there is always a but, I understand to a degree. A flat out rule isn't the way. Time needs to be taken to bring in the parents, to have them meet and talk with the teachers and staff that work with their children. Get them to sign a permission slip that ok's a lap sitting reading with Grandma Bea, in the library, under the Librarians eagle eyes. Ah, but there's the rub, the moms are unavailable, old, tired, strung out, papa is in jail and it goes on and on.
    I know, way to long Georgie but you pushed a button on this old gal. I wish for a more gentle time but I don't wish for the belt strap beating for punishment, you know? :)Bea

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  2. When did everything get so blown out of proportion? Isn't it sad that this is not only funny, but true?

    (and if anyone is watching the word verification they might be suspicious of my comments because the word for me today is "uppers" - I kid you not - lol!)

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  3. Gotta admit there's a lot of truth in this one.

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  4. So different now, it's true...

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  5. LMAO! Sad but true, isn't it? We've gotten to be such a reactive society. What inspired this post?

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  6. And how true is this!

    You know when I did my teaching practice I wasn't allowed to touch the kids at all. I was taking a lesson and looked at one of the kids paintings and put my hand on his shoulder and said "That's a great painting!" he looked up at me and pointed his brush at my face and said "Don't touch me man!"

    Sad, but true.

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  7. Bea: Wasn't my intent to push a button (although I used to brag about doing that in the chat rooms), but I can definitely understand.

    There is no such thing as common sense anymore and that's one thing that I truly miss in the world today.

    Talon: About the mid 90's when political correctness combined with those horrific school shootings took hold of the national (U.S. but I'm sure Canada as well) conscious and brought it to its collective knees.

    Sad that is both funny and true, I agree.

    Charles: Indeed. The amount of ruined lives from false or erroneous accusations is just mind boggling.

    Lynn: Yup. Makes me long for the days when I was growing up. Less confusion and more sensibility.

    R.K.: Like I stated, I was feeling unoriginal and my former supervisor (who is a serials librarian, and who also helped me with editing my short story that's at BTAP) has a tendency to forward me really wierd stuff from her brother. I saw this e-mail from her and I thought that this would make a perfect addition to my blog.

    Joe: That's pretty bad.

    However, we have state laws that ban state workers from using any kind of restraints on children. Anything from using physical restraints to keep a child from harming themselves or another to a worker putting their hand on the shoulder of a child to keep them from running away is forbidden with sledgehammer consequences.

    I can give you one good example of how bad this policy is, but I don't want to turn anyone's stomach on this blog by doing so.

    Let's just say a young girl's life was permanently ruined because of these zero common sense laws.

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  8. Yeah, my husband tells me of days when he used to take his rifle to school and go shooting with his friends.

    Funny how things have changed...

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  9. Ya got me laughing- n I needed it! Thanks-
    "Pedro can't speak English" at the end of 6 was de Piece de re`sistance-
    I'd not yet seen this lst- Very sad t is!

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  10. It is something to reflect on how much times have changed. Simpler times were often happier ones...

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  11. An apology to Jewel and Snaggle. In the middle of composing my respones to your comments, the power blew out at my house this morning. Thus the delay in answering your comments.

    Jewel: Scary part is I remember participating in a few of those scenarios when I was going to school (the first one, not the second)

    Snaggle: Exceptionally so. Especially when a lot of this stuff is still going on today.

    Kelly: For the most, they were.

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  12. Wow, I really enjoyed this Georgie! One of your best posts for me. Great writing!

    Things really are different now in many ways. So true abut the child abuse these days for striking a young one. My folks were pretty heavy-[handed, but I've cut that cycle, TG!!

    xo

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  13. Thanks.

    Yeah, it's pretty sad commentary on the amount of grief one can get in by properly discipling a child.

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