You should know that by today's standards none of us were ever supposed to make it.
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1987 vs. 2012
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..
1987 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2012 - 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 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1987 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2012 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1987 - 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.
2012 - Jeffrey is given huge doses 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.
1987 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman..
2012 - 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.
1987 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock..
2012 - 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.
1987 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2012 - 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 the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum.. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing 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.
1987 - Ants die.
2012 - 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 their 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 hugs him to comfort him.
1987 In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2012 - 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.
I think it's clear, the world has changed for the worse. We are raising a generation of whimps like Obama.
SAS_Vet_Random
Lt. Col (Retired)
22nd [SAS] Elite Virtual Regiment
I identify with the affiliation shared by people like Romney and Gingrich, but I must say some of these scenarios are very misleading.
Scenario 1 - Doesn't matter what your (as in anyone, not specifically you) stance on gun ownership is, but a school is not an environment where weapons should be taken in and out of via. We've all seen the examples (e.g. Columbine, Virginia Tech, etc.), you can never be too safe with these things. Even if we assume there is nothing wrong with hunting, it should be a well known fact that a school is a weapons-free environment. At the very least, Jack is not too bright for leaving a shotgun visible in broad daylight in his car for anyone to see and report. With that said, the 2012 example is exaggerated quite a bit.
Scenario 2 - Seems like the writer is trying to promote violence in school here. One thing is clear though, if two "friends" go to the point where they have a physical fight, odds are slim to none they could return to being friends again, and that's something that would not change with time. I am sure there are some regions of the country and schools today who would still handle things the "1987 way". But reality is the majority of the time, that would only be sending the message to other students that physical fighting is the way to go in order to solve disputes in life.
Scenario 7 - Might be the biggest exaggeration here. If ATF, Homeland Security, and FBI must be called, then it's obvious Johnny must have strapped a nuke or something of that nature to the model airplane, and he should know better than that.
Don't have time to comment on all of them, but hopefully this was intended for solely the satirical effect, because not only is it misleading but the writer provides only the most extreme potential outcomes on each end of the spectrum in regards to 1987 vs. 2012. Just my two cents.
[SAS] VET WEST
SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR (RET.)
22nd [SAS] E.V.R. - Who Dares Wins
Be it meant satirical or not - no one can deny that things changed to the worse.
The above examples may be over the top, yes, but if I compare my school-life with today, I'm really glad I'm out off school.
Schools and universities must be weapon-free areas...
...else we did not learn from the past.
DUKE, Germany
"What's the plan?
Track'em, find'em, kill'em!"
Lol. Big exaggeration. Last year someone told the principal I had a shotgun in my car. The principal came to me and told me to remove it from the premises. They made me leave school. It was an unexcused absence >
I remember days of high school.. 3 young men standing around together in the smoking area sharing a marlboro. They all have knives out whittling on their piece of wood to see who could shave the longest and the most thin slice off. The assistant principal walks up, checking smoking permits and comments on the whittlin' the three were doing. The school bell rings and the 3 students stop whittlin' close their respective knives, putting them back in their britches and place their piece of wood back in place so they can return next time and continue. As far as fights go, I have seen them progress from school yard skirmishes to the fight clubs of today... not to mention UFC fights. Yea I'd say we have been going downhill for quite some time, with no brakes.
I thought that the only 2 things banned from these forums was Religeon and Politics?
Lt_Col WIZ, VC, MiD (Ret)
But not philosophy and sociology.
neither are mentioned, so I guess we're all set.
Only mentioned someone's name as an example of what is wrong with today's philosophical approach.
SAS_Vet_Random
Lt. Col (Retired)
22nd [SAS] Elite Virtual Regiment
There is nothing wrong with the original post, I was simply reminding the owners of replies
Lt_Col WIZ, VC, MiD (Ret)
Well seeing as the Obama reference is fine, I will simply edit mine to "I identify with the affiliation shared by people like Romney and Gingrich".
[SAS] VET WEST
SQUADRON SERGEANT MAJOR (RET.)
22nd [SAS] E.V.R. - Who Dares Wins
I have to agree with Random, It has changed big time and for the bad. We never had a fence around school, But now days you will find a fence and sometimes a Guard to go along with it. I guess we are trainin our kids to be ready for prison.
Ya know, It is purty Dang Bad when ya have to sleep with several guns within reach and a dog at the foot of the bed.
Yep, The Good ole days with the Good ole boys are long gone!