SCHOOL -- 1958 vs. 2008

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1958 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2008 - 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.
1958 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2008 - 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.
1958 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2008 - 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.
1958 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2008 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psycho logist 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.
1958 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2008 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario : Pedro fails high school English.
1958 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English , goes to college.
2008 - 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 given 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, blows up a red ant bed.
1958 - Ants die.
2008 - 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.
1958 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2008 - 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.

******************************

(actually, it's a little sadder than funny, but ain't it the truth??!!)

Yeah, we've started to go a little overboard on a lot of things, and attitudes towards children are definitely on the forefront of the trend. I got suspended in 4th grade for having a Swiss army knife that was about an inch long in my pocket... And my friend Tzipora was suspended for having some pills on display in a project she did about medicine (her dad was a doctor).

I still don't get why suspending students is supposed to be punishment.

I still don't get why suspending students is supposed to be punishment.
Seriously... When I got suspended I went to the Natural History Museum EVERY DAY for three days in a row!!

Schools: 1958 vs 2008

The good old days. Hahah. I remember being in the 3d grade when all the nuns in school suddenly had brand-new rulers. 15" in length, made especially for them at the local Bethelem Steel plant. Rather than just a flat steel, these were the same size as the their wooden counterpart, a pretty hefty weapon. Those rulers were at every Catholic school this one particular convent covered, which meant I saw those things through the end of 8th grade, and for all I know there might still be some around after all these years.

The good old days. Hahah. I remember being in the 3d grade when all the nuns in school suddenly had brand-new rulers. 15" in length, made especially for them at the local Bethelem Steel plant. Rather than just a flat steel, these were the same size as the their wooden counterpart, a pretty hefty weapon. Those rulers were at every Catholic school this one particular convent covered, which meant I saw those things through the end of 8th grade, and for all I know there might still be some around after all these years.

Dang, you don't think the end of corporal punishment actually put the steel plants outta business, do ya? :rolleyes:

Of course, I'm way too young to remember going to school in 1958 *koff koff* -- but what I do remember is that when something bad happened (i.e., one got in trouble at school) they got punished at school... then punished again when they got home... then that was the end of it. Nowdays, everything turns into a Federal case and chances are good the kid will be referred to counseling, the parents to parenting classes and the teacher to another "How to handle unruly students" training session!

Sometimes I think things are way too complicated these days.

P.S. I'm surprised there are so many Catholic school attendees around here. Maybe we should do a poll, eh?

I don't get most of your posts, SMW, but your humor posts are right on. I think this one should also go in a regular forum.

I still don't get why suspending students is supposed to be punishment.


It would be a punishment to my oldest daughter:lolhit:
She loves school

I don't get most of your posts, SMW, but your humor posts are right on. I think this one should also go in a regular forum.

Why, thanky LH. That's about as close to a compliment as I ever expect to get around here!!

:flowers:
SMW

When I got suspended, I learned how to use drugs, drink alcohol, and swear like a gutter mouthed truck driver.

Suspensions in high school were better. Leather, tatoos, and Harleys.

I knew school had to be good for something

2 different elementary schools I attended had teachers who smoked in the classroom while class was in session. Another of the smokers was the Monsignor ("hey you -- almost a Bishop, come over here!") in charge of the whole school & church. He was apt to walk into any classroom during the school day to interrupt for as long as he felt the need & he was a chimney.



*Post #8000*

Seriously... When I got suspended I went to the Natural History Museum EVERY DAY for three days in a row!!

Ha ha!! That's a joke right? ....Right?

I still don't get why suspending students is supposed to be punishment.
what got me was they'd suspend kids for not going...wtf?:@@:

I remember in 4th grade I took a copy of SURFER Magazine to school (a school near the beach, with a very very heavy surf culture mind you) and I got in trouble. Not because I had the magazine, we were allowed to bring in something from home to read, during designated reading time that we had. I got in trouble because there was this one picture in there that said Sex/Love/Surf, and showed a woman in a bikini on the beach. Now I mean, cmon... how many woman in bikinis had I seen up to that point in my life, and how many other woman were in the magazine with bikinis? About a million. I think maybe it was more about the word sex than anything though. I wasn't really punished, but I did have to go to the principals office and talk to her, and they called my parents.

Ha ha!! That's a joke right? ....Right?
Nope. I love the Natural History Museum. I'm kind of a geek. I played hooky as a child... so I could stay home and read books. :D

I remember in 4th grade I took a copy of SURFER Magazine to school (a school near the beach, with a very very heavy surf culture mind you) and I got in trouble. Not because I had the magazine, we were allowed to bring in something from home to read, during designated reading time that we had. I got in trouble because there was this one picture in there that said Sex/Love/Surf, and showed a woman in a bikini on the beach. Now I mean, cmon... how many woman in bikinis had I seen up to that point in my life, and how many other woman were in the magazine with bikinis? About a million. I think maybe it was more about the word sex than anything though. I wasn't really punished, but I did have to go to the principals office and talk to her, and they called my parents.

I've always suspected you were a closet perv, Phyrex,:lolhit:

I was never suspened but got in trouble once for changing a math grade on my report card from an F to a C.

If I'd been smart, I woulda changed it to a B--not as glaring, what with the big smudgy erasure mark and all, but somehow I knew Dad would never fall for me actually getting a B in that horrendous class.

My own kids have never been suspended but my youngest son is about to, if he keeps calling the Assistant Principal "Heinrich Himmler". He thinks he impresses the girls with his wit. And he does--unfortunately, the school bigwigs are NOT impressed.
Ah, youth.