Times have really changed

exalted512

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 g ets an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge. Mary given condoms and told to be more careful next time.

---

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English

1973: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2006: Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. 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 can't speak English.

---

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. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy

-Cody

ohskigod

sad, but mostly true. common sense is becoming less of a factor is solving problems.

PolkWannabie

Right ... Pretty soon we'll be able to state that ... We have met the enemy and they are us ...

dkg999

It's no wonder the rest of the world hates us! We are worrying about things so far removed from the basic necessities of life, that they just can't understand. Pedro in Brazil just hopes his families cardboard box doesn't get wet and he wants a new stick for Christmas! Even if it meant a daily beating, it would be worth it for him to have even a basic education. I really fear for what would happen if our country lost some of our basic comforts, would today's generations be able to survive?

Early B.

"America eats its young."

PhantomOG

I agree that the US goes overboard with the whole PC thing, but I fail to see how allowing guns on school grounds is a "good" thing.

Early B.

PhantomOG wrote:

I agree that the US goes overboard with the whole PC thing, but I fail to see how allowing guns on school grounds is a "good" thing.

Well, that's the point. Thirty years ago it didn't matter because you didn't have to worry about someone using it to kill and terrorize students.

PolkThug

Early B. wrote:

Well, that's the point. Thirty years ago it didn't matter because you didn't have to worry about someone using it to kill and terrorize students.

Exactly. It used to be normal to have a gun rack in the back window of your pickup, and it was not an issue.

audiobliss

Wow. This is really sad. And really ridiculous! :mad:

George Grand

Jenny McCarthy is younger than me. Problem?

PhantomOG

did people in the 70's whine about how much better things were in the 40's?

Warts and all, I wouldn't choose to live in any other country, nor would I choose to live in the 70's if given the opportunity.

dkg999

No, the 70's were pretty good right up until that disco thing! From there on out it went downhill! Today's world is not bad, however there are some torrents in our society that certainly are concerning.

bobman1235

People ALWAYS talk about how muhc "better" things were in the past (except maybe folks who were around for the Depression... and the Dark Ages). Our kids will complain about how much better things were when THEY were kids. While some POLICIES are definitely worse, LIFE on the whole is in almost any measurable way better. Less violence, less crime, less poverty... the news tries to scare you into thinking it's the opposite, but it's not.

PhantomOG

couldn't agree more.

F1nut

Less violence, less crime, less poverty...

I'll have to disagree with that and you can look to the absurb way life is dealt with these days as noted above for the reason why. Hell, 3% of the population is behind bars!

exalted512

bobman1235 wrote:

Less violence, less crime, less poverty...

you dont really think thats true do you?
-Cody

PhantomOG

exalted512 wrote:

you dont really think thats true do you?
-Cody

Let's have a look shall we?

Property crime

Serious Violent Crime

Non-fatal firearm related

And lastly, one to support your claims:

Drug Arrests

So I guess you just miss the free-wheeling drug use of the 70's huh?

PhantomOG

Oh, and the poverty rate in 1970 was 12.6 percent.

Guess what it was in 2005 ... ... ... 12.6 percent.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/histpov/hstpov2.html

Things sure were better back then, huh?

bobman1235

Thank you Phantom, I certainly wouldn't have found such easy-to-read charts like that to prove my point as quickly.

F1nut

So, violent crimes reported by police are up, yet the overall violent crime rate is down??? Make sense to you?

So, the poverty rate is the same as it was 35 years ago. Yeah, that bodes well in the progress department. Tell ya what, why don't you ask any of those 12.6 percent if they feel better off today.:rolleyes:

I take it Phantom that you weren't around in the '70's, so stop trying to act like you know what life was like then.

jdhdiggs

F1nut wrote:

So, violent crimes reported by police are up, yet the overall violent crime rate is down??? Make sense to you?

Uh, yeah, the population is bigger....

Sorry Jesse, couldn't resist, and I do agree with your premise.

We are better off in terms of "toys" (cars, computers, TV's) and medical care, but family life (dare I say family values) seem to have fallen in the crapper over the past 30 years.

audiobliss

jdhdiggs wrote:

We are better off in terms of "toys" (cars, computers, TV's) and medical care, but family life (dare I say family values) seem to have fallen in the crapper over the past 30 years.

and bingo was his name-o

bobman1235

I'll agree with that, but that's a problem of individuals, not society. Family Values comes from parents. Those parents that are raising these disrespectful kids are the ones who grew up in the Xanadu you guys are alluding to in the 60's and 70's. All the hippies and free-thinkers are afraid their kids will do waht they did and have turned the tables completely.

Life in America is generally safer, and lasts longer. The fact that people can't raise their kids correctly is a whole different story.

Shizelbs

I put a lot of the blame of the country's problems on parents.

steveinaz

F1nut wrote:

So, violent crimes reported by police are up, yet the overall violent crime rate is down??? Make sense to you?

So, the poverty rate is the same as it was 35 years ago. Yeah, that bodes well in the progress department. Tell ya what, why don't you ask any of those 12.6 percent if they feel better off today.:rolleyes:

I take it Phantom that you weren't around in the '70's, so stop trying to act like you know what life was like then.

Well, they're talking 12.6% of 36 years more population....that's a hellava lot more

audiobliss

bobman1235 wrote:

I'll agree with that, but that's a problem of individuals, not society. Family Values comes from parents. Those parents that are raising these disrespectful kids are the ones who grew up in the Xanadu you guys are alluding to in the 60's and 70's. All the hippies and free-thinkers are afraid their kids will do waht they did and have turned the tables completely.

Life in America is generally safer, and lasts longer. The fact that people can't raise their kids correctly is a whole different story.

How does a 'mass epedimic' of individuals lacking values/morals not affect society?! Society is made up of individuals and determined by those individuals' actions and beliefs. The two are very much intertwined in my way of thinking.

Early B.

Times are getting worse. How can you tell?

Just look at the children -- weaker physically and mentally, need to take meds to sit quietly in class, 15 year old kids shooting their classmates, MTV attention span, rampant drug use, sex crazed, gender confused, suicidal, fatter, and less mature than their parents were at the same age.

steveinaz

This country started losing it when parents tried to be their kids "friend." A parent is far more than a friend, and parents don't have the luxury of being their kids friend until possibly, later in life. A friend is a peer, a Parent is an example to work your way up to. You have to rise above what makes you feel good, and do what is needed to help guide your child. Sometimes that isn't fun, but you take the good with the bad, and you find the courage and integrity to do the right thing.

We're too busy these days with our cell phones and crackberrys, yacht clubs and tennis dates to be raising kids..., you know, too busy doing what we want to do, no? So we stuff a $50 in little Johnny's mouth and send him to the arcade. Then we make zero tolerance tough laws, so the judicial system can finish raising our kids, that frees up time to wax the BMW dontcha know....

And finally we buy them everything they want, so we don't have to spend a dear 5 minutes communicating or interacting with them---god forbid we communicate some original feeling. Then we wonder why our children grow up to be self-centered, self-absorbed morons. Why? Because they had to take care of themselves...it's called insecurity. No rules, no structure, no one in charge---no security.

Everyone for themselves.

Being a parent is the toughest thing you'll ever do in your life---if it's done right. It's also the most rewarding. You young folk's with no children yet--take notes.

Kids don't develop character and self-esteem because of the stuff they have. They develop character by learning and watching you. Seeing what kind of person you are, your honesty, integrity. They gain esteem from your praise, and integrity from your example---and right from wrong, thru your discipline.

ND13

All I know is that I grew up during the 70s(in Memphis, Tn), in a moderately large city/metro area, and I could hop on my bike and be gone for hours on end and ride for miles and miles, without a worry.

Today, my boys aren't even allowed to ride their bikes without a friggin helmet on.

We have become a nation of pussified, politically correct, poorly educated, entitlist elitist.

PhantomOG

F1nut wrote:

So, the poverty rate is the same as it was 35 years ago. Yeah, that bodes well in the progress department. Tell ya what, why don't you ask any of those 12.6 percent if they feel better off today.:rolleyes:

And in your world are there no lazy people that are completely content to live off the government cheese? I'm sure there are plenty of hard working people who have fallen on hard times and are still trying, but there always has been, and always will be a percentage of the population that doesn't want to work (and never will) to better themselves and contribute to society.

You're right, I was born in 1979 so I can't speak anectodally to how life was back then. I can tell you that blaming the government and "society" for personal failures has become all too common today. And the attitude of helplessness/entitlement that goes along with it does squat to fix these "evils" when, as individuals in a great free society, we already possess the rights and resources to shed these problems.

PhantomOG

Early B. wrote:

Times are getting worse. How can you tell?

Just look at the children -- weaker physically and mentally, need to take meds to sit quietly in class, 15 years old kids shooting their classmates, music video attention span, rampant drug use, sex crazed, gender confused, suicidal, fatter, and less mature than their parents.

As a parent today you can:
1) choose NOT to give you kids tv's and video games in their bedrooms and instead sign them up for sports
2) choose NOT to give your kids ritalin for behaviour problems and instead discipline them appropriately
3) choose NOT to pay for cable and allow your kids to watch MTV
4) choose TO be involved with your kids lives and know if they are on drugs/having sex
5) choose NOT to feed your kids fast food and pizza for dinner every night

So all the screwed up kids today are screwed up because of who?? Society? The government? Today's kids (not all of them) are screwed up because of their parents.

I'm willing to bet most of the fine folks here at Club Polk who are parents DON'T have kids that have these problems. But how is that possible when the cards are so stacked against them??? For every screwed up kid that's alluded to here and in the media I'm will to bet there are 5-10 oustanding ones who deserved to be praised instead of forgotten because of the bad apples.

My whole point is, comments like that make it seem like its impossible to have a child grow up today and not have all those problems. I'm saying it is possible, but it takes parents being parents, instead of parents letting the government/society/teachers/television be the parents. And that hasn't changed since the 70's.