Sunday, September 21, 2008

Is Change Always for the Better? You Decide.

The following was sent to me via email. As the sender commented, it is both sad and funny when you look at some of the changes that have taken place from 1957 to 2007. I have my reservations on some of these: in some cases I don't feel the 1957 attitude was any more correct than the 2007 attitude and vice versa; in some cases the change was for the better; in other cases I feel the change was for the worse. So, what do you think?



SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007


Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.

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

2007 - 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.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2007 - 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.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2007 - 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.

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

2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist 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.

1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.

2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.



Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2007 - 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.

1957 - Ants die.

2007- 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.

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

2007 - 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.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last one is really a catch-22 we find ourselves in. Here we are talking about child abuse in schools and how to prevent it. You'd think that having a no touching rule might do it. Go explain that to the 3 year old with the skinned knee out on the playground. Let's see, the teacher can't comfort the kid so a first grader runs over, helps him up and gives him a big hug, and gets suspended for sexual predation. Shouldn't common sense come in here somewhere?

SuperRaizy said...

Umm... you exaggerated a bit, don't you think?

ProfK said...

Raizy,
Can't take credit for any exaggeration you may see in this--I didn't write it. As I started out the posting, I'm not necessarily in agreement with every statement, but I imagine that each reader may read something and go "Yes, exactly!"

Anonymous said...

Sure firecrackers can be dangerous and shouldn't be considered toys for kids but in the 15 plus years we are living in our neighborhood there has never been an accident involving them. yet the last two years in the couple of days before the Fourth and on the Fourth you see enough cop cars in the neighborhood for them to be holding a convention. But during yom tov when it is obvious that the religious jews are not home (you can see them walking to shul) when we asked for extra ride arounds all we got was a cop car that parks in front of the shuls every half hour or so. There were three break ins last year over the course of yom tov and about the same in mischief like stealing the flowers from flowering bushes or stealing hanging plants. Why make such a big deal out of fireworks and forget about real crime?

Bas~Melech said...

Come on, people, this is to be taken tongue in cheek. The point has been made in good humor, no need to nitpick about the actual realism or lack of thereof.