50 years of social progress...

[Moses]

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with
rifle in gun rack.

1956 - 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.

1956 - 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.

19 56 - 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.

1956 - 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.

1956 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal
out on the smoking dock.

2006 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for
dr ug violations. Car searched for drugs and
weapons.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1956 : Pedro goes to summer school, passes English,
goes to college.

2006 : Pedro's cause is taken up by state legal
party. Newspaper articles appear nationally explain
ing 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.

1956 - 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.

1956 - 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 St ate
Prison.

[lendaddy]

You have violated the Pelican Transfered Guilt Act of 2006. Please edit your post to reference the tortured and traumatic lives lead by all but white males during the period you seem to be celebrating.

Your cooperation is appreciated.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

1956 - Someone retells something that's been passed around by "word of mouth" for weeks. Recipients politely listen and nod, pretending it's just as witty/funny now as the first dozen times they heard it.

2007 - Fifteen people come out of woodwork to scream "REPOST".

[the]

I LOL'd 2X.

("Transfered Guilt Act," funny!)

[Joeaksa]

Sad but true. We are not progressing as a society in many ways.

I am one of those kids who carried a gun to school some of the time, and went shooting or hunting afterwards.

[Chocaholic]

50 years of progress also brought us Columbine and Virginia Tech...perhaps a little diligence is appropriate.

Look outside....it's not 1956 any longer. Heck, look at your own profession. Would you be happy if we still had 1956 medical technology?

I think it was Bob Dylan who said....."the times they are a-changin'".

[Superman]

dbl pst

[Superman]

When I was a kid, we used to carry our .22 rifles on our bikes, on the way to our favorite varmit killing grounds, affectionately known as "Gofer Gulch." I don't remember taking it into the drug store while buying candy, but I'll bet I did that. Rifles on gun racks in most of the pickup trucks. A dog was on guard duty. All of the vehicles parked on Main Street were unlocked, and most of them had the keys dangling in the ignition. I have no reason to believe there was ever a key that fit a door lock on our house.

I'm guessing that keys are no longer left in they 'ignition' of parked cars there, but I'd guess a teenager can still take his .22 through town on his bike. North Idaho logging town. Spankings happened. Fistfights happened. Scraped knees happened daily. Ants died. Along with spiders, crickets, garter snakes (did you know you could peel a snake like a banana?), fish, etc. Ever try to catch a fish with your hands? If kids are growing up twisted these days and they have never tried to catch a fish with their hands......then I think I know part of the problem.

[notfarnow]

When I was in grade 10, I had a bad habit of taping firecarckers to the bottom of birthday candles and sticking them to the back of toilets in the boys washroom. Light the candle, and about 8 minutes late.... BOOOOM

Good fun, but eventually the principal figured out it was me. He told me I had to stop, or I could get suspended.

Wonder how that would go down today.

[cantdrv55]

I used to carry around a slingshot. Remember those? I don't even think they sell them anymore.

[tabs]

Firecrackers in Oranges...made good handgrenades while playing Army