Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Good Ol' Days

HIGH SCHOOL --  1957 vs. 2007
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.
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 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 -  Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.   
  
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 -  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.
2007 -  Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie.. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state 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.
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 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.
1957 -  Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
 2007 - 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.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and 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 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.
1957 - Ants die.
2007- 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 fl y again.  

Scenario 8:
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.  

Scenario 9:
Mary burns the tip of her tongue on a cup of hot soup she buys at the school cafeteria, thus spilling a bit on her new dress which becomes discolored.
1957 - She wipes up the spill and continues eating her breakfast.
2007 - Her parents sue the cafeteria food supplier because the coffee was too hot, thus closing down the lunchroom and depriving others of buying a healthy lunch.  Her parents also sue the dress maker for manufacturing the dress off shore while hiring workers at barely sustainable wages.

Scenario 10:
Janice watches Ralph Cramden threaten Alice with "Bang Zoom!"
1957 - Millions watch and everybody thinks it's very funny.  Ratings soar.  Janice becomes a well known Senator fighting for equal pay for female teachers.
2007 - The Honeymooners is immeditely canceled due to complaints from NOW.

Scenario 11:
Jerry's parents allow him to watch one TV show each evening after he completes his homework.  Commercials advertising cigarettes and liquor are permitted on TV.
1957 - Little Jerry is exposed to cigarette smoking and whiskey commercials.  He later goes on to write situation comedies for TV.
2007 - Jerry's TV show cannot show anyone drinking a beer, but words such as fart, bitch, bastard are permitted, as are commercials featuring models from Victoria's Secret and ads for Viagra.
   
How stupid we have become!!
Think about it!!

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