1973 Vs. 2007

[BlackDiamond]

Hey,

Oh How The Times Have Changed.

Scenario: Jack, a 12th grader, goes duck hunting before school, then pulls
into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his pick-up's gun rack.


1973 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's shotgun, then goes
to his car and gets his gun 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 are 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 is arrested, nobody gets
expelled.


2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests both Johnny and
Mark. Charges them with assault with intent to kill and both are expelled
by their school even though it occurred away from school and Johnny started
it.


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Scenario: Jeffrey won't sit still in class and disrupts other students.


1973 - Jeffrey sent to the principal's office and given a good talking-to.
Subsequently he sits still in class.


2007 - Jeffrey given substantial doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. 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.


1973 - 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. Billy 's sister is advised by a state psychologist
that she probably remembers being abused herself, and their dad goes to
prison as a sex offender. Billy's mom has an affair with prosecution's
psychologist.


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Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin at school.


1973 - Mark shares his aspirin with the principal out on the smoking deck.


2007 - Police called. Mark expelled from school for drug violations. His
car is searched for drugs and weapons.


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Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.


1973 : 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 racially biased. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state
school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is stricken from the
mandatory curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway, but ends up
mowing lawns for a living because he doesn't speak English.


----------------------


Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July,
puts them into a model airplane paint bottle, and uses it to blow up a red
ant nest behind his house.


1973 - Ants die.


2007 - BATF, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny is charged with
domestic terrorism and put into juvenile detention. FBI investigates his
parents, and then his siblings are removed from the home, computers
confiscated. Johnny's dad is added to a terrorism watch list and is never
allowed to fly on a commercial aircraft again.


--------------------------


Scenario: Johnny falls while running during third-grade recess and scrapes
his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mrs. Jones. She hugs him to
comfort him.


1973 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.


2007 - Mrs. Jones is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job.
She faces three years in a state prison after a personally and financially
ruinous trial. She and the school are sued by Johnny's parents. Johnny
undergoes five years of therapy.


---------------------


Scenario - Robert insists on disrupting his 10th grade remedial math class
and his teacher takes him by the arm and ushers him out of the room.


1973 - Robert returns if he behaves, or otherwise sits in hallway. Class
proceeds, Robert eventually learns some math.


2007 - Robert's parents sue the teacher, principal, superintendent, school
board, mayor, county, and state for the irreparable physical and mental
abuse of their child -- in the amount of $100 million. Robert is bused to
a new school. All parties settle lawsuit for $10 million and an apology.

[StockTrader]

Well, I wasn't alive in 1973, but most of the 2007's are correct.

Nick