1957 vs 2007

[MikePapa1]

I saw this in another forum and it rang true to me.

When you look back on the past, life was much simpler. We laughed at things that were innocent and silly. The jokes we shared were safe for everyone to hear and if it was a little more for the grown ups then the kids knew to go hang out in their rooms.

Kids didnt interrupt adults when they were talking unless the house was on fire or little Johny fell into the toilet.

You knew your postman by name and the milkman used to leave a fresh jug of milk on the porch every other day.

Families sat down and actually ate dinner together-unbelievable :!:

And even more unbelievable-Families actually watched a TV program together and Im not talking about the MTV Awards.

Things have changed all over, but today we will have a Fun look at:

THINGS HAVE REALLY CHANGED IN SCHOOLS IN THE LAST 50 YEARS Lets Look At 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

Jacks 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 wont 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

neighbors 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 Billys dad is arrested for child

abuse. Billy removed to foster care and

joins a gang. State psychologist tells

Billys sister that she remembers being

abused herself and their dad goes to prison.

Billys 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 Pedros 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 Pedros 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 pain t 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, Johnnys 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.

[Sidinman]

That just about sums it up.

[safeandsecure]

Pretty much the way it was ... ... and is.

Life was simpler back in the '50s and '60s for most of us.

Better, too.

[Guest mustangdave]

LOL...it all started going in the crapper in the late 70's

[G27]

Yah, the world was a better place, as long as you were white.

[safeandsecure]

Yah, the world was a better place, as long as you were white.

You're probably right in the larger sense. But in MY world, back then, everyone farmed. White, black, didn't matter. We helped our neighbors. Nobody locked their doors at night. I said "Mr." and "Miz" to anyone older than me, regardless of their race or color. If I didn't, I got a lick up side the head from my Dad. Respect for others and for other's property was instilled in all of us. And I personally didn't know anyone who we could consider "rich." Everybody was in pretty much the same boat, and if someone needed a helping hand they got one -- -- but nobody expected a hand-out.

I know that was only in my little part of the world, but I DID say that it was simpler and better for MOST of us. I'll stick with my statement.

[LagerHead]

Yah, the world was a better place, as long as you were white.

That was, and still is, true only in the South. Once you cross the Mason-Dixon line a magical transformation takes place making you a more tolerant and better person. The only way to improve after that is to move to California and become a raging liberal. Aaaahhhh, enlightenment.

[BryanP]

Yah, the world was a better place, as long as you were white.

Scenario: Jimmy asks Susie out on a date. Jimmy has a high melanin quotient, Susie doesn't.

1957: Jimmy gets beat and strung up by the local Klan.

2007: Nobody really cares.

[G27]

That was, and still is, true only in the South. Once you cross the Mason-Dixon line a magical transformation takes place making you a more tolerant and better person. The only way to improve after that is to move to California and become a raging liberal. Aaaahhhh, enlightenment.

Sorry, can't seem to translate your sarcasm - are you suggesting that I'm some sort of liberal or that it's untrue that racism was still state sanctioned in 1957?

[Mike.357]

I have not seen one post by anyone who has a freaking clue what is was like in 1957. We only know what it was like second handed.

I believe Bryan and Crimson got it right though.

[MikePapa1]

Hey, I was one, I can tell you, Mike.

[Mechanic_X]

2007 Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin.

Becomes a zombie.

So it is the Ritalin.

2011 we are ready for zombies, Jeffrey gets double tapped.

[vontar]

Well , I don't' go back that far, but I do agree.

I remember high school in the early 90's and it was better then now.

Still kids got paddled.

I remember my bus driver threatened to pull the bus over and put the boys off that got in to fights and let them finish.

I do remember getting into fights in school and then hanging out with the same people the next day, you know after we blew off the stream.

Some of those actually still fit though the 80's and early 90's.

I am probably lucky Ritalin was either not availalbe or not widely used when I was in school.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover

firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in

a model airplane pain t bottle, blows up a

red ant bed.

1957 Ants die.

I better not say much about this one. I'll take the 5th.

Edited January 22, 2011 by vontar

[kieefer]

How about pouring gasoline on your plastic Army men and lighting them ..?? or tying them to bottle rockets....? And raise your hand if you shot off bottle rockets by hand.

Oh the horror! How I escaped being Arsonist is beyond me

[Garufa]

Yah, the world was a better place, as long as you were white.

[G27]

You disagree?

[G27]

How about pouring gasoline on your plastic Army men and lighting them ..?? or tying them to bottle rockets....? And raise your hand if you shot off bottle rockets by hand.

Oh the horror! How I escaped being Arsonist is beyond me

Ditto. Playing with fire was an almost daily occurrence...

[dlm37015]

I grew up in Goodlettsville in the 60s I am 55 .I used to ride the bus to Nashville with a 22 ans brick of ammo got off at 8th ave then walked to the dump where Metro Center is now shot rats for hours stepdad picked me up on his way home from work.I would like to do that again by the way that was a Greyhound bus didnt have city busses in G-ville back then

[Oh Shoot]

Hey, I was one, I can tell you, Mike.

Me too. I was 9. Athens, TN was truly a great place to come of age, for me.

Sorry, can't seem to translate your sarcasm - are you suggesting that I'm some sort of liberal or that it's untrue that racism was still state sanctioned in 1957?

We didn't have the first two kids come over from the "Negro High School" until '64, as juniors, guy and a gal.

Only Hubert stayed, graduated with me in '66 and there were still only a handful of blacks in whole McMinn High population at that time.

Matter of fact, all in all, things weren't drastically different in '66 than in '57 in Athens.

- OS

[oldogy]

In 1957 I was a freshman in college. I had my deer rifle, shotgun and handgun in my off campus room. Another ol' boy and I would get out hunting most every weekend during season. 'Twas nothing to carry the gun through town to go hunting or have it in the visible gun rack in the truck. Yeah, things were a whole lot simpler then.

And just a couple years prior, one of my high school teachers brought his gun to school and went home with me for the weekend hunting. Yep, guys and girls, it was different, a whole bunch different.

oldogy

[Garufa]

You disagree?

I just don't see the point in your comment.

[G27]

I just don't see the point in your comment.

The point is that we can look back on the halcyon days of the past, but when you look at the big picture, it wasn't better, it was just different.

It would be great if we weren't overly politically correct about every little thing, but cherry-picking the good things from the 'good old days' doesn't do anyone any good. Fact is there was some really ugly stuff going on during those golden times, and pretending as if the times were better then doesn't serve anyone.

[yonkers40]

I remember 1957. Street gangs, zip guns, garrison belts (with sharpened buckles), rheingold beer and 17 year old girls

[ftncityfatboy]

I was one in 57. I do remember the 60's quite well. No air conditioning in school, steam boilers heated our rooms. As a 2nd grader I danced with my music teacher at the time was somewhat of a hottie.....and she was divorced (hush, hush....divorced women have reputations you know). And what was up with those air raid drills? When the bell rang so many times in a row, it was time for the air raid drill.....everyone get under your desk. Like that was going to do anything. Nuke, children under wooden desk equal toasted children, burnt wood. Nuke, children not under wooden desk equal toasted children, burnt wood.....go figure. We use to "load" peoples lockers (if you ever did it you know what I'm talkin about), sent girls secret admirer letters (would be considered stalking today). We ate after each other, drank out of the water hose, and rarely washed our hands after anything......as stated previously - it wasn't any more simple, just different. There was not someone on every corner to report the news, thus many things went unheard of. We pee'd in the woods, stole our daddy's cigs, and painted our sister's barbie's privates........the list is endless

[Guest mosinon]

Screw 1957, I want to go back to when music wasn't so filled with sex and stuff. I'm talking Mozart baby!

Uh, nevermind

I grew up in the 70's and by my recollection that seems like a simpler time. Except when I really, really think about it, it wasn't all that much different. People trying to make a buck, folks trying to get by. Sure, gun racks in trucks could have actual guns in them but people were still scared of music (back then kiss was supposedly the worst thing ever) weren't scared of smoking but were scared of the USSR and aliens.

None of it really matters, things were always better "back in the olden days" because people can recall every outrage and minor annoyance that happens today but they only remember the good parts of the olden days.

Plus there is this weird notion that somehow if it was good enough for you when you were a kid it is good enough for everyone now. "The paddeled me with barb wire when I was a kid and I turned out all right, by gum!"

Just cause I turned out okay doesn't mean I don't want the world to be better for those that come after me. I had a nun who beat the crap outta me in first grade (she also beat the crap out of every other boy in the class) Nowadays she'd probably play women's pro basketball or something but back in the day she mostly kicked the crap out of little boys. And yeah, I suppose I survived it. I don't suppose it made me a better person. If someone did that to my kid today it would be a very unpleasant situation.

Oh, one thing that stays the same is kids and fireworks. They are terribly dangerous and all but I caught the neighborhood youths playing toss the bottle rocket this year. The idea being that you break the stick off a bottle rocket and toss it in the air in an enclosed place. Those little bastards were doing it in the basement. I was highly pissed. Everyone knows that is a garage game.