Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

SCHOOL - 1950s v 2014


Scenario :
Johnny and Mark get into a fight after school.

1950s - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.

2014 - Police called, and they arrest Johnny and Mark & charge them with assault.
Both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Both children go to anger management programmes for 3 months.
School governors hold meeting to implement bullying prevention programmes.

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Scenario :
Robbie won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1950s - Robbie sent to the office and given six of the best by the Principal.
Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2014 - Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADHD – result deemed to be positive. Robbie's parents get fortnightly disability payments and school gets extra funding from government because Robbie has a disability.

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Scenario :
Billy breaks a window in his neighbour's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1950s - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2014 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care; joins a gang; ends up in jail.

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Scenario :
Mark gets a headache and takes some Aspirin to school.

1950s - Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with, Passes exams & becomes a solicitor.

2014 - Police called, car searched for drugs and weapons.
Mark expelled from school for drug taking. Ends up as a drop out.

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Scenario :
Johnny takes apart leftover fireworks from Guy Fawkes night, puts them in a paint tin & blows up a wasp's nest.

1950s - Wasps die.

2014- Police & Anti-Terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated.
Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly in an aeroplane again.

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Scenario :
Johnny falls over while playing football during morning break and scrapes his knee.
He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. She hugs him to comfort him.

1950s - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing football. No damage done.

2014 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in prison.
Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy and ends up gay.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

This would be funny if it weren't so dangerously true. We've come to be our own worst enemies.

NeilL Loc: British-born Canadian

And we can blame it on political correctness.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Feb 1973 to June 30, 2007 as classroom teacher in Los Angeles. So I believe every word you typed. In fact I think you were too optimistic about 2014.

nakkh Loc: San Mateo, Ca

As a parent of 3 teenage boys, I worry every minute about the Zero tolerance bullshit everywhere nowadays. Get caught doing one dumb juvenile thing & the government will fuck up your life for years. All it does is teach kids & their parents to hate the government.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I 1960 I was 12. Got into a fight at school. When I got home my mother said "wait till your father gets home" When he got home my mother told him about the fight. My father asked my one question. "Did you win"?. My answer- Not really. My father then said "next time win. you will feel better that way."

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

Please, please everyone: keep your children as far away from Ritalin as possible!! And ALL other psychotropic drugs, as well!

clanmack Loc: Asheville, NC

Slightly humorous, sad and true. Life was, or seems now, to have been simpler then. Of course, 4th grade Johnny has to say no to drugs, watch out for a weird Uncle or his priest, is exposed to all sorts of chemicals in the air and water he drinks (our water has elements of many pharmaceuticals in it-better living through chemistry) that effect his developing brain, avoid gangs and many other societal changes his parents never had to face. I wasn't exposed to pot until college, my kids were exposed in elementary school.

Spindrift62 Loc: Dorset, England. U.K.

Doddy, you forgot the scenario where one of the protagonists in the fight is black/brown/green/rainbow coloured. It would immediately be classified as a Racial Hate crime. The white guy would get a long prison sentence and the non white guy would get councelling and a hefty pay out from public funds. whatever he would be awarded would be deemed insufficient and during the resulting riots all of his friends would be acquiring new plasma TV's and Nike trainers. After this the Tax payers would be hit for the rebuilding of the area that was burnt down during the riots.
Don't you just love humour!

Cragzop Loc: NYC

Last December my 2 daughters, 17 and 21, got into a fight. The older one broke her sister's bedroom door so the younger one called 911. Cops showed up and arrested both for "domestic violence." Get before the judge and there are my girls in handcuffs, and while the older one is appearing before the judge one of the arresting morons asks if she will be bar tending at the local bar that weekend!

In the mean time half the town kids are stoned and know where to get the drugs, but the Keystone cops would rather arrest 2 sisters than go after the real criminals, and they have no clue where the dealers are.

Our tax payer dollars at work.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Uh! They were specifically called to the altercation and had two individuals making allegations/charges against each other. Didn't the girls have any blame in this?

Daryl New Loc: Wellington,New Zealand

Sad but true....

Cragzop Loc: NYC

Of course the girls had "blame," but the question is discretionary authority. I guarantee if this had been some other officer's kids, say 2 sons, fighting each other neither would have been arrested.