The good and bad of change

1963 and 2007

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

1963 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to

his get his to show Jack.

2007 - 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.

1963 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up

best

friends Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.

2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge

1963 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal.

Sits still in class

2007 - 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.

1963 - 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 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.

1963 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking

dock.

2007 searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Mary turns up pregnant.

1963 - 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a

special

school for expectant mothers.

2007 - Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the

ACLU. Mary is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without

her parent's consent or knowledge, Mary given condoms and told to be more careful.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1963: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2007: Pedro's cause is taken up by ultra-liberals. 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

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.

1963 - Ants die.

2007 - ATF, 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, who hugs Johnny to comfort him.

1963 - 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.

And this is what we call progress?