5 Quotes on Change and a bit of fun
If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit
It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. ~W. Edwards Deming (Thank you, Michelle.)
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Victor Frankl
All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. ~Ellen Glasgow
SCHOOL – 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 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 :
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 won’t 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 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 removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy’s sister 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 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 - 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 state school system and Pedro’s 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 paint 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, 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. 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 .
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. ~Francis Bacon
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
The scenario about a child with learning disabilities getting a good paddling is insensitive. Being a parent of a child that struggles with learning disabilities, I find it offensive. Not every child that has a learning disability has ADD or AD/HD. Ever heard of Autism? Thanks for spreading a common misconception.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:06 am
I am familiar with autism….in fact very familiar. ..but reading the piece in no way reinforced any misconceptions in my view. People that are ignorant aren’t now more or less ignorant…they are still just ignorant.
I think the author who wrote the piece was using satire to illustrate an entirely different point. That of parents abdicating their responsibility to teach & discipline their kids to the schools and society and then blaming the schools & society for it not going well.
But I see your point … My apologies…certianly no offense was intended.
Please keep in mind I am not a political or social commentator or personality… my real point in today’s T4D is found in the last quote ..which was directly in response to the author who seemed chagrined at how things have changed for the worse. Society will get worse and worse until if we just allow it to drift in that direction…it will only get better if people deliberately desire and design it do so. Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. ~Francis Bacon
~ Kirk
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:24 am
Additional Scenario:
how about this one:
1957 - Billy steals a car. Goes to prison for 10years and actually stays 10years. Does not
have a tv in his cell. Learns to be an electrician while in prison. Gets a real job when he
gets out and turns out to be a solid citizen.
2007 - Billy steals a car. Goes to jail for 18months, tops. Learns how to perfect the art of
stealing cars by playing videogames that highlight criminal activities on a color flatscreen tv
and gaming console paid for by taxpayers. Carjacks 3 vehicles in his first month out of prison.
Gets sentenced to another 18months. and the cycle repeats, all paid for by taxpayers.