That Was Then, This Is Now
By Daniel Miessler on October 31st, 2007: Tagged as Culture
[ From a Forwarded Email ]
School, 1967 vs. 2007
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1967 - Vice principal comes over to look at Jack’s shotgun. He goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, and FBI is called. Jack is 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.
1967 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.
2007 - Police called. SWAT team arrives. Johnny and Mark are arrested and charged with assault. Both are expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.
1967 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the principal. He returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is diagnosed with ADD and given huge doses of Ritalin; becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a learning disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1967 - 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 placed in foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist convinces 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.
1967 - Mark shares aspirin with principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called. Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. Car is searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1967 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college, and graduates.
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 is given a 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, and blows up a red ant bed.
1967 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates parents; siblings are 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, Heather. Heather hugs him to comfort him.
1967 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Heather is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in state prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy.
wow. so true and yet, so lame.
Comment by jesse — 10/31/2007 @ 9:09 pm
Scenario: Author writes satiric article pointing out how times have changed and how people react differently. 1967: -People laugh and say: “shucks, that’s funny.” 2007: -People are offended and call Homeland Security. Author is arrested for being a terrorist and faces rendition to Guantanamo. People say: “Serves him right, he thinks too much.”
Comment by laowaitattler — 10/31/2007 @ 9:10 pm
Scenerio: Mark calls Tyrone a Nigger 1957: Tyrone is beet up after school in front of his parents. Mark and family laugh about it over dinner. 2007: Mark is chastised by peers. Parents are in shame.
Johnny has prostate cancer. 1957: Johnny is SOL and dies. 2007: A relatively minor and routine surgery is performed. Johnny gets to still have a young boy who thinks the world of Johnny.
Scenerio: Mike suffers from aspergers. 1967: Mike is thought of as a weirdo. He grows up lacking the proper attention he needs to survive and becomes homeless. Principle beats him with a paddle not understanding why Mikey won’t just fit in. 2007: Mike’s difficulties are properly diagnosed and he is properly cared for in the best fashion his peers know how.
Scenerio: Old man reminisces about the good old days. 1967: Not understanding how good they have it, people agree. 2007: Not understanding how good they have it, people agree.
I’ll take 2007.
Comment by Maxo — 10/31/2007 @ 11:05 pm
@laowaitattler
Scenario: Author writes satiric comment pointing out satire is considered an enemy of the state. 1967: -People laugh and say: “Shucks, that’s funny.” 2007: -People are confused and call Homeland Security. Author is arrested for being an arrogant bastard with a penchant for recursion.
Comment by Daniel Miessler — 11/1/2007 @ 4:12 am
Maxo its not a package deal. Political correctness, racism, and antiquated medical care are mutually exclusive.
At any rate, great article Dan.
Comment by Dustin — 11/1/2007 @ 6:26 am
I read that post as a recolection of how good things used to be. The fact is things are much better today than they used to be. Not everything is better, but overall it is. The good ole days never existed. The good days are today, the better days are tomorrow.
Comment by Maxo — 11/1/2007 @ 1:46 pm
I agree with Maxo, thats a good perspective, but its so true about how people react so bad these days. Reading news you always find ridiculous situations like those that Daniel wrote. Nice article!
Comment by Eddie — 11/1/2007 @ 8:36 pm
From the viewpoint of someone with ADD, I find the 3ed one a little upsetting. Of course, you need to add this one also:
Person decides to check the rss feeds to see if any of the blogs they read have updated 1967 - Attempt fails, as there is no internet. Person drafted and sent to Vietnam, where they get shot. 2007 - Person opens up Firefox, which uses their broadband internet connection to check the rss feeds, where they learn nothing of interest has been said in any of the blogs.
Comment by Ladislaio — 11/2/2007 @ 8:42 pm
This is the climate of fear we live in.
Don’t forget, in 1967 a bunch of college kids were beat up by riot police on their college campus.
Comment by James — 11/2/2007 @ 9:52 pm
1967: An Author Writes Satirical views about the Differences between 1967 and 1947, People applaud them but Know it was thrown out of Proportion. They stop complaining and the problems fade.
2007: An Author Writes Satirical views about the Differences Between 2007 and 1967, People realize that they’ve seen this years and years ago and laugh at them driving by in hover cars.
Comment by Anonymous — 11/2/2007 @ 9:52 pm
Don’t know nothing about 1967 (I was born in 1986), but I grew up in the country, and with parents that actually had common sense, and I totally agree with these.
Simple lives make for good people. Today, everyone’s paranoid about terrorists and guns at school (I never got in trouble for having a shotgun in my truck at school during duck season), parents aren’t allowed to discipline their children in what they believe the proper manner (excluding totally fucking-up the kids health), and there’s a pill for absolutely everything, even shit we don’t need (my mom dies of breast cancer so some 70 old pervert could buy Viagra and get a hard on).
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
Comment by Phil — 11/2/2007 @ 9:57 pm
1967 the beginning of the hippie movement, 2007 after the hippie movement. just goes to show you how there peace and love aspect on life was completely wrong. im assuming they were to doped up to think correctly and now those same people are running things aka the house and the senate.
Comment by dryden — 11/2/2007 @ 11:17 pm
Good list, one thing is that all this would happen in the USA, most other countries arent as wack as you guys and have a bit more commonsense.
Comment by NZer — 11/3/2007 @ 12:38 am
I haven’t thought about this before, but it’s really odd that US allows guns when it’s at war against terrorism… I mean… come on.
Comment by Karl — 11/4/2007 @ 2:01 am
all hyperbole.
a young man takes a hit of acid
1967: He has a wild time and retreats into his inner imaginative environment, dancing with all the characters and images that have cultivated his reality.
2007: He is bored because it isnt good stuff anymore and all of his friends bum him out by telling him that he is killing brain cells and melting his spine
Comment by hmmm — 11/4/2007 @ 7:54 am
Fear has destroyed this country… and it’s only going to get worse.
Comment by Dave — 11/4/2007 @ 8:47 am
schools don’t get funding for add or adhd students. do your research.
Comment by heya — 11/4/2007 @ 4:41 pm
1967 - USA leads the world due to willingness to innovate and adapt. Decent education system and modestly priced health services leads to high levels of productivity and opportunity for all.
2007 - USA has a some very high quality workers that keep America wealthy, but mass majority of population is barely literate and relatively incompetant due to failure of public schools and insane health care system. USA fails to adapt to modern economy and sits around wishing for ‘good old days’ - president agrees and does his best to make 2007 like 1967. USA dollar nearly worthless…but most fail to notice because they are watching CNN discuss Britney.
Comment by Bob — 11/4/2007 @ 7:23 pm
Scenario: Curtis makes rap song about shooting “bitches” 1957: Music is never sold, no one likes him. 2007: America’s Youth loves the song becomes popular. Curtis becomes millionaire and forgets his past. Youth of America emulates his past actions. Curtis then speaks out against file sharing even though he stole in his youth. Curtis changes name to 50 Cent. Someone with out a similar background(Eminem) tries to do the same as Curtis and becomes just as popular. No one knows what the hell they are saying in their music.
Comment by John — 11/5/2007 @ 4:29 am
lol i agree with Bob. but instead of Britney it’s more like Paris or OJ.
Comment by Parker — 11/5/2007 @ 5:38 am
To John: Eminem came first, and his earlier rap (before he became ‘I’m so ghetto’ first, then ‘I’m so wacky’ later) was pretty good, as far as radio rap goes.
And to Maxo: I’m pretty sure the point was that America has become far too controlled by fear (I’ll go for the cheap shot, and say Patriot Act), and too dependent on pills to solve their problems (funnily enough, you mention Asperger Syndrome, the General Ill of The Week)
Comment by unassuming — 11/6/2007 @ 11:59 pm
I sure do feel stupid after reading that.
Boo.
Comment by Jesusboi — 11/7/2007 @ 1:06 am
1957: author uses all male characters to exemplify points; 2007: author uses all male characters to exemplify points.
Some things never changed.
Comment by irlandesa — 11/7/2007 @ 1:16 pm
1967: USA embroiled in a pointless war in a distant country. Many innocent people needlessly die. Costs a lot of money. Nothing worthwhile achieved.
2007: USA embroiled in a pointless war in a distant country. Many innocent people needlessly die. Costs a lot of money. Nothing worthwhile achieved.
Conclusion; Nothing has really changed. Americans don’t seem to learn from history. The rest of the world still regards them as gung ho dumb cunts.
Comment by Will Needham — 11/7/2007 @ 5:30 pm
I grew up in the sixties and I tell you what, I’ve seen the school systems and medical professions go backwards. I believe that ADD and the like are misdiagnoses. The only reason the doctors call it that is because parents don’t want to take the time to spend with their kids. Sure, kids will be a little more rambunctuous than adults but it’s normal. If the child has trouble focusing, then the parents should teach meditation technics to help them become disciplined so they can concentrate. Once you start taking Ritlin (sp) what’s gonna be next?? You end up taking some sort of pill for the rest of your life. I have a soon to be 15 year old who is hyper and sometimes loses his concentration but I would never in a million years start him on the path to a drug filled life. I tolerate it and I teach him meditation. As to the schools, I wouldn’t attend school now if you paid me 100 million dollars. The children aren’t allowed to have any fun at being a kid. They are being taught to grow up as soon as they enter daycare. C’mon, give me a break. Let kids enjoy their life a little and get in trouble. Isn’t that what mistakes are for, to learn from? I think the government is way too paranoid because one person screwed it up. Punish that person and not the whole freaking world.
Comment by Freak — 11/7/2007 @ 8:19 pm
1967: People get outside of the home and talk to people about the problems around them. They create plans and for the most part follow through with them in an attempt to change things. They make mistakes and learn from them. Jump ahead 40 unethically-capitalistic-influenced years 2007: People watch their disaster pornography and fear propaganda on T.V.(so accurately nick-named an idiot box) while self-administering self-doubt through celebrity idolisation. They complain about shady politicians that they’ve elected and argue when someone points out their unnecessarily large SUV is spewing chemicals that help destroy the environment. Their general stupidity only feebly communicates an apathetic dislike to all that’s going on around them. As long as “The Family Guy” is on and the broadband connection is greedily gobbling up P2P files. Communication is antagonistic as those that pay at least half attention to what’s going on around them willing paint a bold line dividing them from those that have opposing ideas. This more than anything is the foundation of destruction as compassion and compromise become unutterable words.
Comment by ApatheticAtom — 11/7/2007 @ 9:30 pm
dont forget
man wants more land and easier access to supplies from other countries
1939 man is referred to as hitler and starts world war 2 apparently evil (germany invaded poland to get more land)
2003 man is referred to as george bush and becomes a world renowned moron supposedly on the good guys side (usa invaded iraq for reasons undisclosed to the world and even the US public… apparently after we didnt find weapons of mass destruction we had to stay there anyways even though sept 11 01 was done by osama bin laden who was/is allegedly in/around pakistan and afghanistan)
Comment by fred durst — 11/8/2007 @ 12:42 am
Scenerio: Mike suffers from aspergers. 1967: Mike is thought of as a weirdo. He grows up lacking the proper attention he needs to survive and becomes homeless. Principle beats him with a paddle not understanding why Mikey won’t just fit in. 2007: Mike’s difficulties are properly diagnosed and he is properly cared for in the best fashion his peers know how.
Fuck you, I have Aspergers, I was told my whole life I am odd, I have been accused of being possessed, I nearly ended up homeless, I don’t fit in, I was nearly killed over it, I was picked on my whole life, and I nearly had to sue my college this year because they weren’t tolerant of it. So just fuck you, you have no clue how much it sucks to have it even now, the only difference is, back then I beat the fuck out of someone for it and no one cares, it was bound to happen. Today I will go to jail, and be put into a psych ward.
Comment by Arenlor — 11/8/2007 @ 4:20 am
ps… you’re proving his point. ur F****D up.
Comment by Trivet — 11/8/2007 @ 4:49 pm
You got to love it when the people of yesteryears complain about the problems of today. The people of today didn’t shape today, it was shaped by you complaining old farts. Maybe you should have done a better job.
Comment by josh — 11/8/2007 @ 5:32 pm
Yep, we should all go back to the good old days when kids could play with explosives, parents could beat their children with belts, and kids were hit for having a legitimate disability
Comment by Amy — 11/8/2007 @ 9:19 pm
Amem to amy!
Comment by Jode Sanchez — 11/9/2007 @ 12:47 am
The only one thing that we can all rely on.. Change.
Comment by Applerust — 11/9/2007 @ 4:25 am
1967 - parents were allowed to freely beat their children because children were thought of as property with no rights to safety like an adult has.
2007 - Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy etc.
Physical abuse (and psychological abuse) are not the only ways of discipling children, only the lazy ways.
Comment by SapphireMind — 11/9/2007 @ 10:40 am
Wow, i think people are taking this way out of proportion. It’s a humorous look on SOME of the differences between the era’s.
And while i definitely don’t agree with beating your children for every small problem, i think it’s stupid parents get in trouble for giving their kids a smack when they’ve really misbehaved. My parents did it to me and i’m not a serial killer.
Comment by mbb — 11/9/2007 @ 7:19 pm
:S What?
Comment by n — 11/10/2007 @ 12:39 am
I could not imagine the situation!
Comment by nabin — 11/10/2007 @ 12:39 am
[...] That Was Then, This Is Now [...]
Pingback by Then and Now at Traction Control — 11/10/2007 @ 2:19 am
ADHD is beyond real. I have it and it’s a complete nightmare. You tell me that it’s all my parent’s fault for not having responsibility and I would fucking kill you. There’s been about a century of history associated with it, and the APA has filed it as a mental disorder for over 20 years, with plenty of research behind it. They don’t just classify anything. Look “Freak”, do some damn research next time.
Comment by Cody — 11/10/2007 @ 5:19 am
I aint going to try to say that adhd or add are fake but they have started giving away these diagnosis. Seriously no testing they just say a kid has adhd or add and then the school councelor gives a prescription for ridilin which the parents must give their kid OR ELSE. And I know a great cure for kids that have trouble paying attention in class. Its what my parents used on me when I was a kid. They sat down and helped me with my homework every chance they got. I don’t mean sitting there making sure I was doing the work or giving me the answers but helping me find the answers myself and understanding how I found them. Course that would require actual parenting and there are way to many people who seem to think that since its the schools job to teach children that they don’t have to do anything to help.
Comment by olstar — 11/10/2007 @ 7:53 am
Terroist group attacks the US. 1967: President declares war and kills the bastards.
2002: President declars war against the perpetrators, then gets tired of looking. Starts “mission of peace” against nearby country, upon which they appoint a religously unacceptable (to them) form of government upon them; and is surprised when the citizens become angry. President decides war protects american freedoms.
Comment by St.jimmy — 11/11/2007 @ 5:57 am
Hey guys, I have an idea. It goes something like this: why don’t you take this blog article for what it is and not have a fucking debate over it? I’m ashamed to say that many of you have destroyed all credibility you may have otherwise had, were you not too busy posting your WORTHLESS opinionated comments to be observed by people who simply don’t give a shit anyway. How fortunate we are that we get to hide behind aliases and rip each other’s opinions and perspectives apart; therein lies the needlessness of credibility, and the reason nobody should even take it seriously. Shut the fuck up, read the page, and just let it go. I don’t give a damn how you perceive it, because… surprise… not a word you type means a thing to me, and I feel no need to reserve compassion or patience for people I don’t know.
Comment by Anonymous — 11/12/2007 @ 12:09 am
Irony: See above.
Comment by Ty — 11/12/2007 @ 9:35 am
^ I don’t get it.
Comment by manvach — 11/12/2007 @ 3:34 pm
woaah that anonymous buddy up there says he doesn’t really care, yet he sure made quite the fuss about it. anyways. i thought this page was kinda funny lol it’s crazy how things have changed dude.
Comment by hoah — 11/13/2007 @ 10:33 pm
And now for something completely unrelated .. Quad cores rule!
Comment by K G — 11/14/2007 @ 8:22 am
It’s completely true. Sure, Maxo’s right that some things have improved, but our modern “morals” are completely full of melodrama, a vain and corrupt sense of justice, and most of all, bullshit. We can’t get anything done anymore because 90% of people are either paranoid or completely retarded. :(
Comment by kappa — 11/14/2007 @ 10:16 pm
Actually, anonymous has a point (albeit an ironic one) too many people think that their opinion actually matters to the point where they have to disagree or find something wrong with whatever they’re reading/watching regardless to whether it’s a VALID point. Anyway, “the more things change, the more things stay the same,” ah, classic wisdom.
Comment by Shaolin_sKunk — 11/15/2007 @ 6:34 am
I for one, am completely insensed by the lack of caring that people are showing for this article. Somewhere, there are liberals and conservitives crying their eyes out, reminising about how times have changed and how they’ve changed for the better.
Schools DO get funding for ADD sufferers - It’s called Special Education ADD is NOT always funny…At times, it’s hilarious (and yes, douches, I do suffer from it).
I loved the piece - for what it was. Nothing more, nothing less. Keep writing!
nuff said. I have to waddle to the door. The pizza delivery guy is here…
Comment by barleyspoog — 11/16/2007 @ 7:35 pm
I am a (male) high school teacher and I have a daughter. If I see a child or (worse) a pre-teen crying on the beach I change my direction to go on the opposite side. It’s too dangerous even to take a picture, imagine TOUCH them!
The sad thing is that I’m not joking: I never touch my students and I don’t even imagin to touch my daughter’s little friends.
Comment by Raffaele — 11/17/2007 @ 12:51 pm
[...] That Was Then, This is Now II [...]
Pingback by dmiessler.com | That Was Then, This is Now II — 11/17/2007 @ 2:56 pm
I notice that every single incident placed into 1967 is portrayed with a totally happy, normal ending. Oddly, that’s not the way I remember 1967 at all. People had problems then too, and many lives got wrecked… just like now… how strange.
Comment by Ralph — 11/17/2007 @ 5:51 pm
At NZer, I must say we Britons have it equally bad, if not worse, heh.
Comment by Schemilix — 11/17/2007 @ 9:37 pm
This article has plenty of what I call “Grandma’s Forwarded E-mail Hyperbole”. It makes a somewhat decent point through an extreme situation that, if it really happened, would prompt public uproar. It drums up nostalgia and other emotions, then does absolutely nothing with those emotions other than give older folks a sense of pride in their youth and disappointment in the present.
As far as I can tell, the point is just “yesterday’s adults made better decisions than today’s adults”. This is illustrated through situations where the 1967 society made a rational decision and the 2007 society made an extreme one. In reality, the rational decision is still the popular one, and it hasn’t changed much, except that it has adapted to changing times.
Yes, sexual harassment policies, terrorism policies, drug policies, and a whole lot of other policies are completely overreactive and retarded these days. But the way you change that isn’t by returning society to a circa-1967 mindset; you change these things by educating the masses, rallying them to demand change, and moving forward.
We still have a future to pay attention to. By all means, we should use the past as a way of preventing us from repeating our own mistakes, but once we’ve done that we should leave the past alone. It’s behind us, and we need to be looking forward.
Comment by Buster — 11/17/2007 @ 10:33 pm
So…by 2007 ants somehow developed resistance to firecrackers?
Comment by noahz — 11/18/2007 @ 1:53 pm
You are a fucking idiot.
Anyway, that’s the short version. The longer version is that you’re making quite a few assumptions about causation. Namely, (1) that fighting results in friendship, (2) that corporal punishment is effective at teaching students discipline without any attendant drawbacks (3) that learning disabilities aren’t a legitimate basis for classroom behavior, (4) the “high school english” and “firecrackers” example just do not exist anywhere, and the “hugging” example is far-fetched.
Comment by Johnny — 11/18/2007 @ 3:42 pm
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ADD is way overdiagnosed, I actually met with a psychiatrist in a free consultation to see what they’d say, knowing full and well that I don’t have the disorder, and guess what? I was diagnosed with ADD and recommended to take a regimen consisting of two different pills. They make money off of writing prescriptions, and therefore hand them out to anyone who walks in the door. I’ve met about 50 young adults who’ve hidden behind the term ADD or ADHD, and yet I can say only two of them were severely impaired to the point of being unable to focus without medication. (One still takes days to study for a test or to write short papers, even on medication). The others are lazy, aren’t interested in what their teachers are saying, or are mildly spacey. A lot of them don’t realise that it takes EFFORT to pay attention to something that’s boring, and when confronted with the choice of paying attention (paying is expending something and getting something in return, it’s not given to you) or slacking, they’ll opt for the latter and then take shelter under the trendy disorder that every fucking person in the world seems to have. Everyone daydreams. Everyone gets bored. Get over yourself, have some pride and stop making excuses. You have to grow up some time, and that’s why you see children with ADD, and adults who say they USED to have ADD. They start taking responsibility for their actions, and what do you know? Cured. Not with a daily dose of amphetamines. There’s a reason why children are diagnosed with ADD, because all a shrink has to do is confirm that your child is in fact a child, and then they’ll have plenty of reasons as to why they need to be doped up in order to function in society. Yes, some people do have a severe case of ADD. But it’s rare, and it’s not just a lack of interest. It’s the inabilty to do anything, even things that they enjoy, without major interruption of their train of thought.
Look online at the symptoms of ADD. According to them, you have ADD. But the fact that you just read all of my rant clearly shows that you don’t.
Comment by Pogs Rule — 11/18/2007 @ 4:48 pm
So true. Great find!
Comment by Dylan Austin — 11/18/2007 @ 5:22 pm
Smart people today are smarter than their counterparts in 1967 Dumb people are just as dumb today as they were in 1967, the difference is, today the dumb people don’t like being dumb and pretend to act smart, hence why even the top of society is getting better, the bottom is getting lower too.
Comment by anonymous — 11/18/2007 @ 5:49 pm
This is alright, but I don’t understand why not being allowed to strike children is seen as a bad thing. I agree Ritalin/Adderal are overprescribed, but smacking children around is not necessarily going to make someone calm down. Just talk to children. They’re smarter than you think.
Comment by Fred — 11/18/2007 @ 6:05 pm
I’ve seen this before but it’s been a while back. What a great post…this is so true and really a bad way to live. It’s sad to think that things will probably never be the same. Some of the other comments seem to take this post to the extreme, but things these days are just way over the top compared to yesterday.
Comment by Tyler — 11/18/2007 @ 8:33 pm
I remember in 3rd grade noticing that when a kid scraped his knee the hot teacher on yard duty would give them a hug to make them feel better. I faked getting hurt a lot after that :D
Comment by Danny — 11/18/2007 @ 8:35 pm
@Johnny
Granted that a lot of the article is citing extreme examples to make the point, I have to call you out on the last three points you made in your comments. First of all, the “high-school english” and “firecrackers” examples do exist. The first one is a big issue in all the border states. Do we teach immigrant children English? Because that will only improve their education and teach them to succeed here. Back then, immigrants would take initiative and learn the language of their new land, whereas now they expect people here to speak to them only in their native tongue. Firecrackers, well, back in grade school my friends would go out into the middle of fields at night and blow up old computers. Back then, it was fun. Today, you could go to jail/be fined for public disturbance and domestic terrorism. And the hugging example isn’t hyperbole, it happens routinely. I’ve known male physical education teachers who have lost jobs because they tried to teach girls in their class how to put on a heart monitor.
As an additional example: Billy wants to go play with friends. 1967: Billy says bye to mom in Friday morning, runs off with Jimmy for three days, checks in with folks at dinner time every day, and comes back Tuesday afternoon caked in mud. 2007: Parents allow Billy out once a day to run down to the street corner and back, and only when mom is watching. Scrapes require hydrogen peroxide and gauze. Blood requires a trip to the emergency room.
Comment by Nik — 11/18/2007 @ 9:27 pm
@Pogs Rule
I concur.
Comment by Nik — 11/18/2007 @ 9:32 pm
[...] That Was Then, This is Now III [...]
Pingback by dmiessler.com | That Was Then, This is Now III — 11/18/2007 @ 9:59 pm
Can you really call it satire though? Sadly, things have actually come to this state. If not, very very close.
Comment by Sho — 11/18/2007 @ 10:31 pm
Hi, I’m from Europe, I just realized reading the comments that, in your culture, a) you find it normal to go to school with a shotgun in your truck b) you find it normal to put children on psychotic drugs Boy, how pervert your culture is when it comes to this kind of things. I’m glad I always turned off all job offers I received from there.
Comment by db — 11/18/2007 @ 10:57 pm
[...] at Dmiessler.com, Daniel Miesslera has written a fascinating article how things were and have changed since 40 years ago. Own of the comments rang out loud and is really [...]
Pingback by If I see a child or a pre-teen crying on the beach I change my direction… » Blog Archive jamielesouef.com - — 11/18/2007 @ 11:13 pm
I work for a police department and I will never, ever be alone with a child other than my own. I think that anyone who volunteers to be a Big Brother, Big Sister, or Scout Leader is a fool. I have seen spoiled children ruin the lives of respectable, innocent adults by saying just three words: “He touched me.” For this type of thing, in 2008, you are automatically presumed guilty, and even if the accuser admits to fabricating the story, you’ll still be on record as a charged sex suspect. God help our society.
Comment by A Dose of Reality — 11/18/2007 @ 11:29 pm
slippery slope?
Comment by fun — 11/18/2007 @ 11:53 pm
That dose of reality guy is bull. hes just saying that so that he can get his own, That Was Then, This Is Now story
Comment by michael — 11/19/2007 @ 12:21 am
Wow, these are all pretty good representations.
About the ADD thing. . . it looks like there’s a lot of misunderstanding here.
a) Giving kids a bunch of Ritalin won’t help them unless they have ADD. They’ll be going off-the-wall.
b) Everyone’s saying that medical professionals are just giving out diagnoses of ADD. . . that may be true for some but definitely not all of them. Some doctors jump to conclusions, but there are others that do testing and take their time making a diagnosis.
There are people that genuinely have ADD. Not all are misdiagnoses or excuses. Some are, sure, but still a lot are genuine.
It’s important to realize that simply being hyper, getting distracted, being bored in class, etc. are NORMAL. It’s the frequency of these things that shows possibility of ADD. It’s also important to realize that there is no “magic pill” for people who truly do have ADD. Ritalin, Concerta, and the like all help give you the power/energy to concentrate, but it still takes some work on your own part.
There are people who can get through it without the pill, too - it depends on the severity of the symptoms and also what you want to do in life. If you want to do something that doesn’t require you to sit there and focus for a long time (ie be a snowboarding instructor) then you’d probably do just fine without the pill. If you want to do something that requires you to sit there, focus, study, take tests, etc. then if you actually have ADD, you’re going to need the pill.
I think someone above me said that people get “cured” of ADD. It does happen. Most of the time, though, people with ADD have it until they’re 45+, at least - and many have it until they die. Also, a lot of times people don’t get “cured” of ADD but rather learn “workarounds” if you will to help them out. They develop habits and routines that help them out, and eventually these become second-nature and the person does them without thinking until it gets to the point where they have learned so many tricks to help out their ADD that they don’t need the pills anymore. That’s not to say that people with ADD have simply learned bad habits or can be simply “forced out of it” - each individual needs to come up with their own system that works for them, and a person with ADD can’t just start taking more diligent notes or something and be cured.
I have ADD myself, and I know the pill helps me out a ton. It’s hard to really put into words what it’s like having ADD - before I took notes, I listened in class, etc. but things just wouldn’t click like they do now. I’d go to write something down, and while I’m writing it I’d either miss out on what the professor’s saying while I’m writing, or I’d listen to the professor and just simply forget what I was going to write. Or I’d read a paragraph of my book, and then forget what I just read. I didn’t know how people could handle it! Even with things not school-related - I’d forget appointments, I’d read whole pages of books and then forget them, I’d learn guitar tabs only to forget them a day later. . . But now with the pill, it’s so much easier to multitask, to focus, to remember. . .
Comment by Scott — 11/19/2007 @ 1:37 am
This reminds me of: I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words… When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient of restraint.
Hesiod, 700 BC
Comment by jeff — 11/19/2007 @ 1:38 am
People get bent out of shape over a satirical writing. Sad.
Comment by Anonymous — 11/19/2007 @ 2:57 am
[...] http://dmiessler.com/blogarchive/that-was-then-this-is-nowScenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.1967 - Vice principal comes over to look at Jack’s shotgun. He goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.2007 - School goes into lock down, and FBI is called. Jack is 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.1967 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.2007 - Police called. SWAT team arrives. Johnny and Mark are arrested and charged with assault. Both are expelled even though Johnny started it.Scenario: Jeffrey won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.1967 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the principal. He returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt class again.2007 - Jeffrey is diagnosed with ADD and given huge doses of Ritalin; becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a learning disability.Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.1967 - 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 placed in foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist convinces 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.1967 - Mark shares aspirin with principal out on the smoking dock.2007 - Police called. Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. Car is searched for drugs and weapons.Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.1967 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college, and graduates.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 is given a 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, and blows up a red ant bed.1967 - Ants die.2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates parents; siblings are 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, Heather. Heather hugs him to comfort him.1967 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.2007 - Heather is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in state prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. [...]
Pingback by FunkStation » Blog Archive » That Was Then, This Is Now — 11/19/2007 @ 3:14 am
I’m sorry, I know this is an old article and please forgive my spelling and grammar mistakes, but no one seems to be pointing out the obvious. Back in 1967 people actually read books and newspapers. They weren’t fed their daily news by a distracting scroll at the bottom of an entirely different newscast. They actually had ATTENTION SPANS, because, they had time; and took the time to pay attention! They read an entire book, without 5 min. commercial breaks set in to kick in at every 7 mins!! No wonder kids have no attention spans…..when you babysit your child with a T.V.!! I haven’t heard too much about the big Amish Invasion of ADD!?!?! Your television is not a babysitter. It takes human interaction to get human results!
But that’s just my opinion.
P.S. I also find it ironic that so many people with “ADD-ADHD) can actually sit down and have a FOCUSED idea about something so boring.
Tell me how great Dora the Explorer is at letting you have peace and quiet.
Comment by TimmyIsEvil — 11/19/2007 @ 5:50 am
2007 - Who gives a shit
Comment by Jethro — 11/19/2007 @ 2:03 pm
[...] That Was Then, This is Now Nov19 19 November 2007, seawolf167 @ 9:59 am Go here and read the [...]
Pingback by seawolf167.com » Blog Archive » That Was Then, This is Now — 11/19/2007 @ 2:59 pm
Wow…lots of comments on this one. I was reminded of this: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10693512
Comment by Marisol — 11/19/2007 @ 5:20 pm
@Scott: Spoken like a true Ritalin addict. You do know the stuff works exactly the same as cocaine. And that you are basically poisoning yourself and scratching of 20 years of your life. However hf being high all day.
Comment by Da — 11/20/2007 @ 1:31 pm
A lot of it seems exaggerated.
Comment by Jeebop — 11/21/2007 @ 10:00 am
Marguerite slips and falls on the ice: 1967 - she goes to the doctor, gets all better 2007 - she sues everyone from God to the weatherman and makes billions because she was a clumsy a$$.
Grouber orders hot coffee and spills it: 1967 - he calls himself a dumb a$$ and learns not to be so clumsy 2007 - he sues the store where he got the coffee, sues the cup manufacturer, sues the coffee maker, and sues the city…next time, he gets cold coffee because it is now illegal to sell hot coffee…
Unfortunately, we have lost something in all of this…what would you call it? Life? The DHS has also banned the sale of those awesome chemistry kits (remember back from 1967 where you could make just about anything in your basement for $29.95?)
Oh, and don’t forget…in 1967, Paris Hilton would have been arrested for letting her couch hang out while exiting a car in public…today, it is good press. Britany Spears gets time in jail and spends none of it because she is a celebrity…and people in prison live in better conditions than the hard working, law abiding “working poor”…
This is what happens when you let a bunch of Democrats run your country…
Comment by Krombookum — 11/21/2007 @ 11:19 pm
Gah. Honestly. I have only ever had one fear for the future; that one day when I’m older I will catch myself complaining about modern society and realise I have contracted that centuries-old disease, grumpy old man syndrome.
Please never let me lose my perspective.
Comment by Anya — 11/22/2007 @ 11:03 pm
A little bit oversimplified, don’t ‘cha all think?
Comment by James D. Newman — 11/25/2007 @ 5:19 am
People honestly need to lighten up; it was a satirical article written for humor. And it IS TRUE that people are too paranoid and tense these days. Not every male black teen is in a gang, and not every teenage female is pregnant. Also, to put this out there, not every teenager is drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and having unprotected sex with multiple partners; that’s only the majority of them. I, for one, am an intelligent teen who makes the right decisions, and I believe that people over-react way too much.
Comment by MeganB. , 17 — 11/25/2007 @ 6:43 pm
you guys are incredible. btw, high school counselors can’t prescribe medicine for ADD. XD that’s silly. anyway, ya’ll are over-reacting. do you see what i did there? over-reacting? as in exactly what this article was trying to point out.
hmmm.
<3 lighten up man!
Comment by longlivelulz — 11/26/2007 @ 11:25 pm
1967: Viet Nam
2007: Iraq
We (United States of America) never learn!!
Comment by Jim — 11/29/2007 @ 4:22 am
you don’t know how right you are
Comment by julie — 11/30/2007 @ 8:54 pm
Really terrible and inaccurate article. Even if the modern world is so bad it is these fuckers who grew up in the wonder years that ruined it.
Comment by pat — 12/1/2007 @ 4:29 am
Looks like we make it harder and harder, would be interesting to see how it’s gonna be in another 30 years.
http://www.webyaa.com/category/time
Comment by stefano — 12/8/2007 @ 4:45 am
LAwl. This was a wonderful post.
Scenario: dude reads awsome satirical post on the internet:
1962: he rolls over and shits himself because he has no idea what his eyes just fell witness to.
2007: he laughs, finishes his hotfries, and falls asleep in his underwear.
Comment by chadxfallen — 12/18/2007 @ 8:45 am
I know it’s been a while but I just was back here because I was looking at the backlinks to my website.
And I just wanted to say you’re all horribly misinformed about ADD. First, whoever accused me of being a Ritalin addict. . . I’ve never taken Ritalin in my life. Second of all, I’ve been on the pill for less than a year and I’m not addicted - some people become addicted and start taking more pills than prescribed, but I haven’t. I really have become better able to focus on what I need to.
Second of all, having ADD doesn’t mean you can’t stay focused. Read up before you claim to know it all. It depends on the person, and it also can change from day to day. Sometimes you might not be able to focus on anything, sometimes you might be extremely focused on what you’re not supposed to be doing. It’s a common misconception, but in reality, nothing could be much further from the truth. ADD is a problem with the entire focus process - not just an inability to stay focused. Sometimes it means your brain can’t stay focused on a single stimulus, sometimes it means your brain blocks out other stimuli.
Third of all, it might be like cocaine, but then again, there’s stuff from the same plant (and that has the same effect) in chocolate, pain relievers, and other things. Are you going to die because you eat chocolate? No, at least not from the “drugs” in it. And even so, stimulants have the reverse effect on a person with ADD - stimulants make a normal person “wired”, hyperactive, and unable to focus. With ADD, they make you more focused.
I’ve wasted enough time here, I know there’s some people who can’t be convinced no matter what about ADD. The only other thing I’m going to say, is learn about diseases before you ridicule them or try to make statements about them - or make judgments about the people who have them.
Comment by Scott — 2/2/2008 @ 8:43 pm
Those scenarios were some of the best points ever written. They show exactly the path that “zero tolerance” and political correctness have taken us…it sounds like most of the people leaving comments are weak tit fags with no passion for living. I’ll take 1967.
Comment by j s — 2/7/2008 @ 2:13 am