Banned from grad for senior prank

[Pembroke_Corgi]

PM- You seem to be taking this thread pretty personally. I am not sure why, but, of course, you can. I really don't see the same "everyone keeps saying this...", or "I always see the belittling comments..." or any of the other over generalizing statments you are making. I have read the thread twice, in its entirety.

I shouldn't have to single anyone out- I'm not trying to point fingers, I am merely saying that if you look through many threads, especially in the dog house where there tend to be heated discussions, people quite consistently, if subtly, dismiss the opinions of younger people when they happen to be discordant with their own.

Frankly, I don't see "check back in 10 years.." in quite the inflammatory way that you do. I think most of us would agree our perspectives do change over time. Is that good, bad or evil, I don't know. I would not go so far as to call it a 'fact' that people mature over time, but, certainly, it isn't a fictional statment, either.

You are on one hand suggesting that people change in their lifetimes, but also saying that people NOW are more disrespectful then people in the past. It is true, life is full of change. Society changes. Why shouldn't people change? People are so ready to accept changes that they agree with (faster cars, computers, new conveniences) but expect people to remain the same. Why should teenagers today be the same as teenagers 40 or 60 years ago? And how were they really any better? Maybe kids of the 1940's were model citizens, I couldn't tell you. But, there were a lot of other problems in the world- worse ones, so far as I can tell (such as discrimination of minorities and women, world war, etc.). Expecting people to stay the same while the world changes is silly.

And the "check back in ten years" comment IS inflammatory. For one thing, it's something that will never come to be. No one is actually going to revisit this thread in 10 or 15 years. It's designed to point out how the person commenting has something that the other person does not- a certain age. And it's intended to point out the discrepancies between the older person's supposed knowledge and the younger one's. All in all, I think it's only a phrase used when the poster has no actual logical argument, or does not feel they have to answer to some one younger than themselves, and is designed to insult and humiliate.

I never know how to respond to someone that says something along the lines of, "well, all the adults I know are immature, and the kids have WAY more common sense then them", other than: change your friends. I see people from all walks of life, daily. I can say, without impunity, the adults tend to be WAY more mature than the younger set. Dunno. Maybe it is my perception?

Sure, most adults know how to go to work each day and get by, but that doesn't mean they have any common sense. Why would so many kids have all of these problems if their parents were mature role models? Most likely, they wouldn't. How could incidents like Columbine happen if parents (the mature ones, remember?) were more aware of their children's activities. I mean, who lets their teen have access to assault rifles? I am not blaming the parents, because clearly there were a lot of factors involved. But because adults are the guardians of young people means they should be more responsible, and in many cases I just don't see it.

I don't know what decade I grew up in. I was born in 1965. So, I guess it would be the 70s. I am not sure what history books I read, and what accounts they provided. Seeminly, I would have read the same ones you did. I would hardly lump the civil rights movement, any anti-war movement, and the anti-establishment groups in with an individual gluing two trays together in a school cafeteria. Just doesn't seem like these groups were fighting the same fight, you know what I mean?

Well, there were certainly times when people fought the "good fight" in the 60's. But there was also a widespread culture of distrust and disrespect towards authority that had more to do with coolness than it did social justice.

I guess it depends on how you define violent crime. I never saw Columbine like activity before Columbine. I never saw young defendants like I see now, routinely- in the news, in the jails, in the courts. I have never seen the child snatchings, the child murders, like we have seen in the last ten years.

Just because you haven't "seen" it, doesn't mean that it's fact. The media reports more than ever before, and we have access to it 24/7. It's unfortunate if more and more young people are becoming victims and criminals (though I would prefer to see actual statistics rather than anecdotal evidence), but maybe they are simply having to grow up faster. Young people have access to the same information we do, and good or bad, times change.

If, as you claim, the teachers don't even have the time to make sure the students are looking up the answers, what makes you think the teachers have the time to write the correct answers down for thier kids? Time is time. I still don't buy the theory, "the teacher takes the heat, the kids gets the pass". It isn't a theory that will take them very far IRL. As you say, you work with children and teens all the time. Certainly, you don't advocate the "well, if the teacher didn't do it for you, you are free to ignore that information".

I already said I do not advocate that- I think schools today DO get blamed for more then their fair share of things, though. And I think the current administration's education policy makes it very difficult for teachers to teach ideally.

Finally, it is that double standard. If teens have this 'right' to express their views (of course, I agree), then, adults enjoy that same right. I just don't see all this belittling stuff you are speaking of. Maybe I just read the wrong threads.

Of course everyone can express themselves. Maybe you don't see the belittling part because you think that older members have more to contribute than younger ones- and you agree with sentiments like "I know more than you, I am 20 years older, and one day you will agree with me because I am right."