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To: Neeka who wrote (203136)	4/18/2007 2:12:43 AM
From: KLP	Respond to of 793808

On a lighter note: Then and now, or 8 (more) reasons the 1950s are unfairly maligned [Posted 4:19 PM by Roger Kimball] Armavirumque: commentary 4.14.2007 newcriterion.com A friend in Chicago sent these 8 scenarios comparing life in 1956 and today. We are always told how repressive, staid, homogenizing, and uncreative the 1950s were. These comparisons suggest how far off-base that stereotype is. 1. Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack. 1956 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack. 2006 - 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. 2. Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1956 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled. 2006 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. 3. Scenario: Jason won't sit still in class, disrupts other students. 1956 - Jason sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class. 2006 - Jason given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jason has a disability. 4. Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping. 1956 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman. 2006 - 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. 5. Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school. 1956 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock. 2006 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons. 6. Scenario: Pedro fails high school English. 1956 : Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college. 2006 : Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. 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 can't speak English. 7. 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. 1956 - Ants die. 2006 - 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. 8. 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. 1956 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.

To: Neeka who wrote (203136)	4/18/2007 2:29:26 AM
From: MJ	Respond to of 793808

Neeka I simply had to stop reading -----I wondered how much of the scenario in the first play was his own scenario. One of the local news people commented Cho had bought the first gun on March 13th. If I have the dates right the bomb threat was called in on April 13th and the shootings on the 14th. The commentator said there was speculation that these dates may have been significant to some event in his life that spurred him to take action on those dates, but none had been identified. (Speculation.) We certainly have had a lot of intrigue in recent months--- the astronaut (that one seems to have disipated from the front page}, Nicole----fatherof her child now identified, and now the Va Tech killings. Then, throw in Imus story and the Governor of New Jersey's accident. Think it is time for a news break and hopefully better weather here in Virginia and East. mj