Would you rather grow up in 1957 or 2009?

[justin0469]

Would you rather grow up in 1957 or 2009 and why?

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.

1957 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2009 - 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 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives — they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2009 – Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:

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.

2009 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 – Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2009 – The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1957 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2009 - 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 the state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 – Ants die.

2009 – ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents — and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:

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.

2009 - 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.

Just thought it was interesting, though I'd say some of these are over/under exagerated

[Cdubyah]

Just a weeeee bit.

['03VstarSH]

The 1957 stuff may be a little exaggerated but it nails the 2009 stuff.

[cmoosego]

i'd take 57 over today anytime.... cooler cars, less crap to deal with.... a time of more freedom not less...

[bigbluebird]

honda, ducati, harley (tech up to date then), ariel, bsa, norton, indian

and drum brakes

[RSVDon]

I'm still growing up in one of the most technologically advanced era in our history. Being connected is becoming better and better every year, and if you exclude the current idiotic war, it's been amazing to see where things are going. Things wouldn't be exciting if they were boring, right?

I'm happy to be growing up in 2009. I've been exposed to and seen things both physically and through the digital connections of the world that I would have never been exposed to growing up in 1957.

Yes, some things are a little retarded. But if we live in that perfect 1957 bubble for all of our lives then we get nowhere.

[bigbluebird]

was 1957 hippie free????

[Dave]

'57

[max power]

I carried a knife in my pocket every day of HS in the 80's and always had a shotgun in my truck.

Where the hell else was I supposed to keep it?

I must be a terrorist, or maybe just a redneck.

[rick37]

I would like to have todays technology with 1957 values(as far as people owning up to their mistakes and working for what they have and a whole lot less goverment) Just my opinion.

[justin0469]

I would like to have todays technology with 1957 values(as far as people owning up to their mistakes and working for what they have and a whole lot less goverment) Just my opinion.

i'd agree with that

[bigbluebird]

1957 when the sexist joke were true and not as funny

[Tpoppa]

America has lost it's sense of humor

[fusion]

Yeah but in those days people didn't have better values or more freedoms, they were just ignorant. Today we have a plethora of technologies that open the world to communication and information that was never dreamed of in the 50s, 60s, 70s or even 80's.

It's not that shit didn't happen then, people just lived in their happy little bubbles.

[bigbluebird]

Yeah but in those days people didn't have better values or more freedoms, they were just ignorant. Today we have a plethora of technologies that open the world to communication and information that was never dreamed of in the 50s, 60s, 70s or even 80's.

It's not that shit didn't happen then, people just lived in their happy little bubbles.

if you come any closer to my bubble with your truth stick we are going to have problems. la la la everyone is nice, everyone is honest, the government is here to help me.....

[hue jass]

57.

[Benyen Soljax]

watch mad men. the late 50s were cool; sexual harassment was plain good fun, women didnt raise their voice to men without getting the backhand, and it was just awesome to be a middle or upper class white guy!

[Gump]

i'd agree with that

ditto

[Disclaimer]

Beware the bubble people.

[e-flores]

I don't know... I love the technologies we have now and all that fun stuff but growing up in the 50's would have been amazing as well. They were just different times. Both have their pro's and con's that's just life.

[e-flores]

I don't know... I love the technologies we have now and all that fun stuff but growing up in the 50's would have been amazing as well. They were just different times. Both have their pro's and con's that's just life.

[smashweights]

you all should watch the episode of Penn & Teller: BULLSHIT! on nostalgia. i think it kinda touches on some of these "good ol' days" fallacies.

1957- Tarvaris is on his way to school and is beat up by a group of white kids calling him a "damn ******." Principal sends kids to class and Tarvaris to the nurse saying, "Boys will be boys at their age."

2009- Tarvaris is on his way to school and is beat up by a group of black kids calling him a "damn *****." Tarvaris's white friends witness the beat down and don't get involved for fear of being "racist" for hitting his black assailants.

*************

1957- Daddy hits mommy for not having dinner ready when he gets home. Mommy calls police. Chief figures they'll work it out.

2009- Daddy comes home and complains there's no food in the pantry and that one of them should probably go to the grocery store. Mommy hits daddy for always imposing sexist roles on her after assuming he meant her. Mommy gets kids, house, cars, and all the money in the divorce settlement.

************************

1957- Kid uses aforementioned firecrackers to blow up ant hill. Kid has a good time.

2009- Kid uses aforementioned firecrackers to blow up ant hill. PETA finds out and attacks father's "parenting" methods. Dad is doused in animal blood on his way to work where he's later blown up in a car bomb outside his office. PETA denies providing funds to bomber, but publicly available tax records indicate large sums given to bomber and family. PETA not charged. (see Rodney Coronado)

***********************

1957- Pervert caught checking out porn in public library, gets arrested and fined.

2009- Pervert caught checking out porn in public library. ACLU defends his rights to porn and sues the library for not setting up "private masturbation booths" around computers. Perv gets $1,000,000 from taxpayers and his own masturbation suite by the kids computers.

**********************

1957- Russians ship missiles to Cuba to scare Americans shitless.

2009- Russians help Iran build nuclear facility to scare Americans shitless.

*********************

1957- Hippies use global cooling to scare Americans shitless

2009- Al Gore uses global warming to scare Americans shitless.

***********

1957- Eisenhower builds the interstate system.

2009- Al Gore invents teh interwebz.

Edited November 24, 2009 by smashweights

[psyco1]

Drum front brakes on everything in 57? Lol, I'll take now.

[justin0469]

smashweights seems a little closer to the truth. sad, but true. well, minus the masturbation booths

[the_silverfox]

Man, if I was allowed to spank half the kids in my classroom for discipline issues I'd have the most cooperative set of children ever! Stupid lawsuits.