1959 vs. 2009

[DethVanXan]

Scenario 16:
Bobby thinks that corporal punishment is an acceptable form of discipline.

1959: Bobby's teachers and parents are allowed and even encouraged him to beat him after Bobby does something wrong, and Bobby grows up to be a wife- and child-beater.
2009: Bobby makes a post on the Internet to talk about how great it must have been when parents and principals were allowed to beat children.

I grew up with corporal punishment from both parents and teachers and I turned out fine. Wife beaters and child abusers usually have other issues. Some people don't have an excuse for how they turned out. Some people are just arseholes.

 

[photog212]

Scenario 10:
Johnny tries to go to the good school.

1959: Johnny is black so police with dogs and fire hoses show up so Johnny can't go to school with the white kids.

2009: Segregation ended.

 

[Swaki]

wow that was delightfully stupid, I've read it before as you said its quite old but still a fun read, not much to discuss it seems to be written by a paranoid American, i say American because that's the only English speaking country i can think of where people would consider the days when children drove around with shotguns to show their teachers (i doubt that has ever happened, much like the many other things on this list) as the good ol' days, and also the 4th of july thing, which I'm quite sure is only celebrated in America.

Oh and another fun thing about this list is the inconsistency in how mature it presents a high school student, at #1 and #7 the author seems to think they are mature and responsible enough to own weapons and play with explosives but then at #8 he scrapes his knee and starts crying for 5 min. while a teacher cuddles him, oh well, i guess its not the same johnny that starts fist fights for fun, or maybe it is and hes become traumatized by all those beatings he received from his father.

 

[SHIFTYMACO]

Some people don't have an excuse for how they turned out. Some people are just arseholes.

Right on the money there!

Scenario 17:

Daniel decides to get in touch with his friend

1959: Daniel goes to his friends house
2009: Daniel SMS's or talks to his friend on MSN.

 

[Hashime]

Scenario 11:
Mary is pregnant
1959 She is given thalidomide for her nausea during pregnancy, subsequently her child is born without arms.
2009 Increased standard of medical research and testing insure nothing similar ever happens again. Child is born healthy.

Thalidomide is actually still used today when people are not pregnant. It was an interesting case, the chirality of the molecule caused the defects. If I remember correctly R thalidomide was safe (that was what they tested) but the S thalidomide that was created as a by-product in manufacturing caused defects.

Would R thalidomide be used in pregnant women today, No.

There will still be people who get affected by unknown side effects today. Even with better medical testing one cannot say it will never happen again.

 

[WolfThomas]

Scenario 11:
Mary is pregnant
1959 She is given thalidomide for her nausea during pregnancy, subsequently her child is born without arms.
2009 Increased standard of medical research and testing insure nothing similar ever happens again. Child is born healthy.

Thalidomide is actually still used today when people are not pregnant. It was an interesting case, the chirality of the molecule caused the defects. If I remember correctly R thalidomide was safe (that was what they tested) but the S thalidomide that was created as a by-product in manufacturing caused defects.

Would R thalidomide be used in pregnant women today, No.

There will still be people who get affected by unknown side effects today. Even with better medical testing one cannot say it will never happen again.

Yeah I guess I was exaggerting as much as the OP. What I find interesting is that thalidomide had very minimal birth defects when tested on rodents.

 

[Hashime]

Scenario 11:
Mary is pregnant
1959 She is given thalidomide for her nausea during pregnancy, subsequently her child is born without arms.
2009 Increased standard of medical research and testing insure nothing similar ever happens again. Child is born healthy.

Thalidomide is actually still used today when people are not pregnant. It was an interesting case, the chirality of the molecule caused the defects. If I remember correctly R thalidomide was safe (that was what they tested) but the S thalidomide that was created as a by-product in manufacturing caused defects.

Would R thalidomide be used in pregnant women today, No.

There will still be people who get affected by unknown side effects today. Even with better medical testing one cannot say it will never happen again.

Yeah I guess I was exaggerting as much as the OP. What I find interesting is that thalidomide had very minimal birth defects when tested on rodents.

That is always going to be a problem. The only way you can find out how something is going to affect a human is by giving it to them.
I am studying Nanotechnology, and we currently have no idea how much damage the compounds we are making will do. Since no-one wants to take a dose of a possible carcinogen we have to wait for the worst to find out what can happen. (by the way, don't use the new clear spray on sun lotions, or products with "Anti-Bacterial" silver.)

 

[Mouse One]

1959 A woman gets breast cancer, no one wants to talk about it because it's in a woman's private parts. People shun her because they think cancer's contagious. Then she dies in long, drawn out pain.

2009 My wife is alive.

 

[Iron Mal]

I've had this for a while (as you can tell by the ending date) but its interesting to think about this anyway.

HIGH SCHOOL IN 1959 vs. 2009

Ok, I'll humour you.

Let's have a lookie-see at which is less stupid.

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.
1959 - 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.

I may not be the only one thinking this but how dumb do you have to be to bring a fucking shotgun into school?

There is a place for firearms and school is not it, you can't blame teachers for having an immediate reaction to that since I can't imagine anyone wanting to risk being the next Colombine massacre.

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 1

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1959 - 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.

Again, I have to question the logic to this one.

How many people do you know who became friends after beating the shit out of each other with their bare hands?

Also, why would SWAT be called out to a fist fight? Did they take hostages and make demands? (in which case it's a good thing that they reacted the way they did in 2009)

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 2

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1959 - 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.

You're relying on a 'good ol' fashioned paddling' being the cure for Tom-foolery here (when most people disrupt class it's because they're bored, want attention or because they can't help it, not because their kiester hasn't met Mr. Paddle yet), so the real ending of the 1959 scenario should have been 'and he comes back the next day and does it all over again'.

The kid may be a zombie, but at least Ritalin shuts the little bastard up.

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 3

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt..
1959 - 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.

Now this one is just borderline offensive, are you honestly trying to imply that being beaten and abused as a child will result in prosperity and success later in life?

That's cold.

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 4

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1959 - 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.

Of course, because all people under the age of eighteen are entirely trustworthy with potentially harmful drugs and substances.

A teenager would never dream of misusing something like painki...oh, who am I kidding?

Also, I'm fairly certain that schools are fine with you bringing aspirin and painkillers as long as you inform them ahead of time and get it checked by them (and I'm fairly certain the police would only be called if you start pulling out mysterious bottles of pills behind the bike sheds). Reality ensues!

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 5

Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1959 - 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 curric ulum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Do I even need to explain why this one is hyperbolic?

Children have failed English for as long as there have been tests for them to fail. I don't care how much the media sensationalises it, I doubt it would be possible for the failing of a single Hispanic child to result in a revolution and dissolving of the education system (seriously though, which short story did you take that from?).

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 6

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.
1959 - 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.

You are aware stuff like killing animals and bugs for fun is supposed to be one of the early signs of a serial killer, right?

Also, what the hell is wrong with his parents if they let him tinker with explosives without supervision. Even for adults that's a stupid idea (I'd rather have to put up with the authorities than have my son blowing his hands off because of stupidity).

Also, why would this warrant the attention of the FBI and national security? I'm sure they have more important business than making sure our generation's idiots don't do obviously dangerous stuff.

Score: 1959- 0 2009- 8

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.
1959 - 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.

I'm assuming that this would a child in somewhere like a pre-school, in which case, I can't ever recall a case of someone being accused of being a sexual predator because they hugged a crying child (we all know that coast guards must be raging pedophiles seeing as they watch children run around all day in tight, wet, revealing clothing....sickos).

Hyperbole has it's place but here you're just being ridiculous.

FINAL SCORE: 1959- 0 2009- 9

2009 IS THE WINNER!

DISCUSS!

I see what you're trying to say but I disagree.

Yeah, we were less paranoid and fearful 'back in the day' but this doesn't nessercarily mean we have no reason to be paranoid and fearful today, bad stuff happens, people get hurt and there are some sick, twisted people out there.

You can jest that being allowed to dick around with matches is just 'boys being boys', but don't come crying to me when you have third degree burns where your fingerprints used to be.

 

[WolfThomas]

by the way, don't use the new clear spray on sun lotions, or products with "Anti-Bacterial" silver

Huh, thanks for the heads up!

 

[BonsaiK]

I've had this for a while (as you can tell by the ending date) but its interesting to think about this anyway.

Actually that's all rubbish.

It's clear that this original chain email (I assume it's a chain email, it certainly reads like one) was just written by somebody with a clear agenda, the usual boring cynical Internet nihilist trash. It's easy to dish out cynicism at authority, it's a lot harder to actually understand how that authority works and why it works, and that's why emails such as this exist - to appeal to the lowest common denominator of armchair critic who would rather wallow in "oh god the world has gone to hell" stupidity rather than open their eyes.

I could pick apart each point one by one very easily but the post 2 posts above me has already done this thus saving me the trouble and for that I am thankful.

 

[emeraldrafael]

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.
1959 - 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.

On the whole, you're exaggerating far too much, and sounding like one of those Glenn Beck conservative types.

But specifically that, thats not true. you can still do that at my school. I went out and did that once with a my 1889 winchester. Hell, I had half the deer I shot with me so I could work the bones in shop class and have some friends make jerky in Foods class.

You must go to some sissy school.

 

[MasterWhatever]

Scenario 276:

Abagail sits in class while the teacher discusses mathematics. He asks the class of Fifteen 12 year old's, the answer to the math problem written upon the board. Abagail raises her hand.

1692-For knowing the answer, Abigail is thrown in to a river and swims. Thus proving she is a witch and then burned alive to remove the sin from her soul.

2009-Abigail is picked to answer the question.

 

[x-machina]

It's clear you have exaggerated these scenearios in an attempt to prove a point, but by doing that you have really weakened your arguement. There are a few legitmate points here, but you are doing a terrible job or arguing them.

Especially scenario six, I mean arguing that non-english speaking immigrants had it easier in 1959 is about the dumbest thing I've heard all day.

If pedro never bothers to learn english and later becomes a custodian he has no one to blame but himself. In 2009 (even if school didn't force him to learn english, which I think it would.) there are a great deal of ways to learn languages. I mean he could easily get access to an online course, buy a instructional book/audiobook, or attend night school to learn english. And, once he speaks english and he'll sure be glad to be living in 2009(with a black president). As opposed to the 50's when people had a fit about an Irish Catholic president. (What chance do you think someone with a name like Pedro has?)

EDIT: Though I gotta say, I agree with the Ritalin arguement.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Snip

Classic Family Guy.

Again, I have to question the logic to this one.

How many people do you know who became friends after beating the shit out of each other with their bare hands?

Also, why would SWAT be called out to a fist fight? Did they take hostages and make demands? (in which case it's a good thing that they reacted the way they did in 2009)

I have. Sometimes a fight is all you need to clear the air. Get all that boy angst and testosterone out.

Also, what the hell is wrong with his parents if they let him tinker with explosives without supervision. Even for adults that's a stupid idea (I'd rather have to put up with the authorities than have my son blowing his hands off because of stupidity).

Me again. My friends and I do. My one friend's dad works in heavy landscaping construction, so he has access to alot of explosives. We've taken some and screwed around.

I have another whose dad works in some kinda factory that specializes in things to sell to manufacturing companies (parts and such). He has access to acid there that they use to clean machines, and again, we've taken some and played iwth it. You should see my friends arm. We poured a tiny bit of the acid on it an it pretty much ate right through.

 

[Blind Sight]

Scenario Eleventy Billion:

1959: Jack is outted as a homosexual in a small town. He savagely beaten to death at night by people who don't agree with his lifestyle.
2009: Jack is outted in a small town, people might mock him and bully him but no one will beat him to death over it. God forbid he might actually marry another man in some countries.

EDIT: Damn, someone beat me to the 'homosexuals getting killed' scenario.

See how easy it is to make random generalizations? Fun, isn't it?

And for the record, when I was in high school my principal used to tackle kids who were fighting, football-style. It was strangely awesome.

 

[Ultrajoe]

The Final Scenario, Dawn Of The Black Night, The Wailing Master

1959; The final stages of the sacred circle are aligned, a billion screaming angels cry blood down perfect faces. The concept of hope dies, as the half-century long birth of the devourer begins. Every soul is damned, each life is blackened by the passing of the Moment of Ruin

2009; A flight of ten thousand arch-angels makes war in the clouds and molten metal scars the land as fury ignites the sky. They fail, the End Of Times consumes the world.


I hope we all learned something here today.

 

[Choppaduel]

These are absurd. With the exception of 1 & 5, they don't happen. People have a little more sense(a minuscule amount) than you give them credit for, but thats not saying much.

[hr]

The Final Scenario, Dawn Of The Black Night, The Wailing Master

1959; The final stages of the sacred circle are aligned, a billion screaming angels cry blood down perfect faces. The concept of hope dies, as the half-century long birth of the devourer begins. Every soul is damned, each life is blackened by the passing of the Moment of Ruin

2009; A flight of ten thousand arch-angels makes war in the clouds and molten metal scars the land as fury ignites the sky. They fail, the End Of Times consumes the world.


I hope we all learned something here today.

I learned that biblical stories are still boring.

Sorry joe I'm having trouble following your train of thought on this one.

 

[Iron Mal]

No disrespect meant here but I disagree with you on both of your responses.

Again, I have to question the logic to this one.

How many people do you know who became friends after beating the shit out of each other with their bare hands?

Also, why would SWAT be called out to a fist fight? Did they take hostages and make demands? (in which case it's a good thing that they reacted the way they did in 2009)

I have. Sometimes a fight is all you need to clear the air. Get all that boy angst and testosterone out.

I understand the need to vent anger, frustration and to resolve tensions with others but I cannot honestly think of a single time where caving someone's face in has achieved this in my life, maybe you have, but this is totally alien to me outside of cheesey 80's Karate movies.

The few times I've been in or seen a fight it has always ended in tragedy and blood loss (although I guess that is one way to literally release hormones and pressure).

Also, what the hell is wrong with his parents if they let him tinker with explosives without supervision. Even for adults that's a stupid idea (I'd rather have to put up with the authorities than have my son blowing his hands off because of stupidity).

Me again. My friends and I do. My one friend's dad works in heavy landscaping construction, so he has access to alot of explosives. We've taken some and screwed around.

I have another whose dad works in some kinda factory that specializes in things to sell to manufacturing companies (parts and such). He has access to acid there that they use to clean machines, and again, we've taken some and played iwth it. You should see my friends arm. We poured a tiny bit of the acid on it an it pretty much ate right through.

Again, maybe you had it differently but whenever it comes to me having kids there's no way in hell I'd let them dick around with industrial explosives and acids because, as you yourself said, it can result in some serious damage (I'd rather them be intact thank you).

And on top of that my lovely wife would probably murder me if she found out.

 

[hyrulegaybar]

Did you know that crime was worse in 1959 than it is now? :3