The Public Schools 1957 and 2007
Scenario : Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - 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.
A French sociologist of education spoke at the Institute of French Studies saying the same thing has happened in France. I wish I could remember the details. As I recall, the sociologist said that the kinds of things parents handled back in the day - things like fights, bloody noses, and black eyes - were now, in France, resulting in the police being called to the school.
His point was that the sight of policemen entering a public school is extremely damaging. The very fact of their presence undermines the authority of teacher, principal, and parent; it conveys the message: this behavior is so bad no teacher, principal, or parent can possibly cope.
More fights and more trouble ensue.*
Of course, all of this is he** on boys.
Although I have a theory it's no good for girls, either.
* I think that was part of the argument. I can't fact-check this post, so take it with a grain of salt.
When I was a little boy I shared a room with a gun cabinet. If memory serves it held 2 twelve gauge shotguns, a pair of 30 caliber carbines (one was mine), a 22 caliber rifle, a German luger along with a couple of German officer's swords and daggers. The bottom of the cabinet had hundreds of rounds of ammunition for the above.
ReplyDeleteIt was locked but we all knew where the keys were. I knew how to use all of these things too. Well, not the swords and daggers. They really scared me.
It occurs to me that this would horrify most people today. Times have changed for good I guess.