The wimpification of America continues...

[Intune]

LAS VEGAS —

Assailants shot six young people Tuesday at a school bus stop, wounding two critically, in a midday attack that followed a fight over a high school girl, authorities said.

This will be covered in another thread. I want to discuss violence.

Whatever happened to good ole’ fisticuffs? 1 on 1. Mano au Mano. We’d have half the school in a circle for the exhibition. Jump in on it uninvited & both sides would drag you out. Get your butt kicked and you lost any prize or disagreement that was at stake. Done. You stemmed the bleeding & vowed to work out and bulk up. But you didn’t lose your honor. Running away, using a weapon or hiding behind a girl would do that for you. My, times have changed.

No dodgeball, someone might get put out. No foot races, someone might lose. No baseball, someone might get hit by the ball. No footrace around the track, everyone’s a winner. No football, someone might break something. Get punched in the nose, go tattle to a teacher. Don’t defend yourself or you’re in the wrong as much as your assailant. ***?

Where are our warriors coming from? We presently have plenty of cheerleaders and fashion designers. There will some in the future. A veritable glut if current trends are an indication. A headstrong male is a Ritalin candidate from the third grade henceforth. Why?

I’m not talking about bullies. A bully shouldn’t be tolerated. Are there too many females in the school system? Does violence have no place in a modern society? Is passivity a virtue? Lie down & take it?

I don’t have the answers, I’m merely throwing this out for my bass playing brothers & sisters. I am raising a couple of teenagers, female & male and would like your take on it. My daughter is being empowered by the current system & I welcome that. She deserves the best. At the same time my son is being pummeled by the very same system & I am at a loss… It is a quantitative, palatable pummeling. What I would do for one, I could do no less for the other.

[embellisher]

Reminds me of that 311 song.

.... Don't want to be unprepared
You're getting paranoid,
And then guns are shared
You guys think you're hard,
But you're in fear of getting harmed
I fear no man and
I am unarmed....

[Intune]

True dat, Embe. Exactly. But where do we go?

[santucci218]

i am 18 years old man, fresh out of highschool and going to college now. My generation is pathetic, honestly. In high school i just became sick of all the people around me that i wasa just a ghost when i was there. i hated it.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by santucci218

i am 18 years old man, fresh out of highschool and going to college now. My generation is pathetic, honestly.

I agree. We need a serious war (draft included) to start thinning out their ranks.

[69nites]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

I agree. We need a serious war (draft included) to start thinning out their ranks.

side note

I think 2 year mandatory service would be the best thing in the world for this country.

continue thread

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

I agree. We need a serious war (draft included) to start thinning out their ranks.

Let's have a war, so you can go and die.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by Brendan

Let's have a war, so you can go and die.

Perhaps I should have included a smiley, but I thought I smeared on the sarcasm plenty thick to begin with.

Originally Posted by 69nites

I think 2 year mandatory service would be the best thing in the world for this country.

One of the biggest reasons why we have the greatest, most efficient military in the world is because it is an all volunteer force. Mandatory military service might "toughen up" our youth, but it would most certainly hurt the armed forces.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Perhaps I should have included a smiley, but I thought I smeared on the sarcasm plenty thick to begin with.

I was quoting a song.

[KeithBMI]

Originally Posted by santucci218

i am 18 years old man, fresh out of highschool and going to college now. My generation is pathetic, honestly. In high school i just became sick of all the people around me that i wasa just a ghost when i was there. i hated it.

You must be the most amazing person ever.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by Brendan

I was quoting a song.

Sorry it's late and my Perfect Circle detector is functioning way below optimum levels.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Sorry it's late and my Perfect Circle detector is functioning way below optimum levels.

Actually, the band Fear. Did A Perfect Circle do a cover of it?

[69nites]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Perhaps I should have included a smiley, but I thought I smeared on the sarcasm plenty thick to begin with.



One of the biggest reasons why we have the greatest, most efficient military in the world is because it is an all volunteer force. Mandatory military service might "toughen up" our youth, but it would most certainly hurt the armed forces.

yes it would hurt the armed forces (slightly) but the overall perspective of America would change (in a positive direction IMO) and there would be a greater understanding of what is going on with America and our wars. People would have first hand information instead of the propaganda machine that is the media.

I also think it would enhance the respect that Americans have for their fellow American.

[GregC]

Originally Posted by Brendan

Actually, the band Fear.

Heh.

There's so many of us
There's so many of us
There's so many
There's so many of us...

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by Brendan

Actually, the band Fear. Did A Perfect Circle do a cover of it?

Yeah, that's the only version I'd ever heard, though I didn't care much for it. I just found this video of the original. Much better.

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

You must be the most amazing person ever.

In seven years of teaching high school I never met a single kid that didn't just absolutely love school and every single one of their fellow students. How interesting. . .

[GregC]

Originally Posted by Intune

No dodgeball, someone might get put out. No foot races, someone might lose. No baseball, someone might get hit by the ball. No footrace around the track, everyone’s a winner. No football, someone might break something.

Is this actually true of schools today? At least some of this strikes me as hyperbole.

[KeithBMI]

There was still dodgeball at my old schools... but we weren't allowed to call it that.

We still had everything else. In fact, my gym and weight teachers were both fans of full contact sports.

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

One of the biggest reasons why we have the greatest, most efficient military in the world is because it is an all volunteer force. Mandatory military service might "toughen up" our youth, but it would most certainly hurt the armed forces.

I agree with your point here.


oh. oops.

I mean...

+1

[wizman88]

It's not just America..

Its happening in Australia too.

And i blame you guys :P

Australia's becoming more americanised and your pussification is resulting in our pussification...

and i dont like it one bit.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by 69nites

yes it would hurt the armed forces (slightly) but the overall perspective of America would change (in a positive direction IMO) and there would be a greater understanding of what is going on with America and our wars. People would have first hand information instead of the propaganda machine that is the media.

I also think it would enhance the respect that Americans have for their fellow American.

I don't agree at all. I keep tabs on every kid I taught that has joined the armed forces or attended Annapolis, West Point or the Air Force Academy. I have a few friends currently serving as well as my cousin and my younger brother.

For the most part, they don't have a "greater understanding of what is going on with America and our wars". They have a job to do and they do it. Most of them are bright kids and have opinions on what is going on and can certainly see the impact of what they are doing on an individual level, but none of them are in positions to really have a better "big picture view" than any other average citizen.

Also, the idea that all of these teenagers would "fall in line" and carry out their mandatory service in good fashion just doesn't jibe with me. There are far too many kids that either for attitude or ineptitude, I wouldn't want responsible for defending this nation. They wouldn't be changed by the military as much as the military would be changed by them. Massive amounts of pointless bureaucratic positions created to give these kids something to do while they while away their requisite months.

As for changing their outlook, sure, for most of them it would. But then again, taking on pretty much any job will change your outlook on life. Most policemen I know have a very dim and cynical outlook of people in general. Part and parcel with what they see and deal with on a daily basis. But I wouldn't want that to be the only viewpoint for everyone in this nation.

Not every person is cut out for military service. And IMO, what we'd gain as a nation for forcing them to serve is not worth what we'd lose in terms of having a well functioning military.