Kinda sums it all up I think
 

To all those kids who survived the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's, and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes .

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because... WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were OK.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ridedown the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chatrooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all! If you are one of them CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good .

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another,and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance ?'

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us...pass this ON! :clap:

:thumbsup::thumbsup::clap::clap::clap:

so true....and very well put...!!!!!!!!

On top of all of that....we survived Polio, Chicken Pox, and a number of other maladies. Whats even more amazing....is how much fun we had as kids.....

And I used to run with sharp pointed objects, and I still have both eyes that work, and while I have few scars....I can get a good laugh out of people telling how I got the scars....:smokin:

I grew up in the Army....and lived all over the world...Army training areas were our playgrounds....and we had some fun....its amazing what you can do with grenade and artillery simulators.....:lol::clap::lol:

What's the point? God is gonna save us from ourselves? I grew up doing all those things that you mentioned and you know that when one of us got our first Atari game we were in the damn house for hours playing that thing. Just because life moves on and technolgy advances doesn't mean that we were better just because we played outside and kids today have the internet and video games to play. Just like in years past you have smart kids and you have not so smart kids the smart ones will be the leaders of tomorrow and the not so smart ones will be the workers.

You (I realize this was probably a mass sent e-mail) seem to think just because you or I never got hurt while riding in a car with no seat belt restraint means that no one should wear one now, I wonder how many parents lost kids in traffic accidents in the 70's because their kids weren't in seat belts would have loved to know about the dangers of unseatbelted kids in a moving vehicle, but hey those were the good old days right? I remember riding in the back window on vacation what a blast, thankfully we never hit anything because I would have been through the front window and decapitated anyone sitting in the front seat. See I think it shows how far we have come, would you ever consdider putting your 5 year old kid up in the back window of a car going 70 mph?

Every generation thinks it was so much better back in their time, it wasn't, it is so much better today than it ever was back then and in 10 years that will be the greatest time ever, people are just creatures of habit and whatever you are used to is what you think is best. Do kids have it easier than we did? of course but we also had it easier than our parents and they resented us for it too. Or atleast thought we were slackers and didn't know what hard work meant, and we probably didn't but that was beause technology was better and we worked smarted not harder.

See I don't even get why this was tagged onto the end of this? Who made the jump from kids playing until the street lights come on to hurricanes and floods? Religous zealots I suppose...

I don't know I guess I'm in the minority and don't really think that it is so bad with the way things are today. I remember all those days playing baseball with all the neighborhood kids and wonder why I never see that anymore, then I just realize that times change and just like we (most of us) didn't have to get up at 4:30am to do chores like our parents that kids today have just found other things to do with their free time. Doesn't make them any worse than me just different life styles thats all.

You must be one of those left wingers from the north. I guess more than 60% of the population is overweight and lazy. I also remember most every boy in my high school had a loaded gun in the truck/car and a knife in their pocket. Never heard of anyone being cut/shot. Why? We had respect not like now. Kids, parents, hell nobody respects anyone or anything. I read about a girl who was 6 yrs old arrested because she kicked her teacher, wtf. In my day call my dad and I would not kick nobody else. Now if you discipline your kids in front of someone the police, defacs and everyone else comes down on you. Yea the worlds better now. Left wing liberals suck..

You just have to ignore mike3fan He has a hardon for anything and everyone that does not agree with him. And probably had a rough childhood.

JMO

"First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant."

That's a pretty absurd statement, since even small amount can cause FAS disorders. FAS is a serious problem, a very large percentage of inmates have FAS. Up here it's way over 50%!

There's a huge difference between "discipline" and "rage".

Well, I have to chime in here too. Life was better back then IMHO. I made the move to the country a few months ago and I can say it is the BEST thing I have ever done for my kids ( son-15.... daughter-12 ). I grew up fixing string beans to get ready to can on many summer nights on the front porch. That was mine and my brothers job.... keep the garden picked.

It does my heart good to see my kids come home from school and drop their book bags and head right back outside rather than plop down in front of the TV.

I hope to pass on the skills I learned growing up to them. My wife and I know how to can and "put-up" our fresh grown food.

Life here is not all work..... they have their friends..... they just have to walk a little further to get there. We also put in a horseshoe pit and have become the "attraction" around here. ( Note to self: Never pitch horseshoes against a 70 year old man across the road. He will make you look bad :o ).

Ain't nothing wrong with a little sweat. :thumbsup:

I personally think this sums it up.

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs
and spread mayo on the same cutting board ... with the same knife and no
bleach ... but we didn't seem to get food poisoning. My Mom used to
defrost hamburger on the counter AND I used to eat it raw sometimes too,
but I can't remember getting E-coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of
a pristine pool. (Talk about boring!)


The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a
pager was the school PA system.


We all took gym, not PE... and risked permanent injury with a pair of
high top Ked's. (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training
athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I
can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell
us how much safer we are now.
Flunking gym was not an option ... even for stupid kids! I guess PE
must be much harder than gym. Every year someone taught the whole school
a lesson by running in the halls with leather soles on linoleum tile and
hitting the wet spot. How much better off would we be today if we only
knew we could have sued the school system?


Speaking of school ....
we all said prayers and the pledge and staying in detention after school
caught all sorts of negative attention.
We must have had horribly damaged psyches. I can't understand it.
Schools didn't offer 14 year olds
an abortion or condoms (we wouldn't have known what either was anyway)
but they did give us a couple of baby aspirin and cough syrup if we
started getting the sniffles. What an archaic health system we had then.
Remember school nurses? Some wore a hat and everything.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was
allowed to be proud of myself. I just can't recall how bored we were
without .... computers, PlayStation, Nintendo, X-box
or 270 digital cable stations.

..I must be repressing that memory as I try to rationalize through the
denial of the dangers could have befallen us as we trekked off each day
about a mile down the ..road to some guy's vacant 20, built forts out of
branches and pieces of plywood, made trails, and fought over .who got to
be the Lone Ranger.

What was that property owner thinking ... letting us play on that lot??
He should have been locked up
for not putting up a fence around the property, complete with a
self-closing gate and an infrared intruder alarm.
Oh yeah...

and where was the Benadryl and
sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!
We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant
construction sites and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48 cent
bottle of mercurochrome and then we got our butt spanked. Now it's a
trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of
antibiotics and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for
leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.
We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we
got our butt spanked here too ... (physical abuse) and then we got butt
spanked again when we got home.

Mom invited the door to door salesman inside for coffee, kids choked
down the dust from the gravel driveway while playing with Tonka trucks
(Remember why Tonka trucks were made tough? It wasn't so that they could
take the rough Berber in the family room!), and Dad drove a car with
leaded gas.

Our music had to be left inside when we went out to play and I am sure
that I nearly exhausted my imagination a couple of times when we went on
two week vacations. I should probably sue the folks now for the danger
they put us in when we all slept in campgrounds in the family tent.
Summers were spent behind the push
lawnmower and I didn't even know that mowers came with motors until I
was 13 and we got one without an automatic blade-stop or an auto-drive.
How sick were my parents?

Of course my parents weren't the only psychos.
I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks
on the front stoop just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that
he could have owned our house. Instead she picked him up and swatted him
for being such a goof.

It was a neighborhood run amuck.
To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they
were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that?
We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes!
We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even
notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!
How did we ever survive??

I agree, but for a slightly different reason. Jay Leno made a JOKE. That's what he does. :roll:

My question is how did anyone make the jump from "the good ole days" and how kids today are WUSSES.... to the fact that anyone who doesn't believe in GOD should delete this because it doesn't apply to him... or because he implicitly doesn't agree about the "good ole days."

Religious zealots can't make a SIMPLE observation about life in general without "preaching."

What is the author saying? That God watched over all generations UP TO and including the 70's.... but not those AFTER?? That's how ridiculous that sounds!

I miss the good ole days as much as anyone. But, I don't think they were BETTER in some way because of a belief in GOD (that must be lacking now as is IMPLIED.)

Oh... and I just LOVE pointing this out to religious FREAKS.... You mentioned those who survived the 30's, 40's and 50's. I doubt you REALIZE that "under GOD" didn't get INSERTED into the pledge of allegiance until 1954. So ALL those kids born (or actually in school) before that date, were PROTECTED from all that crap.... WITHOUT God being part of our pledge of allegiance.

Declaring "allegiance" to GOD, was something that was forced on British subjects... which is in part WHY our forefathers came to America and established a SECULAR form of government. Such allegiance to ALLAH (God) is even today FORCED on billions of Muslims and even non Muslim Arabs... under penalty of DEATH!

It is UNConstitutional to FORCE an American citizen, in the process of swearing allegiance to the "Republic" to ALSO acknowledge, let alone swear allegiance to, GOD.

Dang you guys bring back memories. :) One thing I noticed about Rat_Packs post was that the parents were responsible for their kids.It wasn't I didn't get into trouble because of my fear of the police or the school officials....... It was the fear of my Dad's belt :eek2: of worse.... my Mom's fly swatter. That damn thing hurt!!!! :lol:

Good lord...the memories...

AS I sat here reading this I started to remember...

How I learned to drive the tractor...I was SIX! First thing I did was drove it through the fence my dad spent all day building!

Then my brother & I decided to build a tree house...I can't remember how old I was maybe 10 or 11, I do remember the thing falling to the ground...WITH US IN IT!

Then playing "cowboys & indians" in the field...we used to run our horses from one end of 40 acres to another screaming like banshees...slam into the next kid, knock him off his horse & run like hell to the far end of the field WITH his horse in tow! The kid that got unseated (we ALL rode bareback) had to WALK or catch a ride with one of his buddies to get his horse back!

I DO remember the WORK too! Baling all damned day, stooking bales, then bringing them in, chores that had to be done...we raised horses & took some in for boarding, stalls to be cleaned, riding the bus to school...built muscles & CHARACTER!

Then in winter...the "flying saucer" behind the horse on a lariat!

Those WERE the days!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Uhm, I don't see where it says allegiance to God, it says one nation UNDER GOD. First off, this country was NOT formed on secular government. It was formed by Christians, the constitution as it was originally drafted was based on Biblical principles. the idea of 'separation of church and state' never has been and is not mentioned anywhere in the constitution, it is a term coined in the 50's. I find it funny that so many courts around this country decided to ban nativity scenes at christmas, yet they display religious icons from other religions. If you want to take all reference of religion out of government bodies, then take it ALL out. The idea of UNDER GOD was to signify this country was based on God and under His blessing, however this country has taken itself out of that umbrella of blessing, and is now reaping the consequences. This country is no longer under God, therefor no longer under His blessing.

A good Christian is going to speak the Word of God, it is part of their belief, the Bible says plant the seed (the word), and someone else will come and water it, so that it may grow (Take root in your heart). The bible teaches Chirstians that by spreading the Word they will be blessed, and the word will give a chance to set a foothold in the person whom hears it, so they may one day be saved.

You don't see me on here preaching hell stone and fire, and asking for all your money so you don't go to hell, and I don't see anyone else out there saying that either, so take your 'zelot' stereotype and apply it to the proper persons.

well said.....:thumbsup::thumbsup:

matcat quoted:
English lesson: the COLON indicates a "list" or "inclusive" items. Therefore, when pledging to the REPUBLIC, one must "admit" that it is ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

I didn't say that we had to pledge allegiance TO GOD in this country. Other countries DO force this. I said, our pledge (now) contains an allegiance to a Republic that is DEFINED as being "under God." There actually is no proof that there IS a God, but if there were, our pledge requires that we admit that HE is our supreme ruler. This is akin to the Ayatollah Khomeini being the "supreme ruler" of Iran. In the United States of America.... the SUPREME ruler is the LAW, as defined by the Supreme Court. Not even the President is above that LAW.

That is just not true. The "country" may have been "settled" by MOSTLY Christians, but the GOVERNMENT was established under the Constitution... and it most certainly DOES have a "separation clause" that says the government shall make NO laws restricting or ESTABLISHING any religion. This is why churches are not TAXED! IF they "abuse" their APOLITICAL exemption, and enter or influence politics, they can and should be taxed.

Also.... read the Constitution. Show me where it even MENTIONS God. And then read the part about how NON-White persons were not worth the same as White persons.... and then find me a Biblical reference that supports that contention!

One could say that the Taliban governs by "religious principles." The Koran is almost identical to the Bible. MOST governments throughout time have been based on "religious" beliefs of one type or another. OURS was supposed to be DIFFERENT!

As you say, the "term" separation of church and state" was coined in the 50's.... as a Constitutional argument to the insertion of "under God" into our pledge of allegiance in 1954. It was based on the Constitution (I don't have time to look up the article) that FORBIDS the government to ESTABLISH or CONDONE a particular... or ANY... religion.

I have no time for this overall discussion, but for the most part, I agree with you.

What you MAY not realize is.... it was inserted in 1954.... LONG AFTER the founding of our country.... as a "political statement" against the "godless foundation of the COMMUNIST regime of the USSR.

As for your "analysis" of our current state, and its repurcussions.... you have just given credence to, and background for, the Rev. Wright's comments in that ignomous sermon of why..."God BLESS America??? God (should) DAMM America!"

If you think you are telling me anything I don't know, you haven't been paying attention. My father is a revered Preacher/Pastor, and I am well versed in what the Bible says. I don't have time right now to explain to you the difference between "spreading the Word" in the manner it was commanded, and the religious ABUSE that the Right Wing / Moral Majority is currently using to denegrate Democrats and Liberals.... or anyone ELSE who doesn't think the way they do.

No, I don't. I really have had no problem with the way YOU have given your "testimony" here on CAD. You, YOURSELF, have mentioned lately that you are becoming a bit more "engaged" in it.... but, I STILL find it non-offensive.

The "zealot" stereotype was NOT meant for YOU! So, put your claws back in! :thumbsup:

At the same time.... I might suggest you do some research into when, why and how the phrase "under God" was inserted into the pledge so that you will not make the mistake OTHERS have made in claiming that it was part of our nation's "foundation." And so that you will be better informed before you again argue with me about it.

But, I DO like a good "debate." :lol2::clap:

I guess I should have taken the part out at the end. I am not a religious zealot. I have not been to church in 25 years or more. I do believe in God. And I do beleive that all this cowering down to the liberal b/s is making our country suffer. I can't belive anyone who was a kid in those times sees it any other way. By taking God out of everything and not offending anyone in any way has made our country change, for the worst. I don't remember kids divorcing parents because the are being punished to much or any Columbine shootings back then.

Now you can't even say Christmas without a leftwing freak yelling they are offended. Hell, the president just made a speach at a religious college but covered up the religious symbols in the background. WTF is that...Waterboarding, oh my God lets not pour water on the faces of the guys who want to kill thousands of us that would be mean. I say to hell with them. I would pour honey on them and tie them down to a fire ant bed if it would save 1 american.

Anyway I am off point.. I honestly beleive that back when I was a kid times were 1000 % better. I can't believe anyone from that era believes it wasn't...

There are so many other examples that I could type for hours.

Hobo, WHEN it was inserted doesn't matter. The idea and purpose behind it is still what I explained. To an extent you are correct in that the government was formed to allow religious freedom. But it was still based heavily on Christian morals and values. But it was done in a way that it would not PUSH Christian doctrine. I am sorry but our founding fathers NEVER imagined there be Churches of Satan in every city, or muslim holy wars driving political agendas around the world effecting American politics directly. They would be appauled by the state of the government today. Both from their beliefs and what this government has become.

I agree there is freedom to practice whatever religion you choose, the government cannot force you one way or another to belief in anything they want you to believe in. But that does not mean that a leader cannot be a Christian and speak openly of it. That also does not mean that the school system cannot pray, or display Christian holiday decorations, because displaying them is NOT the government forcing anyway to belief in any specific religion.

Hey Bigrigjoe,
great post have you ever thought of taking those words and making a country song out of them!!!
Oh wait its already been done by Bucky Covington.
In the 20's they had the speakeasys breaking the law, and lets not forget my grandmother who did the unspeakable and raised her skirt to just below her knees. the 30's had Capone and many other ruthless criminals, the 40's had Hitler, the 50's had the hoodlum, the 60' had the beatnick/hippie that rolled into the 70's from then on it has been about growth and the almighty dollar bill.
My point is that through out time we have always dealt with bad people and greed, you can trace this back 1000's of years. There is no difference with todays world and yesterdays world other then we have more toys and more greed and more humans on the planet. In a hundred years it will be the same only you will see lots of little Marty Mcflys scooting about on thier hoover boards...


Timberwolf

I remember drawing on cave walls, hunting for dinner with an arrow head on a stick, learning how to make fire, making my own jewelry, riding the mammoth 12 miles to school, and being jealous of the neighbors because they had a wheel... Damn amelioration :pissedoff:

You had fire and a mammoth?! Jeez, you guys must have been rich! We were so poor that the vipers in our corner of the jungle didn't even have pits to hiss in. But we were happy and respected our elders. Now, our kids . . . bunch of Neanderthals, ya know?

Yeah, the "flying saucers" in winter, and the cross-country skis too... But, in summer, take a car hood from about a '47 Chevy, and tie the rope to the front of it. Then one rode the horse along the bank and you got to ride on the hood in the river. If a boat was going by, you had to stand up and keep your balance. Sort of, an inland answer to surfing. When Dad got a boat with a motor, it went behind that... Till the rope broke, one day, and we lost the car hood.

This post brings back a lot of memories. I do think that things were much better in many ways during the 50's and 60's. At least as far as the quality of life is concerned. There were certainly problems, but things were much simpler in many ways. We actually got outside and didn't watch as much TV as we do today. Rather than call someone on a cell phone, we visited them. Cell phones were not even thought about. It was a much better time for relationships.

We had a 55 gal. barrel with the top cut off and would push it up the hill get in and off we went! If it rolled stright (rarly did) we ended up in the creek if not you ended up in the briers. Ahh those were the days

I remember back in 76...a friend and I were riding our bikes after dark and he didn't see the parked, black car.....man it was funny watching him slide up the trunk.

Back then... It was far more fun to try to pick out the black & white picture from the snowflakes all over it. Of course, things like ROADRUNER cartoons, and "P-eh, p-eh, P-eh, Porky Pig" did take up some of our time.:thumbsup:
But, I seem to remember spending far more time making hay, then going to the swimming hole to wash off all the chaff then watching TV through the blizzard.