The Pussification of America Must Stop!

[Judge Smails]

As the father of two gradeschool kids, I see this on an almost daily basis. Two things that happened just this week have been driving me nuts. But, I just saw the story posted below and it's just fucking ridiculous.

Firstly from this week: My son recently learned how to ride a bike. My parents were over on the weekend and he wanted to show them but couldn't find his helmet. I told him it was OK to ride around the driveway for a little bit. I never wore a helmet to ride a bike in my life. He started screaming that it's the law. A police officer came to school during bike safety week and he could be arrested or, worse yet, suffer head trauma and why don't I care about him and am trying to force him to ride without a helmet?

Second: My kid's school had a "No Bake" Bake Sale this week. You could only bing in pre-packaged snack cakes and such - nothing homemade. When my wife asked why she was told it was terrorism concerns. Somewhere in the hills of Pakistan, Al Queda is planning to hit the Murray Chittick Elementary School.

Now this:

11-Year-Old Arrested For Using Rubber Band Gun (http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/13448349/detail.html)

An 11-year-old Ocoee boy was arrested for playing with a toy gun. Police said the arrest was necessary, because it was a safety issue.


The boy was using a rubber band gun and his father said the kid did nothing wrong, but police said they take it as a serious threat and the 11-year-old is facing felony charges.


The crime isn't very common, but Ocoee police said it is serious. It centers on an 11-year0old boy and his toy short-barreled shotgun.

http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/images/shotgun800.jpg

I had one of these when I was a kid too.

[torker]

I told him it was OK to ride around the driveway for a little bit. I never wore a helmet to ride a bike in my life. He started screaming that it's the law. A police officer came to school during bike safety week and he could be arrested or, worse yet, suffer head trauma and why don't I care about him and am trying to force him to ride without a helmet?

Classic.

It's a fair cop, but society's to blame.

[Fat_Sunny]

This Is One Of Fat's "Hot Button" Issues. It Is Awful For The Country That Safety, Security, Inclusion And Self-Esteem Now Trump Freedom, Risk, Toughness, And Having New And Exciting Experiences.

This Trend Pre-Dates 9/11 By 25 Years.

If Continued, It Will Be The Death Of This Country!

[Disaster]

its shit like this that makes me almost not to want to have any kids. this world is nuts , also why is keeping score for kids games bad? and where did dodge ball go ?

[Midkiff]

If Continued, It Will Be The Death Of This Country!

That, and republicans.

[Fat_Sunny]

That, and republicans.

Oh, Go Practice Your Mandarin, Commie!

[drjoek]

They need to relisten to the Best of with Conn Eggleton
http://webcontent.harpercollins.com/images/australia_large/0007232748.jpg

[Midkiff]

Oh, Go Practice Your Mandarin, Commie!

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u99/DarkSasuke6861/chinese.jpg

hahaha

[Fat_Sunny]

They need to relisten to the Best of with Conn Eggleton

That Was A Great Interview With A Great Message!

[drjoek]

That Was A Great Interview With A Great Message!


They had a great review in this weeks NY Times Magazine section with a this quote.


"He will be alright even if he has been raised drinking organic milk while riding to soccer practice at his Motessori school in a Volvo"

[JesterOfSadness]

http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/images/shotgun800.jpg

I had one of these when I was a kid too.

I remember back when I was in 6th grade and a friend of mine brought one of those on the school bus and shot a kid in the face. His punishment was 2 days ISS(in school suspension).

And this other kid mentioned above could be placed on felony charges? Give me a fucking break.

[Midkiff]

I've been looking for that book at my local B&N.

[drjoek]

Any one who has a kid also knows that toy guns are now ONLY sold in flourescent colors nothing that remotely resembles a real gun God forbid if you can even find toy guns

[LordJezo]

In response to the bike thing:

I am worried that if you teach your kids how to ride a bike and they fall over and trash up their knees and hands that they will be able to file a complaint with child protective services and be put into foster care on grounds that you are abusing them.

[Gvac]

I'm not sure that what I have to say falls into the "pussification of America" category, but I just have to vent.

The other night I attended my nephew's 8th grade graduation. 8th grade. The ceremony lasted 2 and a half hours. That's not a typo; 2 and a half hours. There was a medal or award handed out for every possible fucking thing, from Social Studies to Gym to best attendance.

It was insane.

There's some crazy thing going on in this country where people feel the need to make every single fucking minor accomplishment look monumental. It's maddening.

By the way, there was a total of 44 students graduating. Not a very large school or class.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

This thread is too meany mean


We are Such a Bunch of Pussies in this CUNTry

:king:

[Wallower]

Please lock this thread before someone gets an eye put out!

[furie]

this just isn't my country anymore......

[Dan-E]

?

Second: My kid's school had a "No Bake" Bake Sale this week. You could only bing in pre-packaged snack cakes and such - nothing homemade. When my wife asked why she was told it was terrorism concerns. Somewhere in the hills of Pakistan, Al Queda is planning to hit the Murray Chittick Elementary School.

http://users.cs.cf.ac.uk/I.J.Grimstead/cake-bomb.jpg

[ShowerBench]

The other side of this is the fact that if you are driving under the speed limit in a school zone, residential neighborhood, etc., there is still a good chance you will seriously injure or kill an unseen, unsupervised kid on his bike who isn't wearing a helmet and rides out in front of your car, because his parents are idiots for - take your pick - not supervising him or not putting a helmet on him if they're not going to supervise.

I don't want to be sued and pay millions in someone else's hospital bills for the rest of my life because of idiot parents whose kids ride out in front of or in back of my car, and the idiot jurors who misappropriate blame.

Don't say "drive more carefully" because in a lot of these cases that would have meant driving 5 mph to avoid any possibility of hitting an unsupervised kid. If it's a choice between a 5 mph speed limit and a helmet law I'm going with the helmet law.

Support for laws like this isn't only about trying to raise other people's kids, for me it's about protecting myself from liability resulting from idiot parents and idiot juries. (Notice I don't blame the lawyers - they're only the messengers.)

[JustJon]

I haven't read Hal Igguldon's book, but I agree with the concept behind The Dangerous Book for Boys. A couple months ago, there was a family gathering at my parents' house, so I had to light some candles. I grabbed one of those foot long electric lighter things and my 5 year old nephew and held down the child safety lock and held it with him so he could light the candles. (Hey, at 5, I'm not giving him a pack of matches and letting him go total pyro)


And Gvac, this Sunday, my nephew is graduating from pre-school, so I need to be there for 3 hours. Although I'm told part of that time is just stuff for the kids like pony rides.

[drjoek]

And whats all this about "Drug free School Zones"?


How was I suppose to put my self through Private School if these things existed?

[Mike Teacher]

NY Times Magazine had an article called 'Boys Gone Mild' and it mentions the Dangerous Book for Boys... from the article:

I remember we called it “play.” It occurred on weekends and after school, when the grown-ups weren’t around. Sometimes it hurt. It hurt when the ball struck someone in the face. It hurt when the thing we were climbing — the tree, the fire escape, the face of the sandstone cliff beside the river — suddenly grew slippery or broke. But those were mere physical injuries. They healed, often after trips to the emergency room. The injuries that lingered were the emotional ones, incurred when someone came in last in one of the contests we dreamed up.

Who knew at the time (not we children, certainly, growing up more than 30 years ago in small-town Minnesota) that playing and getting hurt would come to be regarded later on as exotic, threatened activities sorely in need of a cultural revival led by concerned adults?

But that is just what’s happening, judging by the popularity of the recently published “Dangerous Book for Boys,” a runaway best seller that seeks to reintroduce young males to lost pastimes like making paper airplanes, hunting rabbits and skipping stones.

Link HERE [not sure if the NY Times is a 'logon' [retch] site] (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03wwln-lede-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin)

[JustJon]

Link HERE [not sure if the NY Times is a 'logon' [retch] site] (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03wwln-lede-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin)

www.bugmenot.com

[Bulldogcakes]

They need to relisten to the Best of with Conn Eggleton
http://webcontent.harpercollins.com/images/australia_large/0007232748.jpg

Great, great book. Highly suggested for the ol' summertime book list. Lots of fun to read, and was a #1 best seller in England last year.

Here's a link of a terrific interview with the author. (http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2007/05/15)

And instead of complaining about the "Pussification of America" all you guys, try standing up for yourselves once in a while. Thats the real problem. Women are and have always been worry warts (Not all of you of course, but most. Especially when it comes to kids). Somewhere along the way us men stopped standing our ground and started apologizing for who we are, which is bullshit. You don't see women doing that. It doesn't have to be some big, stupid outburst either. It as simple as saying "No" to things you know are wrong. Much of this "Pussification" is driven by parents who with the best of intentions are raising a generation of crybabies who will have a very hard time adjusting to the real world. The rest of it is fear of lawsuits and even criminal prosecution, because apparently there is no such thing as an "accident" anymore in America. Blame YOURSELF for that, if you vote for these self promoting politicians who promise to fix every problem with a new law and let trial lawyers run wild.