The following (slightly tongue in cheek) comparison may have originated in the USA but isn’t it also indicative of the (often ludicrous) situations we also face in the UK today?
Scenario 1: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1960 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2010 – Police called, arrests Johnny and Mark.. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. Both children go to anger management programs for 3 months. School board hold meeting to implement bullying prevention programs
Scenario 2: Robbie won’t be still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 – Robbie sent to office and given 6 of the best by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2010 – Robbie given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. Robbie’s parents get fortnightly disability payments and School gets extra funding from state because Robbie has a disability.
Scenario 3: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2010 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison.
Scenario 4: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1960 – Mark gets glass of water from Principal to take aspirin with.
2010 – Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 5: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from Guy Fawkes, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a bull-ant nest.
1960 – Ants die.
2010 – State Police, Star Force, Federal Police & Anti-terrorism Squad called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, Feds investigate parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny’s Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 6: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1960 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2010 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
How stupid we have really become…
Dave's Bankside Babble 
This would be funny if we weren’t doing it Banksie – Paul Chambers is one, but we’ve already done it with school kids having a laugh. We haven’t seen one instance of a foiled terrorist plot of any proportion, but have seen some that look blown out of all proportion, and some like Omagh we could have stopped and didn’t.
Forgive me for moralising mate, but we have to do better than Gadget somehow and move to something fuller. Let’s face it, it shouldn’t be our job, but no one else is doing it! Our stupidity is in legendary mode.
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