It would be appropriate for Herald readers to express disgust with parents in Snohomish for their complaint that children who damaged their high school building as a graduation prank were over-penalized. The damage involved a criminal act. If anything, denying them participation in graduation ceremonies was not enough.
Like thousands of others I was a high school student of the 1940s. We respected our teachers and the school which educated us. Doing outright damage to our school building was not a way of celebrating graduation. I dread the punishment that would have been applied by our parents had we done such foolish things.
The questions is: what has happened to social behavior since the 1940s? Before I go further, please know that we weren’t little angels in those days, either.
There must be reasons for contemporary student behavior. Perhaps one could be the endless parade of television drama that shows destruction and violence as acceptable response to disagreement or to display group attitude.
Another could be the bombing and/or destruction in foreign lands by military action. Our nation regularly uses such acts to control or punish enemies. We see nothing wrong in destroying roads, bridges, buildings and homes in nations where populations are starving.
Negotiation has to be the sensible solution, but it apparently is too slow. If we wonder about it, look into the national mirror. Why would they not like us?
Students at the graduation time of their lives see our national behavior as acceptable. It must be – we do it all the time!
OK, whose fault is it? Could it be our fault? We are supposed to be the role models for those graduating seniors.
Maybe it would help if we cleaned up our act. It is always more painful than to point fingers at the other guy. At least, give it a thought.
Arlington
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