Some think people are getting smarter..

[ironglow]

  Yep!  Some think we as a people are getting smarter every year.  Doesn't really look like it:

   http://www.elwoodindiana.org/content/high-school-1957-vs-2009-how-stupid-we-have-become

[Sourdough]

I saw this somewhere before, but still agree 100%.  My own opinion people are getting smarter on some things, but are lacking in common sense and many don't know the basics that I had learned by the 4th grade.

Don't want to Hyjack the thread, but got a story to tell sort of in align with this way of thinking.  This is a real life story, it helped make me who I am today. 

When I was starting the 7th grade 1962, I was the tallest kid in the 7th grade.  I ruled 7th grade.  One of my teachers Ruby Givins had grown up with my Dad, and had babysat me when I was small.  Second period, first day of school.  Ruby had already heard from first period teacher how rowdy this class was, and that there was a few trouble makers in it.  Ruby knew she had to get a handle on this group or she would loose complete control for the year. 

Ruby quietly entered class room, biggest kid in class was standing with back to the door, shouting at another student, being a real smart___.   Ruby pulls chair out from behind desk, then slams it down on hardwood floor.  Everyone then take notice of her being in room and looks for a desk and sits down, taking their time.  Ruby then says, "Roggie Hunter, come up here".  So I got up, looked around the room and laughed.  As I slouched to the front of the room with a big smirk on my face, the rest of the class was snickering.  Ruby sat down in her chair now in front of her desk.  When I reached the front of the room she told me to stand there right beside her, facing her.  Ruby looked up at me, standing there smirking, and loudly said, "I spanked your butt when you were this long", as she held out her hands indicating I was real small.  Then she yelled, "And I can still do it".  Ruby reached up and grabbed the front of my shirt, and jerked.  There I stood wearing leather soled shoes, on hardwood flooring where the janitors used an oiled sweeping compound.  Those floors were slick.  My feet went out from under me, and I fell right across Ruby's lap.  Ruby reached around and grabbed her paddle.  Ruby laid into me with that softball throwing right arm of hers, for five licks.  Caught by surprise I yelled every lick, and each lick made a mean smacking sound on my tight jeans.  Needless to say she had everyones attention and no body was laughing anymore.  After the fifth lick Ruby shoved me out onto the floor.  As she shoved me she also lifted and twisted me, so that I landed on my back, and I hit the legs of the kids in the front row.  There I was in a rather awkward position, so as I tried to turn over and get up, Ruby kicked me in the behind, yelling "Don't you be looking up that girls dress, just get up".  I was about half way up, Ruby turned and without seeming to do anything she kicked my foot out from under me.  Down I went again, right on my face this time.  Ruby stood up saying to the class, "He sure is a clumsy guy".    This time I was mad, and I got right up turning to face her.  Ruby pointed her paddle at me and said "You go sit down right now, before I give you another paddling.  And if you aint careful, (Yes Ruby talked like the Hillbilly that she was) I'll call Billy (My Dad) and hav3e him watch me give you another one.  You know what that will mean".  Meaning when he got me home, my old man would really lay into me.  I sat down and shut up.  From that point on that was the best behaved class Mrs Givins had.  Word got around, and the other classes did not give her a hard time either.  My self esteem was busted for a while, but I got over it.  I did have to take a couple of guys down a few notches when they brought it up after class.  That helped put me back on top.  Being the biggest, I ruled the 7th grade.

Years later my folks moved next door to Ruby and her Husband.  The four of them got real close again, and I would see Ruby when I went back to visit.  In later years Ruby was bedridden.  Ruby sent word that the next time I came to visit she wanted to see me.  I was living in DC then, and got back there about every three to four months.  When I got there Ruby took my hand and said she needed to apologize for what she had done to me in the 7th grade.  Then she started crying about it.  She said she hated that she had done that to me, but she had to get control of that class.  It was apparent I had the respect and and fear of everyone in that class.  So by proving she could take me down she gained the respect and fear of the entire 7th grade, at my expense.  She had felt guilty for that all those years, and asked if I could forgive her.  I told her there was nothing to forgive, I got over it in a couple of days.  She laughed and said "Yea as I remember you had to whip two guys out behind the band room in the days that followed".  "One of them you whipped pretty bad, and his mother came down and insisted the principle do something about it".  "I convinced Mr Cleavenger to let it slid this time, I told him what I had done, we decided you needed to do that to get your self esteem back".  Ruby and I laughed.  Ruby Givins was the best teacher I had in all the years of school.     

[Pat/Rick]

Great story Sourdough. Seems those "impact lessons" are the longest lasting. 

[blind ear]

Accumilated knowledge is growing but it seems few benefit from it.

Too much stuped stuff goes on and is allowed starting with the highest positions in government and finance all the way down to those that can't fend for themselves and end up living under a bridge.

How could a world that is continually getting "smater" be in a constant state of war with all the death and hunger and misery that is so prevalent on this earth?

We live by a code of something other than wisdome or intelligence.

ear

[Sourdough]

Guys you all know I go South every year.  People ask me where I am from and I tell them I am from Alaska.  Right off the bat they either love or hate Sarah Palin and they want me to know how they feel.  Gosh it gets tiring.  Then they want to know about Alaska. 

The older people feel we are a colony, since they bought us.  Yes we are a state, but a different kind of state, Since the lower 48 bought us, they own us.

Then I talk to the younger people.  Some think we are a small island off the coast of California, a little smaller than Texas.  That is where we are on the map.  The weather map they see every afternoon.  We must have pretty good weather since they never mention us.  Other young people think we all live in Igloos.  That we have Polar Bears walking down the streets.  Our main transportation is dog teams.  That it's dark for six months and light for six months.  And that we are all fishermen.  It seems the younger the people are the worse they are about knowledge of the world, not just the 49th state.

Ask those same young people to name four countries in South America, very few can do it, and most will try and get by with saying South America.  Ask them where 4 corners is here in the United States.  Most won't even know what you are talking about, let alone it being the only place where four states meet, or what those states are.  Many of these same young people can not tell you who their state Senators are.  Or how many State Representatives their state has.  If there was ever a President from their state.  Or what states border their state.  Some even think Che Guevara was a cool dude.  They refuse to believe that he was a cold blooded killer of men, women, and children.

While they know the things going on in their own little world, they are totally oblivious to what is going on in the world around them.     

[blind ear]

My fear is that too many don't know what is going on in their, world or worse, just don't care. ear

[oldandslow]

You are just too old, Sourdough. If You were young enough to have happen to you in the last few years what happened in 1962 the teacher would be in jail and you and your family would have a lot of money from the lawsuit.  I'm somewhat older than you so I am aquainted with the discipline methods used in the old days.

I have never heard anyone allude to the lower 48 owning Alaska. I guess it just depends on what area you live in.

I agree with you about kids knowing what goes on in their own little world and little else.

[billy_56081]

No, when they have to put warnings to keep your hands out of a running lawn mower, folks aint getting any smarter. We are allowing the stupid to not only survive, but breed.

[ironglow]

Sourdough;
  It is true that many people have great misconceptions concerning Alaska.  Some, knowing I have several family members living there (some very near Sourdough), ask questions of me.  A small minority of those questions are pretty lame, such as;
  Do they EVER get any summer ?  ..questions about 'icebergs"...polar bears around Fairbanks and Anchorage etc.

      Recently Fox News mentioned a poll which shows that only 25% of young people aged 14 to 20 knew who our first president was.  Now, my grandaughter who is 12 years old has been home schooled by her mom until this year and now attends a K-12 Christian school; ironically the same one of which, I was chairman of the board of education for several years.
  Knowing she was well trained, especially in history..where I personally took a hand, I had to seek some 'bragging rights'.
   So..I asked her,  " Can you tell me who our first president was"?
    Well!  You can imagine my surprise, when she not only told me the name of the first one..but the names of every one.. from Washington to Obama; and she did it in proper order... !!  She SANG the names !
  When I regained my breath, I inquired where she learned it.  Of course, she learned it in Christian school..all the students do !  They sing the song, and whenever the name of a president is mentioned in class, a couple students will be selected to repeat (sing) the names up to the one mentioned.
  In her school they still teach cursive writing, long ago abandoned in some public schools.  They also are taught to read with phonics, thus when later in life they come in contact with a new-to-them word, they can sound it out..rather than "guess" and perhaps mess up a whole task or project !   
   Complaints are made about a well rounded education for home-schoolers.  It is my experience that home school parents are on average, much more inclined to make sure their children's education is not only diverse, but accurate.
   Below, see my grandaughter learning to "do glass"...The glasses are special for working with molten glass.  She is at the shop of an American legion friend, a glass expert retired from the U. of Wisc.  I have taught her some smithing and we use any local craftsmen to instruct in other fields..she's also a decent shot..see winter photo of a couple years ago.

[Conan The Librarian]

I had a fifty year old man ask me to show him how to check the air pressure in the tires of his new Harley Davidson.

[Sensai]

God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.

[gypsyman]

Sourdough said it in his first sentence. Common sense is very much lacking. You can have all the book learning in the world, but, if your to busy trying to figure out a mathmatical formula to fit a square peg in a round hole, you'll get run over by the bus. gypsyman