# Paranoia Everywhere in School Systems **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 3, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016 "2000-08-03T18:36:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Frannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Frannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frannie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016/61 "2000-08-07T05:13:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beakerxf \* > **What are some of your opinions on the system and how it can be improved? I’m curious to hear from those who are within the system. I have three friends who are all teachers, but they have barely starting out and can offer speculation and not experienced opinions.** Better yet, how can we “fix” society to ensure that the schools won’t have to address all these things? I suppose it comes full circle back to the schools. I wish I had the answer. The only one I can come up with is that the kids in school today will have to sacrifice the 3 R’s in favor of learning a lot of the things they _should_ be learning at home. Then, when _they_ have children, their homes will be stable and non-abusive, and there will be _time_ for the 3 R’s. I dunno. I wear contacts, not rose-colored glasses. Oh, and _please_ don’t misunderstand – I truly do _love_ my profession. I greet even the _smallest_ of triumphs with a grin that would blind many people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016/62 "2000-08-07T05:24:29Z")
God, how I despise Columbine. I despise the media glorifying the carnage and inspiring hundreds, perhaps thousands of copycats. (One was going to be at my school-I go to a school renowned for its athletes, but not for academics or arts, even though there are several good students/band members/singers/actors in the school.) There’s so much tension there…we’re not Columbine, but ever since the media covered it, we might be inching closer. I hate the fact that people like me, who want to dress and talk differently, and listen to different music and see things differently and actually THINK for ourselves, are now blamed for society’s problems. I hate the fact that the victims’ families (some) wanted to SUE for idiotic reasons. Money doesn’t bring a person back, what do you need it for anyway? It’s all about hate, which is how we got Columbine in the first place. Mostly, what I hate, is the censorship that right-wing, Joe McCarthy America is trying to enforce. I agree there should be standards. But I don’t believe you should oppress all creativity. Apparently these censors never knew what it was like to go to school and to be called names and ignored and threatened and beat up because you were different. And I hope someday they pay for their ignorance. Is that something to fear? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016/63 "2000-08-07T15:07:24Z")
Nocturne: Yes. Your viewpoints are obviously antisocial and dangerous. There’s nothing for it than to penalize and ostracize you further, on the hope that when you finally snap, you will dispose of yourself in a quiet fashion. [This post was closed-captioned for the sarcasm impaired.] ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016/64 "2000-08-07T15:22:23Z")
> [@](#): > > My history professor, who’s also my advisor, was telling us about high school seniors who know who Snoop Doggy Dog is, yet they don’t know who the hell Winston Churchill was, or why he was so important. > THAT is scary. As it happens, there was an excellent editorial in the _Washington Post_ yesterday addressing this topic. It can be read in its entirety at [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41013-2000Aug5.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41013-2000Aug5.html). The sentences that most struck me (primarily because they are true) were: “Who among us would not be red-faced if the true depths of his ignorance and illiteracy were to be exposed? Ignorance is not bliss, but neither is it blasphemy.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-everywhere-in-school-systems/28016.md?page=3)