A video of a Hero

[Stretch 74]

Oh...I thought you used the word fair when talking about the less than 100 nationwide trans athletes. If you just say I don't like it I wouldn't have pointed to tons of evidence of much more rampant "unfairness" in girls high school sports.

Stretch, as you know I have two daughters, who have tons of friends who they played sports with. Starting back in 3rd grade soccer, the parents can remember the championship game where there was a shootout and went seven deep in the championship game. All the parents remember the game. You know who doesn't? The kids who played it. They laugh at us because we do remember.

I could go game after game with my kids and their friends and they wpould say ...huh. Yeah I am sure the competitor against Lia Thomas remembers. But she could also swim against a woman who was on steroids.

You act like this happens all the time, it does not. There are many more things that are unfair that happen to these sports kids on a day to day basis. But if this is a top issue so be it. But just don't say it is unfair then when pointed to other things like steroids or kids transferring which happen way more frequently say we are talking about two different things. Unfair is unfair. Just say you don't like it. I am ok with that.

No red herring about the future. If you are sure of what will happen congrats. Let me know where the stock market will be in 2033.

The swimmer example is indeed two different situations. The steroids are against the rules in all athletic activities that I am aware of. That is because they give an unfair advantage to the person that is taking the steroids. Pretty much everyone agrees that banning steroids is the way to go, that it ensures a level competition.

However, allowing biological males to compete against biological females is forcing the females to compete on a basis that is NOT fair, it is NOT a level competition. And that is proven by science, is unwanted by a majority of people, makes a mockery of Title IX that was passed to promote and protect opportunities for women athletes, and is being forced on the vast majority of female athletes by a small unhinged group of wokesters.

Why do they need to be called "trans women" if they actually ARE a woman? It is because they are different, they are actually NOT a woman, they are simply a biological male pretending to be a biological woman.

Forecasting the level of the stock market in ten years is simply a guess. Thinking that science currently allows a biological male to become a biological female is fantasy. Projecting that science would actually be able to change ones DNA in order to actually change biological sex is a crap shoot, and is unlikely to happen in my lifetime.

 

[CougEd]

The swimmer example is indeed two different situations. The steroids are against the rules in all athletic activities that I am aware of. That is because they give an unfair advantage to the person that is taking the steroids. Pretty much everyone agrees that banning steroids is the way to go, that it ensures a level competition.

However, allowing biological males to compete against biological females is forcing the females to compete on a basis that is NOT fair, it is NOT a level competition. And that is proven by science, is unwanted by a majority of people, makes a mockery of Title IX that was passed to promote and protect opportunities for women athletes, and is being forced on the vast majority of female athletes by a small unhinged group of wokesters.

Why do they need to be called "trans women" if they actually ARE a woman? It is because they are different, they are actually NOT a woman, they are simply a biological male pretending to be a biological woman.

Forecasting the level of the stock market in ten years is simply a guess. Thinking that science currently allows a biological male to become a biological female is fantasy. Projecting that science would actually be able to change ones DNA in order to actually change biological sex is a crap shoot, and is unlikely to happen in my lifetime.

Stretch I guess I have to say it one last time to clarify my position. If you don't like it, fine. If majority of people don't like it I can accept that as well. Just don't bring in the fairness factor. We are pining over less than 100 kids. I can name 100 kids that were screwed by cheating in high school. Ever think Nathan Hale bringing in a kid from Edmonds may have screwed "Little Joey" (who was starting before the transfer) out of a scholarship? I am fine with saying you don't believe in it. Just don't use the fairness doctrine cause way more kids get screwed than a few kids that would swim against Lia Thompson.

 

[WillieThePimp]

To quote Logan Roy, you are not a serious person.

There's another Roy quote to use too but this is a family message board.

Shill on, PharmaPimp. There is but one path to assimilation.

Au Contraire - I am dead serious when I make a point using absurdist humor.

 

[CougEd]

All that will do is encourage the gang bangers to sell more drugs, do more carjackings, and perform more thefts/burglaries in order to afford the more expensive bullets.

Chris rock was attempting humor. But the solution is to get more guns in the inner city, load up wiith some AR 15's. MAAA...make amo affordable again.

 

[CougEd]

You never answered before when I asked, but how was it that the kid was an "it"? No penis? No vagina? How was it determined and how was it decided which sex to identify the kid as? Was it just so they would have had one of each or what? Did they flip a coain? Seems like they must have had some solid criteria for making the decision.

In part because I never saw the question. Maybe same goes for you about the question I asked about the vet who as crying. What did he mean "no one will have the opportunity I had'. It is about the 120 mark. "That isn't what he fought for." What does he mean by opportunity? w

Parents choice. There was no medical "data" that steered it one way or another. She was an IT and still takes hormones to this day. So it tells me something important...that I don't have good or perfect knowledge on the subject, thus on a slew of important issues, Lia Thompson unfairly winning a swimming meet is low on my list of priorities.

If you told me there were 100 trans kids in every state looking to compete it may be a bigger issue for me and something I should lose sleep over. however, there are less than two per state.

 

[Stretch 74]

Stretch since you posted it, please go back to about the minute 20 mark. This could be a learning moment for me. When he says this isn't what he fought for...that there won't be the ORPPORTUNITYY I had, what opportunity is he talking about, and what changed to limit the opportunities?

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

 

[Stretch 74]

In part because I never saw the question. Maybe same goes for you about the question I asked about the vet who as crying. What did he mean "no one will have the opportunity I had'. It is about the 120 mark. "That isn't what he fought for." What does he mean by opportunity? w

Parents choice. There was no medical "data" that steered it one way or another. She was an IT and still takes hormones to this day. So it tells me something important...that I don't have good or perfect knowledge on the subject, thus on a slew of important issues, Lia Thompson unfairly winning a swimming meet is low on my list of priorities.

If you told me there were 100 trans kids in every state looking to compete it may be a bigger issue for me and something I should lose sleep over. however, there are less than two per state.

Was working on that reply when you posted this note. Done, but you won't be happy with it.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

Yeah, I'm old enough to remember a lot of these things. The lard ass kids is a good point. I see so many fat families (parents and kids), it disgusts me. I see 'em at the store and peer into their carts. Gawd the horrible shit they buy.

Our country is f-ed up. We can see it right here on this hate and vitriol board. I don't care if you are left, right or middle (like me). Which Bush was it that wanted a kinder, gentler America?

 

[dgibbons]

Here's a personal anecdote that I think is relevant to this argument.

When I was a junior in high school, my school didn't have a girls softball team. I don't remember why. One of the girls decided she wanted to play baseball instead, and she spent a fair portion of our season on first base.

Fast forward to my senior year, the tables were turned. Too many guys decided they'd rather go out for track, and we couldn't field a baseball team. I didn't want to run track, so myself and 1-2 others figured we'd go over and play softball instead. The league shut us down flat. Said having boys playing would give the team too much of a competitive advantage (clearly, they hadn't seen me play baseball). If our school let boys play, we couldn't be part of the league. So the school told us no, and my HS athletic career ended 3 months early.

In the current landscape, if I'm wearing pants and calling myself Sam, I give the team too much competitive advantage. If I wear a dress and call myself Samantha...I can play. There's no difference in the biology, in my strength, build, or abilities. The difference is in society's unwillingness to acknowledge biological reality. A trans person who "identifies" as female...is a biological male, with the physical characteristics of a biological male. That means that - on average - that individual will be physically stronger and faster than the average biological female. It is an inherent athletic advantage - on average - and is inherently unfair to allow that person to compete with biological females.

You could eliminate the issue by allowing co-ed competition. But, that's going to end up being dominated by male competitors...which is part of why co-ed has never gained ground in competitive leagues.

I'm not against LGBTQ. I don't much care what anyone does with their own body, their own space, and their own time. I don't much care who they do it with either, as long as it's consenting (my instinct was to say "legal" too, but some places still have archaic and puritanical laws on the books that undermine that). But the refusal to acknowledge the physical athletic advantages of a biological male in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings runs right past ridiculous and headlong into ignorance.

If funding and facilities weren't an issue, just have a third classification. Boys, girls and trans or whatever the appropriate label is.

To make things work schools would probably end up cutting C teams or freshman teams.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

• Remember when cars and houses didn't have air conditioning?
• Remember when you had only 3-4 TV channels to watch?
• Remember when the only way to watch WSU was to do it in person and you were otherwise stuck with mediocre radio reception?
• Remember when our technology was so limited that all you needed to know was basic math and reading?
• Remember when trucks were cheap but the base price didn't include a radio or a rear bumper?
• Remember when you didn't have computers?
• Remember when it was ok to call minorities slurs and they were expected to take it like the second class citizens that you felt them to be?
• Remember when the people who are now in their 70's were spitting on Vietnam Veterans?
• Remember when the sky over Pittsburg, New York and other major cities was black from air pollution?
• Remember when Bald Eagles almost went extinct because of no regulations on pesticides?
• Remember when Republicans didn't bitch about "cancel culture" as they try to financially ruin companies who didn't toe the conservative line?
• Remember when kids could go to school without worry about some lunatic murdering them with a military style weapon?

FWIW, I had two bikes stolen in the late 70's and early 80's. People talk about the good old days like they were great, but the reality is that across the board, our quality of life is far superior today when compared to the "good old days". The biggest change that has "ruined" the quality of life for white males is the fact that they can't get away with most of the horseshit that they used to do.

The dirty dark secret is that 50 years ago, kids got kidnapped and murdered but you never heard about it. They were just gone. Rapes happened all the time but women knew that they had to just accept that it was part of life. Burglaries happened but people didn't have as much stuff worth stealing so theft wasn't worth the trouble as much as it is today. Our country was great mostly because the rest of the world was so damned mediocre in comparison. It was a simpler time and there are certainly some good parts to the "good old days" but I would never trade what I have today for that simpler time.

 

[mikalalas]

If funding and facilities weren't an issue, just have a third classification. Boys, girls and trans or whatever the appropriate label is.

To make things work schools would probably end up cutting C teams or freshman teams.

As you pointed out, potential solution would be to have CO ED sports that Trans could play in.

The Cheney Blackhawks soccer team I played on, had a girl on the JV team.
That's fine in sports where there is less chance of injury, unlike football, etc.

And it's fine because it is the girls who are voluntarily taking the risk, instead of having the risk forced upon them by letting a transgirl(boy with a penis), play against them.

The only problem with this solution, is that it doesn't matter what kind of solutions you come up with, or how good they are, the Transgenders(Males with penis's), WOKESTERS MINORITY, etc, will ALWAYS FORCE demand, etc, that they be allowed to compete against girls, women in girl's, women's sports, instead of CO ED sports or whatever Solution, because they WRONGLY say, etc, that they are girls, women, instead of males with penis's, even tho they have a penis, and as supposed females, they say they have the RIGHT to play against females in female sports, and the RIGHT to be in female lockerooms, bathrooms, no matter how good, fair, equitable, etc, alternative solutions you come up with to try to cater to them.

It's either their way or the highway, and immediate compliance demanded. And you have to obey or they will wrongly use the ACLU, law, courts, etc, to FORCE you to obey.

So coming up with alternative solutions for the Transgenders is POINTLESS.

Transgenders, WOKESTERS, ETC, are like the BORG in Star Trek.

They say, think, etc, that

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED.

AND YOU WILL OBEY NO MATTER HOW UNFAIR, ILLOGICAL, ETC.

 

[95coug]

No, I don't believe that we are the only country with the problem, but the MSM likes to pretend that we are.

BTW, last I knew the highest # of casualties (deaths) in a mass shooting was at that school in one of the Scandinavian countries, one with strong gun control laws. Something like 77 deaths.

Like everything else related to statistics and mass shootings...it depends what you count. If you want a lone gunman, Norway is the worst. If you just count mass shootings - including multiple gunmen motivated by ideology (which to me is more outright terrorism), then Garissa university, Kenya in 2015 is your winner. 4 Islamic gunmen killed 148 people - mostly executing Christians. There are similar attacks in France and Pakistan that each killed over 125.

The worst one in the US (Vegas) killed 58.

 

[CougEd]

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

Stretch he could have meant many of those things, or all of them. But none of what you write speaks to his lack of opportunity., and that is not what he fought for.

Personally I thought he fought for the first amendment rights of all people. So when Tommy Smith and John

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

Well you and I see the world very differently. I probably look at a macro view of things. I could go item one by one and tell you the cause and effect of each one, but I want to hit on something very important. Words matter. In January of 2017 I had a Happy Anniversary balloon in the kitchen for my wife. I had my senior daughter home, her friend who was a senior, and my youngest who was a freshman with her BBall teammate. They were at my house waiting to go to practice. The other 17 year old did the math, realizing my oldest was born in August. She did what she thought the mat was and said "Ed, is Edith a bastard child. I said first and foremost what a horrible term. Think about a 6 month old as a bastard child? Or a wonderful 17 year old as a bastard child? I also had to tell her Edith was born 19 months after I got married. The other girl at the home spouts off "I am a bastard child". Yes, her mom was pregnant before they officially tied the knot.

Second, I know someone who came along late in life of his parents. On day that person in his 40's comes uncorked when somene really not meaning anything says "so you were an accident". Again, put your feet in the shoes of a bastard child or an accident. Words matter. The kid was planned but by all accounts was an ultimate joy.

Finally where I am going with this is there are no "illegitimate kids". None. And I won't lie I struggle with taht term.

As to your list, "Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?" I would make it more broad....remember when there were actual consequences when ANYONE broke the rules/law. " We have an amazing capacity to look the other way.

And I do remember when patriots knew who our foreign adversaries were and didn't admire the work and brain power of people like Putin, Xi, and the north Korean leader. Those are the people we should admire, really? Leadership matters.....

 

[Observer11]

Chris rock was attempting humor. But the solution is to get more guns in the inner city, load up wiith some AR 15's. MAAA...make amo affordable again.

It worked in the Target parking lot in Coeur d'Alene, ID last week.

In fact, the very real possibility that a large percentage of the population just might be packing heat keeps things pretty calm there most of the time.

Spokane, not so much.

 

[wazzucougs96]

Since I am not him and he didn't explain what he meant, how am I expected to know? You know I can't.

However, I guess before I get back to doing some income taxes, I will throw some things out there that MIGHT make him sad about the direction our country has taken. I understand how many prior generations have complained about the younger generations. Some of their complaints were/are valid, some are not. I also understand that times were different, and not everything back then was perfect in our country.

• Remember how people used to not bother locking cars and houses? No more.
• Remember how most families could make a good life with only one spouse working?
• Remember when most kids were raised by both parents in the household?
• Remember when a kid could leave his bike at the store, school, park, or library with worrying about it being stolen?
• Remember when schools concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic?
• Remember when American students lead the word in science/math testing instead of being ranked in the lower 30's?
• Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?
• Remember back when the illegitimate birth rate for blacks was not ~75%?
• Remember when there was real patriotism in the country?
• Remember when there was shame in being on welfare, instead of pride that you were sucking so much free stuff out of the government?
• Remember when there was PE in school to keep from being a country of lard-asses?
• Remember back before ~40% of kids were obese per government standards?
• Remember back before there were 78,645 gazillion government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when ~1/3 of the cost of building a new house on your property was NOT satisfying government rules and regulations?
• Remember back when almost everyone was proud of our country?
• Remember back before everything you bought for home and travel had to be electric, due to government decree?
• Remember back when the First Amendment right to free speech was actually promoted by the left?
• Edit to add- Remember when equality of opportunity was important and equity of results was not?

Okay, I could go on, but I'm getting behind and need to get some work done.

See you at the spring scrimmage?

Remember which generation presided over all of this decline?

 

[95coug]

The dirty dark secret is that 50 years ago, kids got kidnapped and murdered but you never heard about it. They were just gone. Rapes happened all the time but women knew that they had to just accept that it was part of life. Burglaries happened but people didn't have as much stuff worth stealing so theft wasn't worth the trouble as much as it is today. Our country was great mostly because the rest of the world was so damned mediocre in comparison. It was a simpler time and there are certainly some good parts to the "good old days" but I would never trade what I have today for that simpler time.

I'm going to double down on this. I read a lot of true crime, and not too long ago I read a couple books on the Adam Walsh case. One of them went into a pretty extensive analysis of statistics on child kidnappings. They've never been terribly frequent, and kidnappings by strangers have always been rare. But, they were far more common pre-Adam than they are now. Today, stranger kidnappings are statistically insignificant. The likelihood of any particular kid being kidnapped is so diminishingly small, you can reasonably assume it won't happen. But there are a hell of a lot more helicopter parents now than there were in 1980. I remember that pre-Adam, my parents would let me ride my bike a mile to 7-11. After Adam, mom wouldn't let me go to the next aisle in the store by myself.

The difference is messaging and exposure. In 1980, if a kid went missing, you never heard about it if you didn't live within 100 miles. Adam Walsh's parents capitalized on John's airline connections and got his face coast to coast. Every parent in the country heard the story, and got scared. After that, faces of missing kids were on milk cartons. Amber alerts were created, and now you can get an immediate notice if a kid goes missing anywhere. A missing kid in Virginia is a headline story in Oregon.

It's all about the information we receive. We hear about the kidnappings, the murders, and the mass shootings as soon as they happen. And we want to. The media knows that bad news sells, so they keep peddling it. It wasn't the media that created "if it bleeds, it leads." The viewers did. The media just recognized it and responded. We've been looking for things to be afraid of for a couple generations...and the media and our government are more than happy to oblige.

 

[mikalalas]

• Remember when cars and houses didn't have air conditioning?
• Remember when you had only 3-4 TV channels to watch?
• Remember when the only way to watch WSU was to do it in person and you were otherwise stuck with mediocre radio reception?
• Remember when our technology was so limited that all you needed to know was basic math and reading?
• Remember when trucks were cheap but the base price didn't include a radio or a rear bumper?
• Remember when you didn't have computers?
• Remember when it was ok to call minorities slurs and they were expected to take it like the second class citizens that you felt them to be?
• Remember when the people who are now in their 70's were spitting on Vietnam Veterans?
• Remember when the sky over Pittsburg, New York and other major cities was black from air pollution?
• Remember when Bald Eagles almost went extinct because of no regulations on pesticides?
• Remember when Republicans didn't bitch about "cancel culture" as they try to financially ruin companies who didn't toe the conservative line?
• Remember when kids could go to school without worry about some lunatic murdering them with a military style weapon?

FWIW, I had two bikes stolen in the late 70's and early 80's. People talk about the good old days like they were great, but the reality is that across the board, our quality of life is far superior today when compared to the "good old days". The biggest change that has "ruined" the quality of life for white males is the fact that they can't get away with most of the horseshit that they used to do.

The dirty dark secret is that 50 years ago, kids got kidnapped and murdered but you never heard about it. They were just gone. Rapes happened all the time but women knew that they had to just accept that it was part of life. Burglaries happened but people didn't have as much stuff worth stealing so theft wasn't worth the trouble as much as it is today. Our country was great mostly because the rest of the world was so damned mediocre in comparison. It was a simpler time and there are certainly some good parts to the "good old days" but I would never trade what I have today for that simpler time.

Your partially both right and wrong.

In BIGGER cities, etc, it's like what you said back then.

In small rural towns, it was like what people remember as the good ole days.

That's because in Rural America, the VALUES, morals, principles, etc, were either better or more widely practiced then in METRO America.

Yes there was still the occasional problems in Rural America, but they were not as bad as the problems in Metro America, or they didn't happen as often, etc.

Now that's changed. Yes Rural America still has less problems comparatively to Metro America, but even in Rural America things are getting worse now as far as the increase of bad things, problems that are increasing, happening.

And part of that is both the devil fighting harder, etc, the closer it gets to Armageddon, end of the world, etc, and people choosing to giving in, falling prey to, following, obeying the devil.

For those who don't believe in that, then substitute negative cosmic things causing that, and people choosing to be influenced by those negative cosmic things.

 

[Stretch 74]

Stretch he could have meant many of those things, or all of them. But none of what you write speaks to his lack of opportunity., and that is not what he fought for.

Personally I thought he fought for the first amendment rights of all people. So when Tommy Smith and John

Well you and I see the world very differently. I probably look at a macro view of things. I could go item one by one and tell you the cause and effect of each one, but I want to hit on something very important. Words matter. In January of 2017 I had a Happy Anniversary balloon in the kitchen for my wife. I had my senior daughter home, her friend who was a senior, and my youngest who was a freshman with her BBall teammate. They were at my house waiting to go to practice. The other 17 year old did the math, realizing my oldest was born in August. She did what she thought the mat was and said "Ed, is Edith a bastard child. I said first and foremost what a horrible term. Think about a 6 month old as a bastard child? Or a wonderful 17 year old as a bastard child? I also had to tell her Edith was born 19 months after I got married. The other girl at the home spouts off "I am a bastard child". Yes, her mom was pregnant before they officially tied the knot.

Second, I know someone who came along late in life of his parents. On day that person in his 40's comes uncorked when somene really not meaning anything says "so you were an accident". Again, put your feet in the shoes of a bastard child or an accident. Words matter. The kid was planned but by all accounts was an ultimate joy.

Finally where I am going with this is there are no "illegitimate kids". None. And I won't lie I struggle with taht term.

As to your list, "Remember when there were actual consequences when a kid broke the rules/laws?" I would make it more broad....remember when there were actual consequences when ANYONE broke the rules/law. " We have an amazing capacity to look the other way.

And I do remember when patriots knew who our foreign adversaries were and didn't admire the work and brain power of people like Putin, Xi, and the north Korean leader. Those are the people we should admire, really? Leadership matters.....

Nice little stories, but neither one refers to the generally accepted/use of the term. Illegitimate refers to someone born "out of wedlock".

And yes, it would be nice if anyone regardless of age had consequences when they break the law/rules of an organization. The politicians and DA's that want to find excuses to let everyone off the hook for breaking the laws are ****ing things up for all the rest of us.

 

[Stretch 74]

Remember which generation presided over all of this decline?

Us boomers. We learned from the Greatest Generation parents and too many of us thought it would be wonderful if our kids were given so much and didn't have to work hard in life. Wanting to make things really easy for our kids did NOT actually do them any favors.

And for the record, I did not have any children. My wife had plenty of children- about 15-60 for nine months every year. If we had children of our own, they would not have been pampered little darlings.

 

[CougEd]

Nice little stories, but neither one refers to the generally accepted/use of the term. Illegitimate refers to someone born "out of wedlock".

And yes, it would be nice if anyone regardless of age had consequences when they break the law/rules of an organization. The politicians and DA's that want to find excuses to let everyone off the hook for breaking the laws are ****ing things up for all the rest of us.

Again it isn’t about a nice story . It is a term the church came up long before you and I were around . And yes it was at some point a generally accepted term .

 

[Stretch 74]

• Remember when cars and houses didn't have air conditioning? **** Yes, my first house with Air Conditioning was when I moved to Idaho in 2012.
• Remember when you had only 3-4 TV channels to watch? ****Yes, our first hand me down B&W TV was in my senior year of high school. And I can remember when people actually talked with each other and read a lot of books instead of TV.
• Remember when the only way to watch WSU was to do it in person and you were otherwise stuck with mediocre radio reception? ****Yes, I do, and I got along fine during that time. But when I DID go to a game it was almost always at 12:30 or 2:00.
• Remember when our technology was so limited that all you needed to know was basic math and reading? ****Yes, I do, and isn't it so very sad and a sign of our times that almost nobody in places like Baltimore and Chicago are grade level proficient at those basic subjects?
• Remember when trucks were cheap but the base price didn't include a radio or a rear bumper? ****Yes, I do, and the 4WD crew cab Silverado long bed I bought used last year cost about 50% more than my first house.
• Remember when you didn't have computers? ****Yes, and doing punch card decks for my Critical Path Method class in Johnson Hall.
• Remember when it was ok to call minorities slurs and they were expected to take it like the second class citizens that you felt them to be? *** Oh, for the good old days! Okay, actually I don't remember that at all. Now I did grow up in the Skagit Valley and there weren't any blacks around then to call names, but there were Mexicans and they were not called names when I was around.
• Remember when the people who are now in their 70's were spitting on Vietnam Veterans? ****I remember hearing about such things. Stupid, sad.
• Remember when the sky over Pittsburg, New York and other major cities was black from air pollution? ****I was not there to see it, but I do recall hearing about all the bad smog in LA. Not so much back east until the river caught fire.
• Remember when Bald Eagles almost went extinct because of no regulations on pesticides? ****Yes, I do. And didn't the banning of those pesticides end up allowing the spread of malaria in Africa, causing the death of many people there?
• Remember when Republicans didn't bitch about "cancel culture" as they try to financially ruin companies who didn't toe the conservative line? **** I remember when they learned it from the Democrats. And I remember when the Dems had a super hissy fit about being forced to show photo ID to vote in Georgia and then caused ~$100,000,000 damage to the Atlanta area by moving the MLB All Star game to Denver, most of that damage happened to black owned business and black workers.
• Remember when kids could go to school without worry about some lunatic murdering them with a military style weapon? ****Yes, I do. I recall when the HS parking lots were filled with a lot of cars and pickups with rifles and shotguns in them without ever being used on another human being.

FWIW, I had two bikes stolen in the late 70's and early 80's. People talk about the good old days like they were great, but the reality is that across the board, our quality of life is far superior today when compared to the "good old days". The biggest change that has "ruined" the quality of life for white males is the fact that they can't get away with most of the horseshit that they used to do.

The dirty dark secret is that 50 years ago, kids got kidnapped and murdered but you never heard about it. They were just gone. Rapes happened all the time but women knew that they had to just accept that it was part of life. Burglaries happened but people didn't have as much stuff worth stealing so theft wasn't worth the trouble as much as it is today. Our country was great mostly because the rest of the world was so damned mediocre in comparison. It was a simpler time and there are certainly some good parts to the "good old days" but I would never trade what I have today for that simpler time.

Yes, It was a simpler time, but I believe it was a much better time to grow up.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

Us boomers. We learned from the Greatest Generation parents and too many of us thought it would be wonderful if our kids were given so much and didn't have to work hard in life. Wanting to make things really easy for our kids did NOT actually do them any favors.

And for the record, I did not have any children. My wife had plenty of children- about 15-60 for nine months every year. If we had children of our own, they would not have been pampered little darlings.

Wait - she had 15 to 60 kids? Gotta be a typo. I'm a boomer, and my 2 kids were raised to work hard and be responsible. It was rough at times, but not insurmountable.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Yes, It was a simpler time, but I believe it was a much better time to grow up.

I do feel sorry for kids today in some ways. While they get to enjoy things that were never an option back then, they also don't have the freedom to just enjoy things the way that we could. For all of the talk that we see about how worthless and lazy kids are today (a tale as old as time), my kids work harder and worry more about what it takes to be successful than I ever had to.

 

[Stretch 74]

Wait - she had 15 to 60 kids? Gotta be a typo. I'm a boomer, and my 2 kids were raised to work hard and be responsible. It was rough at times, but not insurmountable.

No typo, she was a teacher. Best one in the state of WA!

 

[Stretch 74]

I do feel sorry for kids today in some ways. While they get to enjoy things that were never an option back then, they also don't have the freedom to just enjoy things the way that we could. For all of the talk that we see about how worthless and lazy kids are today (a tale as old as time), my kids work harder and worry more about what it takes to be successful than I ever had to.

I wonder how young people today are going to afford the American dream of a home to live in. Especially with a family.

 

[wazzucougs96]

I wonder how young people today are going to afford the American dream of a home to live in. Especially with a family.

Stop voting for people who people who support strict zoning regulations, making it illegal to build more homes.

 

[CougInSpain]

I wonder how young people today are going to afford the American dream of a home to live in. Especially with a family.

Our economic is system much different these days than it was back in the day. Businesses have expanded their areas of professionalism to include relatively high-paying jobs as did the local, state and federal governments bloated out of control.

 

[CougEd]

I wonder how young people today are going to afford the American dream of a home to live in. Especially with a family.

Well I can't speak for other areas but this area they live at home for awhile, save up some money, get gift funds. Or in due time the mortgage industry will screw up, we will have a repeat of 09-11, and prices will be deflated.

 

[CougEd]

Our economic is system much different these days than it was back in the day. Businesses have expanded their areas of professionalism to include relatively high-paying jobs as did the local, state and federal governments bloated out of control.

Actually there is way more to it. Reagan deregulated a bunch of agencies, busted unions, and had a theory rich people given more money will spend money and it will "trickle down". It is a nice theory, one I bought.

And maybe that worked in the 60's and 70's. But more and more paper money was made via trades in the stock market and wealth was created that way, and that money stayed n investment accounts. There is no velocity of money when paper money is traded in stock accounts.

Then union jobs were lost, decreasing wages while CEO pay has gone through the roof. CEO's use to receive a lot of their comp in stocks.

Third, the offshoring of jobs. So of course middle class has shrunk.

 

[WillieThePimp]

Actually there is way more to it. Reagan deregulated a bunch of agencies, busted unions, and had a theory rich people given more money will spend money and it will "trickle down". It is a nice theory, one I bought.

And maybe that worked in the 60's and 70's. But more and more paper money was made via trades in the stock market and wealth was created that way, and that money stayed n investment accounts. There is no velocity of money when paper money is traded in stock accounts.

Then union jobs were lost, decreasing wages while CEO pay has gone through the roof. CEO's use to receive a lot of their comp in stocks.

Third, the offshoring of jobs. So of course middle class has shrunk.

Deregulation, Voodoo economics, union busting and wowing the mindless masses with John Wayne impressions - gotta love Ronnie. That and him giving the Ayatollah a reach around.
Ronnie’s Voodoo economics never worked other than to fuel wealth disparity. Trump repeated it. I don’t believe for a second that Ronnie or anyone behind it ever believed the marketing nonsense on trickle down economics - they knew damn well what they were doing as did Trump - cynical, hateful of the working class and greedy.

As for Unions Ronnie’s big coup de grace was how he handled the air traffic controller strike. It always amazes me how working class people support a party that spits in their eye. Unions certainly have their issues but they helped many blue collar joes and their families lead comfortable lifes.

And yeah, offshoring of jobs is a disaster that this country will likely never recover from because no one is willing to try to counter it as corporations own the clowns on the hill.

And we have these nuts stoking culture wars against gays, blacks and trans, and have declared war against our public education system to distract people from the fact that they are doing absolutely nothing to benefit the majority of the citizens of this country.

 

[WillieThePimp]

Well I can't speak for other areas but this area they live at home for awhile, save up some money, get gift funds. Or in due time the mortgage industry will screw up, we will have a repeat of 09-11, and prices will be deflated.

I don’t have kids but have friends who have done just that with their kids - community college, university, and then some to grad school often living at home during college or moving home after graduation to save up. Some with Grandparents who can afford to gift up to 15K a year/grandchild to save up for a house. Friends in San Diego whose then 25 year old son who had lived at home for a few years and who had penny pinched beginning in childhood bought a house in El Cajon a couple of years back with his now wife. Mature, smart, and responsible goal-oriented kid. It can be done.

 

[Observer11]

Biden is essentially offshoring the extractive industries like oil and mining.

It feels good to the virtue signalers but those industries are far more dangerous and unregulated in third world countries than in the USA. Or we could be energy independent while innovating and developing cost-efficient alternatives.

But, hey, we have 87,000 new IRS agents so the net job loss is lessened.

Don't lay the blame entirely on Reagan, friend. By my count there have been 5 presidents since 35 years ago.

The middle class got rocked for two years by the lockdowns of folks like Jay Inslee decimating small business followed by the Fed printing money like there's no tomorrow and Congress spending like drunken sailors.

 

[CougEd]

Deregulation, Voodoo economics, union busting and wowing the mindless masses with John Wayne impressions - gotta love Ronnie. That and him giving the Ayatollah a reach around.
Ronnie’s Voodoo economics never worked other than to fuel wealth disparity. Trump repeated it. I don’t believe for a second that Ronnie or anyone behind it ever believed the marketing nonsense on trickle down economics - they knew damn well what they were doing as did Trump - cynical, hateful of the working class and greedy.

As for Unions Ronnie’s big coup de grace was how he handled the air traffic controller strike. It always amazes me how working class people support a party that spits in their eye. Unions certainly have their issues but they helped many blue collar joes and their families lead comfortable lifes.

And yeah, offshoring of jobs is a disaster that this country will likely never recover from because no one is willing to try to counter it as corporations own the clowns on the hill.

And we have these nuts stoking culture wars against gays, blacks and trans, and have declared war against our public education system to distract people from the fact that they are doing absolutely nothing to benefit the majority of the citizens of this country.

Nice little stories, but neither one refers to the generally accepted/use of the term. Illegitimate refers to someone born "out of wedlock".

And yes, it would be nice if anyone regardless of age had consequences when they break the law/rules of an organization. The politicians and DA's that want to find excuses to let everyone off the hook for breaking the laws are ****ing things up for all the rest of us.

Except when they go after someone with power and money. Hell, people in New York went to the streets and celebrated every time John Gotti got off.

 

[CougEd]

Biden is essentially offshoring the extractive industries like oil and mining.

It feels good to the virtue signalers but those industries are far more dangerous and unregulated in third world countries than in the USA. Or we could be energy independent while innovating and developing cost-efficient alternatives.

But, hey, we have 87,000 new IRS agents so the net job loss is lessened.

Don't lay the blame entirely on Reagan, friend. By my count there have been 5 presidents since 35 years ago.

The middle class got rocked for two years by the lockdowns of folks like Jay Inslee decimating small business followed by the Fed printing money like there's no tomorrow and Congress spending like drunken sailors.

11....you are correct there have been numerous Presidents since then. But he sett the agenda for the Republican Party for 40 years until trump changed things up.

Reagan may have been right for the 60's and 70's. My first two votes were for Reagan. But times changed. Manufacturing went over seas, encouraged by stock prices and margin. We became more of a service economy. Unions were busted, wages deflated. If you want to say his policies were right for the era we now live in feel free.

But Reagan set a course that every republican President. They followed the playbook.

Then came MAGA....Make America Great Again. Lets go back to the 50's, those wonderful times. Care to guess the tax rate on the wealthy? You know what the wealthy did...paid it.

Biden...no question his plan should have been short term, medium term and long term. Phasing in and phasing out. But with the way the house and senate sit, not sure that was an option.

Inslee's lock downs... you brought up Sweden several times in the past. Go look at the GDP number of Sweden and Norway. Norway locked down, Sweden did not. Sweden self quarantined and their GDP went down more than the country that did have a lock down.

Yep...starting off with PPP money. It was a government give away. Not much different than Tarp started by Bush.

Part of the problem....in big business it is heads they win, tails you lose. Too big to fail. Because of laxed regulations we have a housing crisis . What bank or lending institution would think a zero down stated income loan is a good idea. Well, it is a good idea when you sell it off....until you can't. Then what. Have the general tax payer pay for it. Corporate socialism.

So what happens next in the mortgage industry? The industry is probably over regulated. But we now have a new banking situation. They are dipshits and buy long term assets in a highly inflationary and rising interest rate markets. So they are sitting on assets at 3% and they now have to liquidate and have no buyers. But what happens. Socialized bailout. Socialized corporate bail outs.

 

[Observer11]

I don't care about Sweden's GDP. I live in the US. I care about my middle class neighbors who were forced to shut their businesses down.

And, yes, the banksters are in on the uniparty scam economically. Now do money to Ukraine. Or the military-industrial complex.

It's not a blue/red thing. You're all getting played. Mitch McConnell is just as bad as Pelosi was.

Until there are term limits, prohibition on insider trading by elected officials and campaign contribution reform, it's not gonna change.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I don't care about Sweden's GDP. I live in the US. I care about my middle class neighbors who were forced to shut their businesses down.

And, yes, the banksters are in on the uniparty scam economically. Now do money to Ukraine. Or the military-industrial complex.

It's not a blue/red thing. You're all getting played. Mitch McConnell is just as bad as Pelosi was.

Until there are term limits, prohibition on insider trading by elected officials and campaign contribution reform, it's not gonna change.

Can't argue with any of that. I don't get why 80-plus year old people continue in office. Go lay on a beach somewhere. Why the F do you hang on? Term limits are the solution. Crazy that only the President is subject to them. Why?

On the Reaganomics sidebar, his massive tax cuts for the rich and his BS trickle down theory have F-ed America ever since. Trickle down - what a joke. Rich have continued to get richer, everybody else, not so much.

 

[CougEd]

I don't care about Sweden's GDP. I live in the US. I care about my middle class neighbors who were forced to shut their businesses down.

And, yes, the banksters are in on the uniparty scam economically. Now do money to Ukraine. Or the military-industrial complex.

It's not a blue/red thing. You're all getting played. Mitch McConnell is just as bad as Pelosi was.

Until there are term limits, prohibition on insider trading by elected officials and campaign contribution reform, it's not gonna change.

Not "getting played". We absolutely need term limits. It would make the US function again.

Well you used "Sweden" as the example of the shut down. There is a greater point...people would have isolated and our GDP would have shrunk, meaning businesses would shut down. But they were propped up by PPP money. A guy who has a sandwich shop. I hadn't seen him from 19-2021. I assumed he got crushed by the pandemic. Saw him at the grocery story....said with PPP money he is in a position to retire, that he never made so much money. Orders to go.

 

[WillieThePimp]

Not "getting played". We absolutely need term limits. It would make the US function again.

Well you used "Sweden" as the example of the shut down. There is a greater point...people would have isolated and our GDP would have shrunk, meaning businesses would shut down. But they were propped up by PPP money. A guy who has a sandwich shop. I hadn't seen him from 19-2021. I assumed he got crushed by the pandemic. Saw him at the grocery story....said with PPP money he is in a position to retire, that he never made so much money. Orders to go.

Yeah… I bet it was the “orders to go” sandwiches that set him up and not the free money windfall that you and I bankrolled with our taxes. Because everybody knows that selling sandwiches has a high profit margin.

 

[WillieThePimp]

I don't care about Sweden's GDP. I live in the US. I care about my middle class neighbors who were forced to shut their businesses down.

And, yes, the banksters are in on the uniparty scam economically. Now do money to Ukraine. Or the military-industrial complex.

It's not a blue/red thing. You're all getting played. Mitch McConnell is just as bad as Pelosi was.

Until there are term limits, prohibition on insider trading by elected officials and campaign contribution reform, it's not gonna change.

You can rail on the military industrial complex and I’ll be right there with you because it is a huge waste but if you can’t see the national security risks playing out with Russia/Ukraine and China then you’ve been blinded by the messaging of the lunatic right echo chamber and their love of authoritarians. The money the US has spent on Ukraine is chump change and we’ll worth it.
China is schooling the US in international diplomacy and is a growing threat militarily. Xi is just getting started. If you don’t think the threat is real then you are asleep.

 

[Observer11]

You can rail on the military industrial complex and I’ll be right there with you because it is a huge waste but if you can’t see the national security risks playing out with Russia/Ukraine and China then you’ve been blinded by the messaging of the lunatic right echo chamber and their love of authoritarians. The money the US has spent on Ukraine is chump change and we’ll worth it.
China is schooling the US in international diplomacy and is a growing threat militarily. Xi is just getting started. If you don’t think the threat is real then you are asleep.

China is a huge threat but they will do it economically not militarily.

Biden is inept at foreign policy. China is cleaning his clock especially in Africa.

Ukraine was, is and will always be a corrupt cesspool warring with Russia for centuries.

All of these can be true and not necessarily interrelated to the narrative being spun that the US is saving democracy by pouring billions into Zelensky’s pocket.

It’s all about the Benjamins.

You’re naive if you think it’s a good vs evil simplistic conflict. There’s bad actors all around. Some of whom actually are actors now playing war leader.