I was listening to the radio on my way to work the other morning and the personality was talking about someone (I can’t remember who) who gave a commencement address at a high school and told the kids the truth. Apparently this caused a giant uproar. He was telling the kids that they are not special. They are not going to have everything handed to them. There are millions of others just like them all over the planet. They are not special. After this, a caller went on a rather long rant about the same thing. It was very emotional.
The host then went on to talk about a program by HBO sports on “The Wussification of America”. In doing the extensive research I do for all my posts, I found this term is used quite a bit. There is even a website for it. I don’t know what it is. You have to join and I was too much of a wuss. Is this HBO report, they focused on a few things that are making our children wussies: the banning of dodge ball, jumping rope without a rope, shadow tag and no touch policies. Let’s explore a little, shall we?
I can understand dodge ball. It IS after all kind of a bully sport. I personally have been on both ends of that depending on where my weight was at the time. I feel sad that bullying has come to the degree it has that makes this activity the target of banning.
Jumping rope without a rope. I hadn’t heard of this one. Apparently, it is far too traumatic to jump rope and get it stuck on your feet. So to alleviate any life destroying embarrassment, the rope has been removed and the children now look like convicts who aren’t allowed to have rope. The interviewee said “Now, a child can get the rope to go two times without tripping” the host replied “they could go a million times … there’s no rope!”. No one takes into account that this part of physical fitness helps build coordination and endurance. To be fair though, I tried it. I looked like a mental patient off their meds.
Shadow tag. Never heard of this also. Apparently the game of tag, that has been played since little baby saber tooth’s we chasing after cave babies, has become too rough. Now, the children can’t tag each other. They can only step on their shadows. Because crushing the representation of someone’s head is not violent at all. This also relegates the game to intensely sunny days, in open fields of no trees, where the risk of sunburn and skin cancer is prevalent.
The report then went on to talking about a school somewhere that has established a “no touching” rule. No high fives, no pats on the back, no handshakes. Why? Because children were getting injured. Not hospital necessitating injuries mind you.
Principle: “They were getting scrapes and bruises”
Reporter: “That is part of being a kid.”
Principle: “We can do better.”
I thought pot was still illegal to smoke for recreation? This woman is a crackpot! I don’t want to see Tori get hurt, but I am talking about like her head cracking open, a finger getting pinched off … the kind of stuff that will have DCFS knocking on my door. She bonks her head all the time and has bruises on her legs from running into things or falling down all the time. No touching is just taking it way to far.
All of these things are truly turning our children into people that will not do well in society. They will cringe when someone tries to shake their hand, they will not be athletic at ALL. … throwing like a girl will become a compliment.
When you take these things, and couple them with the “every one gets a trophy because everyone is a winner” crap that is being pushed around, it is no wonder our country is in the trouble it is in. No one wants to hurt anyone’s feelings. Guess what, you can’t come out of college and apply for a VP or CEO job because you always “won” at everything. You are going to be in for a rude awakening if the only reason you were never last, is because everyone was always first.
The other benefit I see to this is that if we had parents and others telling people that they can’t sing, they can’t dance and that they actually suck at these things, then we wouldn’t have to have shows like Idol and SYTYCD. These shows would not be around because they wouldn’t have the crappy auditioners to make fun of anymore. Tell your child occasionally that they are not good at something, that they look ridiculous and people are laughing AT them not WITH them. Not to the point of abuse, just to the point of reality. I am not going to falsely raise the hopes of my children for something if they just aren’t good at it.
I am off to watch Burn Notice so I can learn how to be a spy. I think I really could do it! I am good at eating yogurt!
Yeah, I threw on the breaks pretty fast there didn’t I.
Voicesinmybrain 