In 1962, my 15th year alive, I was in sophomore R.O.C.T. at Bellaire High School and issued an M-1 Garand (serial number IIRC 3,119,331 but it was not all matching) that was fully functional plus being originally issued in August of 1944 when World War Two was in its final year. It could have possibly been in Korea as it was refinished in 1953 at the Army's Springfield Armory. When I shot it, I normally put all 8 rounds into three to four inch groups into the bull at 100 yards with open sights. I kept it at home when not at school. Friday's were uniform day and I wore mine and openly carried my M-1 on the school bus to school for drill. I carried it, again openly, to all my classes and again back on the bus home when school was over.
Now try to imagine that being reality in this day and age?
And that was a long time ago now! I shudder to imagine schools at present. Whatever semblance of America that remained when I was there is probably by the wayside. I here they segregate kids that AREN'T allergic to peanut butter in the lunchrooms now, if they allow it at all.
I looked up my old elementary school which is now a k-12 (the queer is one of the few teachers still there), they have some subject called "Individual & Societies", WTF is that? Social Studies? "Social studies" itself was already a bastard term that I'm guessing probably wasn't used much in your day, Bendy. Wikipedia says it was coined in the early 20th but I remember my mom saying they never used it when she was in school. And now "Individual & Societies". 🤮 Not to mention nine "Diverse Learner Teachers" (whut? is this a ghost payroll scam?) and sixteen special ed assistants, in my day there was one special ed class, in the basement.
For "English Language Learner Support" they've got one dude, one. Eight "diversity" specialists and one dude to help kids learn English.
A couple of years prior to that I was in a play about Davy Crockett. I didn’t have a toy gun so I brought my dad’s .410. Nary a word was said.