Posted on 10/20/2006 9:36:21 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
The stupidity of the Massachusetts school decision to 'outlaw' such children's games as "tag" at school has hit the news in Japan.
(VIDEO REPORT ON TONIGHT'S NEWS IN JAPAN)
There is a slight tone of incredulousness.
Clip at above URL link and here:
http://meta.cdn.yahoo-streaming.jp/cgi-bin/yahoo/news.asx?cid=20061020-00000066-jnn-int-movie-001&media=wm300k
Puzzled parents interviewed, too. The clip will be up for a few more hours...
And banning dodgeball and tag is by no means the most stupid thing I've read of schools doing. I recall right after Columbine, this airhead fluffybunny-type elementary teacher explaining how she would not permit ANY child to work or play alone-Children who wanted to sit quietly and read would be FORCED to team up for group play. Always. No exceptions. She actually seemed to believe that not only would this automatically prevent school shootings, but there's something intrinsically wrong with people who are studious, quiet, introverted (which is NOT the same as shy at all), avid readers, or loners. She seemed to believe it would be a great thing to turn all her students into twolegged herd animals incapable of doing anything by themselves and scared to even try.(And y'know, I do know people who can't stand the idea of going to a restaurant or a movie alone. I don't see how they're better off than those of us who can-and do-both these things on occasion.)
Should I even bother to ask if they allow kids to play "Smear the Queer" in Massachusetts?
Their claim/excuse is that 'uncontrolled chase' games can result in accidents and injuries for which the school can be held liable.
I HATE what lawyers, lawsuits and litigiousness have done to our country and its people...they have broken down all walls between us where we can just 'work things out' as we did in the past.
"It follows that the U.S. is the most litigious country in the world ..."
I read somewhere recently that 95% of all lawsuits in the world are in the U.S.
The game 'tag' is "oni gokko', fyi. All japanese know and love this game.
I am sure you have noticed the reaction when American stupidity is revealed for what it is in the foreign press. Our friends favorite is still the "coffee too hot" lawsuit. However, I am sure to hear about this absurdity -- Kids being kids now illegal in America.
OK. Now this thread is REALLY moving! ;=)
"And...they are capitalistic and 99% percent homogeneous "
Take care in how you present that point. It's not a huge leap to infer racism by the presenter.
The things the left trumpets, multiculturalism and diversity, are very good things that have contributed to the greatness of this country. What the left has done is to pervert the idea, and use multiculturalism and diversity as code for political correctness and social engineering, (both very bad things).
I am not implying you are racist. I'm just trying to be helpful.
Dems always complain about America's negative image overseas, but by and large the worst images, such as over-suing (not to mention Hollywood's images) are created and permeated by DEMOCRAT type people!
The boys kept winning. The women principal blamed it however on lawyers.
What seems to come out of the state of Massachusetts and pass for common sense amazes me these days:
I was up in New Hampshire a few months ago around their primary, and there seemed to be a candidate for Mass atty. gen that was advocating PUTTING Drug Dealers (Convicted of course) ON the Registered Sex-Offenders List
But a Registered (Convicted) DRUG DEALER Offenders List IS a great idea, I think!!
"Japanese kids are very studious and hard-working. Their country is successful. And...they are capitalistic and 99% percent homogeneous racially."
They don't know the joys of a diverse multicultural society such as a welfare underclass of fatherless thugs, endless whining about victimization, privilege, and discrimination. Not to mention the joys of watching all of your educational institutions being degraded by affirmative action.
A considerable percentage of us are certifiable and we don't need Michael Savage to tell us that. But, look, unsupervised play in kindergarten is one step from Lord of the Flies. Just turn your back for a minute and they'll be driving SUVs and having their tongue pierced.
Not when it involves increasing government spending/massive beaurocracy, that sound idiotic to me (with all dues respect to your differenc in opp.).
I think there would be a much better way to handle this such as change sentencing laws.
You're right. Outlawing tag is only the tip of the lunacy iceberg of which our schools are capable.
We had another name for it... it would make the PC crowd freak if the they heard it though.
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