Posted on 02/02/2007 9:25:32 AM PST by Johnny Gage
There's a childhood epidemic sweeping Minnesota and the nation. Its warning signs aren't fever or skin rashes. The symptoms are behavioral -- and unmistakable.
Consider a recent, particularly virulent outbreak of the affliction in Maplewood, N.J., as reported by the New York Times. In the last few years, out-of-control kids from the middle school have overrun the town's library after school. They routinely mouth off to librarians, disrupt common areas, leave restrooms a shambles and race about, sometimes almost knocking over elderly patrons
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
My ideal private library would cost many thousands of dollars for entry. All books would be rare first editions. Visitors would have to wear chemical suits with helmets and be sprayed down for germs. An I.Q. test and Ph.D. would be required for entry. There would be a private bar, lectures by famous locals, and everyone would have comfortable chairs and wear three piece tweed suits.
What if the librarian tells you that disciplining your kid isn't in her job description and that you should monitor your kids yourself?
ADD=Global Warming.
Liquor licenses for libraries.......
Hey, I'm the president of the Canadian Association for Adult Attention...Hey, look, what's that shiny thing?
The funny thing about ADD is that sometimes (only rarely) I can actually hyper-focus on one thing to the extent of not noticing what's going on around me. But generally I'm very easily distracted. That's not altogether a negative thing, though, as it also means that I'm very observant of my surroundings. For example, in the last month I've observed sundogs and, 2 nights ago, a ring around the moon, because I'm typically aware of everything going on around me.
I actually thing ADD is just one part of the spectrum of normal human psychologies. One might suppose (assuming they're not a creationist) that there is some evolutionary advantage to the condition, at least in some circumstances - and variation in the genome itself is also now understood to be an evolutionary survival strategy for a species.
Could I smoke my pipe? I just can't put on a tweed suit without smoking my pipe.
You may smoke your pipe. In my ideal library smoking is not only allowed, it is obligatory.
Possibly the access to porn in libraries in some communities attracts the wrong kind of patrons.
This morning I took my 6th grade son to our class because he had an orthodontist appointment and he sat in on our speaker for a short while with me....when we walked out of the class early to go to his appointment he said "Dad,why were those kids in the back of the room talking thru the speakers presentation?"....he sat there and watched the disrespect these kids have as Seniors (who should know better) to a visiting speaker. I just told him that let it be a lesson learned on how annoying and wrong it is when someone is trying to help you and you blatantly disrespect his authority and professionalism.
Thank goodness my kid saw that and gets it!
I'd like to move to your world.
Sheesh.
Of course, such liberal writers also lead the crusades to outlaw corporal punishment and crucify any school officials who actually attempt to address DDD . . .
I saw that ring around the moon by the way last month...we were sitting at a fire pit at my friends in Arizona having a few beers and thought we were seeing things. That was pretty cool actually....
I would say that's a cop-out.
Keeping order in the library is in her job description. I wouldn't expect the librarian to come up with some creative plan to keep my children in line. If my kids are misbehaving, she should be willing to say "knock it off!" or "get out of here!" That's all.
Now if my kids misbehave in the library on a consistent basis, it is my job to keep them from going there.
Kids need freedom to go places, and adults simply don't have the time or energy to monitor every single thing that kids do. Employees in public spaces have to be willing to step in when kids are out of line. They don't have to be substitute parents, but they have to let kids know in no uncertain terms when their behavior is not acceptable. A mall security guard should be willing to toss out kids who break the rules for example. And parents have to back up these employees.
my older brother was diagnosed as well around 3rd grade, and my parents DID listen to doctors who put him on Ritalin..
it most certainly didn't help..and, if anything, pushed him further towards alienation and dysfunction...my mom still questions about the decision to have drugged him..it's quite sad
he continued to struggle all the way thru school, and now at 41, still struggles thru life.
I believe there is definitely something to "chemical-inbalances" such as ADD.
Excellent! Three cheers for the Scotus Harrumpf Library!
I should say, for all the issues that my ADD has caused me over the years (and I DO have all the classic symptoms), I still managed to get through high school and graduate with good grades, at least the year I graduated. And then went on to University where I dropped out in the second year on my first go at it. 3 years later I was back again, got my degree (Computer science), and now hold down a good job as a software tester. So, it's not as though chemistry is destiny, at least in milder cases like mine.
No, let them go to bars. Can't you see that I am trying to get rid of librarians here? Besides which they would probably be terrible bar tenders. But then again, the kids, being just kids, would never know, would they? Oh, well.
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