Did boomer 'safe school' hysteria go too far?

"Zero tolerance" discipline policies that are enforced widely in U.S. schools are backfiring: They may be promoting misbehavior and making students feel more anxious, the American Psychological Association (APA) said Wednesday. The group called for more flexibility and common sense in applying the policies, reserving zero tolerance for the most serious threats to school safety. Zero-tolerance policies spread in the 1990s as a tool to fight drug use and violence on campuses. Schools often suspend or expel students for having weapons or drugs, which can include over-the-counter medicine, says educational psychologist Cecil Reynolds of Texas A&M University." "At Schools, Less Tolerance for 'Zero Tolerance'" USA Today

Origins of the chickenhawk war

"...It appears that there is no longer any shame in either being a chickenhawk or being called one. How did this happen? I think the key to understanding the change is the Vietnam War, with particular emphasis on that segment of the American population that found a way to avoid fighting in it. While people continue to debate the relative influence of the antiwar movement in ending US involvement in Vietnam, there is no question that the movement played an important role in changing this society's attitudes with respect to war." "The Chickenhawk War: Part One" Dissemble This

'Hippie' primate faces uncertain future

"Bonobos, which look much like small, dark chimpanzees, have a social structure unlike that of any other ape. Far different from more aggressive, male-dominated chimpanzee societies, bonobo groups are peaceful, egalitarian and largely led by females. Conflict is resolved through negotiation, physical violence is rare and social ties are maintained through sex." "Future Looks Grim for 'Hippies of the Forest'" Chicago Tribune Related: "Ape Shall Shag Ape: The Cult of the Pygmy Chimp" Points of Departure

Priggish boomer-cons embrace the Nanny State

"They're the party whose leader defends the sanctity of embyronic stem cells against scientists trying to cure diseases. They're the killjoy who stands up to object when a gay couple wants to marry. They're so shocked by gambling that the House passed a bill outlawing most online wagering, and federal agents arrested a visiting British executive of a sports-betting operation that is perfectly legal in his country. Even before there were lottery tickets at gas stations and casinos on reservations, savvy politicians realized that gambling was a vice to be denounced but mostly ignored." "Church Lady Can't Win This One" Wilmington Star-News (North Carolina)

Boomer leaders: great expectations, few accomplishments

"Forty years later, it is becoming distressingly apparent that, for all the hype surrounding the arrival of our generation, we boomers are turning out to be, well - profligates at best. I have not concluded that we are a failed generation, nor am I trying to incite intergenerational strife between us and our children. But with a quick glance at the domestic and world issues we face, someone has to ask, 'Who's been in charge?' It was a boomer president who led us into the quagmire of Iraq and the latest Middle East crisis. Who was responsible for improving relations between America and the Muslim and Arab world over the past 20 years? Who was supposed to fix our retirement programs in anticipation of the unprecedented number of people who are living longer? How did we allow the gap between the rich and the poor and middle class to become so vast?" "From Hope Has Sprung More Bust Than Boom" Winston-Salem Journal (North Carolina)