I remember in ancient history (late fifties) that Wonder Bread would hire a blimp which flew over various OKC neighborhoods and would drop balloons which contained coupons for prizes and free passes to Spring Lake Amusement Park.

I seem to recall they ended the promotion when a young child ran into North Pennsylvania Avenue near Northwest 36th Street and was struck by a vehicle as he/she tried to catch a balloon and another fell from a roof top where one landed.

The more I think about it, it may have been Colonial Bread, which later became Rainbow Bread.

Who were held liable? The bread company, the driver, or the kids?

Back in those days, probably nobody was held responsible. Every ambulance chasing attorney was not allowed to advertise (why they ever changed that American Bar Association ruling) on TV or in the TV Guide and nobody was out to sue somebody for being WRONGED. Parents felt responsible for their children and did not expect a teacher, the police or the VILLAGE to raise them.

Back in those days, probably nobody was held responsible. Every ambulance chasing attorney was not allowed to advertise (why they ever changed that American Bar Association ruling) on TV or in the TV Guide and nobody was out to sue somebody for being WRONGED. Parents felt responsible for their children and did not expect a teacher, the police or the VILLAGE to raise them.

In other words, the good ol' days.

Oh, the humanity

I am in my late 20's and sometimes I really wish I was around in that era.

I am in my late 20's and sometimes I really wish I was around in that era.The toys are much better nowadays.

Most of us didn't appreciate how good things were back then.

Amen

There is an elementary and intermediate (junior high) near my home in Dallas. As I watch the lovely children arrive and depart the schools I think, if I had dressed like that back in my days getting sent home would be the least of my problems. Got sent home once for having my shirt tail out after changing a flat tire on the parking lot in Senior High and to say the least my father was not impressed to the point of not worrying about flat tires for the remainder of the school year, as he took my car which I worked 4 summers for and chained it to a utility pole behind his sheet metal shop. As I recall I got sent home in October, so I was without car for 7 months.

There is an elementary and intermediate (junior high) near my home in Dallas. As I watch the lovely children arrive and depart the schools I think, if I had dressed like that back in my days getting sent home would be the least of my problems. Got sent home once for having my shirt tail out after changing a flat tire on the parking lot in Senior High and to say the least my father was not impressed to the point of not worrying about flat tires for the remainder of the school year, as he took my car which I worked 4 summers for and chained it to a utility pole behind his sheet metal shop. As I recall I got sent home in October, so I was without car for 7 months.

This is wrong of your biological father to have done. Did you call the police? Take any action against him?

This is wrong of your biological father to have done. Did you call the police? Take any action against him?

That's just the way parents raised there kids back then. I wish they still would, I was raised by my Great Grandparents, both born in the 1930's and they're both from Mississippi, and I loved being raised to where I wouldn't expect to be fed with a golden spoon the rest of my life.

That's just the way parents raised there kids back then. I wish they still would, I was raised by my Great Grandparents, both born in the 1930's and they're both from Mississippi, and I loved being raised to where I wouldn't expect to be fed with a golden spoon the rest of my life.

Then along came Thunder with the golden spoon ready for your mouth. :LolLolLol

Then along came Thunder with the golden spoon ready for your mouth. :LolLolLol

Glad it was just a Golden Spoon. :sofa: :LolLolLol

Glad it was just a Golden Spoon. :sofa: :LolLolLol

Oh, this is a special Golden Spoon. :LolLolLol

(hope you like Gerber)

Oh, this is a special Golden Spoon. :LolLolLol

(hope you like Gerber)

I'm not a big fan of it, no. :LolLolLol

Back in the late 80's, we could run the neighborhood until dark and our parents not have to worry about us. We knew to be home by dark. I don't like to let my 8yr old ride her bike 3 houses down the street by herself in the middle of the day now.

Violent crime has been trending down for years. It's generally safer now than when most of us were children.

What's changed is a constant barrage of scary images and "if it bleeds, it leads" reporting. Just a generation ago, there was 30 minutes of national news and 30 minutes of local news every evening. Now, news is 24/7 and a great deal of it is sensationalized.

If you look at statistics, the huge majority of violent crime is between people that know each other (i.e. not random) and committed in areas that most of us don't even drive through.


I'm 51 and I'll take now over the "good ol' days" all day, every day. People live longer, quality of life has vastly improved, rape, domestic abuse and child abuse actually get reported instead of swept under the rug or just ignoring victims, governments/communities/industries are no longer controlled by a small group of generally corrupt powerbrokers, most people work with their minds rather than their backs.... I could go on and on.

There are some things that aren't as good but the vast majority of aspects of life are much better now than ever, and improving all the time.

Violent crime has been trending down for years. It's generally safer now than when most of us were children.

What's changed is a constant barrage of scary images and "if it bleeds, it leads" reporting. Just a generation ago, there was 30 minutes of national news and 30 minutes of local news every evening. Now, news is 24/7 and a great deal of it is sensationalized.

If you look at statistics, the huge majority of violent crime is between people that know each other (i.e. not random) and committed in areas that most of us don't even drive through.

I'm 51 and I'll take now over the "good ol' days" all day, every day. People live longer, quality of life has vastly improved, rape, domestic abuse and child abuse actually get reported instead of swept under the rug or just ignoring victims, governments/communities/industries are no longer controlled by a small group of generally corrupt powerbrokers, most people work with their minds rather than their backs.... I could go on and on.

There are some things that aren't as good but the vast majority of aspects of life are much better now than ever, and improving all the time.

You're absolutely correct, Pete. That reminds of something I recently saw and read.

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904106704576583203589408180.html

I grew up mostly in the 50's which most people consider to be a time of peace and contentment. I think it was probably just because of a lack of knowledge about what was really going on the world.

I remember all those NUCLEAR ATTACK DRILLS at school and everybody building bomb shelters. Recall all the major buildings with basements displaying the FALLOUT SHELTER signs where emergency rations and such were stored. Many joined the Civil Air Patrol not only as pilots, but they manned the EMERGENCY CENTERS and plotted the approach of enemy aircraft and missiles on a large clear glass map from the rear forcing them to write backwards. Had a male elementary school teacher that was a volunteer and often when he wrote on the blackboard, he would catch himself writing in reverse. Remember everybody watching the sky to see SPUTNIK, the first satellite, pass over, the times to observe were published in the two Oklahoma City newspapers.

Still, with even all the fears, it was a wonderful time to grow up.

Also remember when they began installing and testing the Air Raid sirens and Civil Defense Volunteers went door to door and asked if the resident was able to hear the testing. Then somebody got the brilliant idea to utilize them for warnings of severe weather. So every time it began to storm, they would do their testing and "THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF SYNDROME" began.