Community Chat

[Irshgrl31201]

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

When that happened there were no 24 hr news channels bombarding people like there are today. That was a family event that everyone sat around and watched. I am certainly not saying that the Berlin Wall was not a huge event but I remember being in school when Challenger blew up and I didn't find out until I got home. It wasn't even talked about.

[scotttie]

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

So.....nothing to say about the actual event?

[Surfnturf]

On 11/9/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

When that happened there were no 24 hr news channels bombarding people like there are today. That was a family event that everyone sat around and watched. I am certainly not saying that the Berlin Wall was not a huge event but I remember being in school when Challenger blew up and I didn't find out until I got home. It wasn't even talked about.

I said we listened to it as it happened, in school. As for the Challenger event, my niece knew about it when she came home from school. I assume she got her information there. I didn't ask.

[Linders Back]

I'll admit to being a bit () older than 9 when the Berlin Wall came down, but was very aware of what was happening in the world when I was 9.

Many of us my age grew up with routine Air Raid Drills, crouching under our desks at school with our head between our knees, and neighbors building bomb shelters in their yards. I was very aware of the political conventions and staying up late into the night to watch with suspense as the states were polled sometimes more than once to pick a candidate. I filled boxes with toys and toothbrushes for the Hungarian refugees and collected pennies for UNICEF at Halloween. I remember lying on my back in a field watching Sputnik orbit the world.

I also played with dolls, rode a bike, and roller skated on those clamp on metal skates with the key! (and NO helmet!)

Being aware of what was going on in the world and also being a kid should not have to be mutually exclusive.

[Surfnturf]

On 11/9/2014 scotttie said:

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

So.....nothing to say about the actual event?

About Alan Shepard's flight? We were transfixed. I remember every detail, including that we were told he was the first man in flight, not the first American. I didn't find out we were the second to put a man in flight until I was an adult.

[scotttie]

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

On 11/9/2014 scotttie said:

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

So.....nothing to say about the actual event?

About Alan Shepard's flight? We were transfixed. I remember every detail, including that we were told he was the first man in flight, not the first American. I didn't find out we were the second to put a man in flight until I was an adult.

Actually, I was talking about the Berlin Wall coming down. That was the purpose of the thread.

[mstyrion 1]

On 11/9/2014 Irshgrl31201 said:

On 11/9/2014 wookie said:

All children like to play, but some events are so momentous that we pause from that to experience something that is huge news. I remember the day Alan Shepard, the first American to fly into space, embarked on his flight. My elementary school piped it through the intercom system into every classroom, so we could all listen to the coverage as it happened. I would be very surprised if something as important as the collapse of the Berlin Wall was not discussed in school.

When that happened there were no 24 hr news channels bombarding people like there are today. That was a family event that everyone sat around and watched. I am certainly not saying that the Berlin Wall was not a huge event but I remember being in school when Challenger blew up and I didn't find out until I got home. It wasn't even talked about.

I was 9 years old when JFK was assassinated.

The memory is very strong even today. There was certainly no cable news, 24 hour news channels or internet back then. The announcement was made at school and the coverage was on TV constantly for days.

I can't imagine important world events not being announced and discussed in schools 25 years ago, 10 years ago or today.

[Irshgrl31201]

Oh, I never said having an interest about world events at a young age and having a good innocent childhood and playing were mutually exclusive. I am simply saying I didn't give much thought to world events despite growing up in a social conscious and well educated household. I know many people whether it be because of immaturity, lack of interest at an early age, growing up in a sheltered home, or having parents who weren't intelligent or were simply workiing to hard to sit down and explain current events, that did have that experience as a child. Some of these people I know weren't even socially aware well into their late teens or even early 20's and they are the most informed people I know.

No one is putting down kids that were aware of all this, I think it is great but on the same token I really don't think a child who is 9 that really doesn't have the same awareness is an indicator of what they will be or do as an adult. It isn't as is obvious with myself and many other people I know.

[Plaid Pants]

As with everything else, tv, news should be in moderation. A child can be aware of what is happening in the world, and still run around and be a kid.

When I was a kid, the only news that I saw was the evening news, with my parents, and I still somehow managed to have a happy childhood.

Do we live in a world of 24 hour news now? Yes, we do, but a responsible parent will limit the amount of time per day that a child is exposed to the news, and then maybe discuss with said child about what was on the news.

[scotttie]

Children get the president being murdered. Rocket ships are exciting. A big ugly wall coming down? Not so much.