[RockSnake]

Whoa! I'm away from this post a couple days, and come-back to some real hot-buttons for me.

Steve R: I cannot imagine ANY school system or environment in this country that is safer now than it was 30-40 years ago. I attended public school under forced integration. Except for a couple minor incidents (school-yard scraps between 2 individuals), there was little friction, and certainly no threat to our safety. Contrast that to an incident about five years ago, my wife visited my son's high-school, and witnessed students throwing chairs at each other. Also, following the Columbine incident, the popular thing at school was to accuse fellow students of making threats. It got so bad the ACLU came to town to study why more than 50 students (without previous behavioral problems) had been sent to "alternative" schools. These were mostly very bright, well-behaved students, that didn't "fit in".

As for safety in the cities, the same son was knocked-off his bicycle (on our neighborhood street) by a car, and the b---- didn't even stop to help him off the ground (compound fractures of radius and ulna). Since then, my boys have not ridden on any street.

A study of New Yorkers asked how people planned to financial support retirement. Their #1 answer? the Lottery. The #2 answer? a big lawsuit. Somehow, Responsibility for one's actions, and a willingness to Work hard must find thier way back into our Nation.