More Proof of "Pussification of America"
 

Here's some more proof of MojoPeiPei's coined phrase, "Pussification of America".

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...us/no_more_red

I am stronlgy opposed to this type of "coddling". I believe we are sending the kids the wrong message and making them soft. The parent's need to parent and support the teachers. I am surprised that anyone would still want to be a teacher after all the sh*t we out them through.

This type of thinking is similar to banning dodge ball, changing the rules of competition so "everyone's a winner" etc. Now I am not advocating abuse or "boot camp" but c'mon, a little reality and common sense please.

We need to bring personal responsibility and accountablility back.

Cut the kids more slack or hell no, discipline and work ethic?

Your thoughts?

That is just insane! Surely you have to ask why the teachers chose to use red in the first place....it stands out and makes the errors clear. I personallally used to do all my work in black or blue. It wouldn't be easy to distinguish between my work and the teacher's corrections if they were the same colour. If the work is wrong then it's wrong! There is no point in trying to disguise that fact by doing it in a different colour.

I personally like to see my "A's" in bold red at the top.

for those of you who don't want to click the link::


--My mom is a teacher and she uses red to correct papers. I guess it makes more sense to use red to correct since it stands out better and is easier to see the corrections right away. I think the last statement is the most important though; it doesn't matter what color the paper is graded in, it matters about the quality of teaching.

Give me a break! Do these people not have anything else to worry about? I'd gladly donate some of my problems to help them.

I really don't care what colour teachers mark their students grades in. What amazes me is that someone went to the length of writing an article about this. It must have been a quiet week in the office.

anyone ever stop to think that using the word pussy as an insult may not be the most enlightened way of dealing with something you disagree with?

Saying that this is lending to the pussification of America is just what we need. I'm not about coddling people, especially when they are being soft ass mamby pamby pussies. It's about conveying a point, why would I not call a spade a spade? I might offend them, therefore I shouldn't? That only furthers my point that America is become a bunch of pussy ass bitches, we don't need to always need to act all "enlightened", I would rather take this sucker out of the park and not beat around the Bush. Forget my harsh words but to curb this disease on America people need to realize how retarded they are acting.

So let's see, we have schools abandoning honor rolls because the morons feel bad about themselves because they are not on it, you have teachers putting four chairs for three people in musical chairs, and now we are banning the color red as it has become "symbolic of negativity". These are probably the parents that don't let their kids play with toy guns, or play cowboys and indians because it's politically incorrect.

Your harsh words make you sound stupid and ignorant (please excuse my harsh words)

"We" are not banning anything. A bunch of teachers decided to change their stationary, and someone thought they'd write (a rather boring) article about it.

In defense of not using red ink, I learned in my pedagogy course that studies have been done (what haven't studies been done on?) that have seemed to indicate that using red is less effective as a teaching tool than using some other color. So it's not just being touchy-feely, there are reasons why teachers might not use red to grade papers/tests. Unfortunately, I don't have a link to the studies.

How do they make me sound stupid and ignorant? If people are acting like morons, why should they not be told as such? Because it's offensive? They are offending me with their sheer stupidity, maybe not so much in this case, Asaris made a legit point about the color red. My harsh words might make me sound like an asshole, they do not however make me sound ignorant.

You can tell someone they are acting foolishly without using the word pussy, moron and asshole. Resorting to words like these make you sound ignorant.

(I'm sure you're not - in fact I know you often make well informed responses that show intelligence and compassion - it's just difficult to take them as seriously if they use anatomical swear-words.)

Haha, my name and compassion in the same sentence, I think that's a first here, thanks man, that made my day.

At any rate I can see what you are saying, but the bottom line is I'm not calling people pussies per say, I'm saying there is a disease sweeping this country, said disease is the pussification of America.

yes indeed. One of the problems of the american system of education is the teachers all seem to wanna be your friends.. "aw, sweetie, you got a D..that's not bad. Its a lot better than an F!! And F is for Fantastic!" ok exagerrating, but I have witnessed a lot of this positive bullshit. everybody is special to them...they just can't accept that some students aren't as good as others...its biological, some people just have it easier in school than others.
Now, if they go as far as saying that red is too negative, then I'm losing hope.
I don't think it has to do with America in general.. just some parts of society, the same that always want to be politically correct(when you can't always stay politically correct).

That makes me so mad, I'm seeing... purple?

:lol: :lol: :lol: Nice!

This is an unfortunate example of why people should have to be licensed to have kids. These people are morons. Shades of Kyle's mom on South Park.

that woman makes me so angry... for a cartoon character.

Pretty much exemplifies everything that I think is wrong with people.

But as for the red ink on papers, I couldn't really care less because the message is there. Writing corrections in red ink or blue ink won't chance the fact the kid might not be as smart as another kid. It is of utmost importance for the teachers to convey that the corrections are not a put-down of the kid's work, and that they should be free to approach the teacher to discuss the corrections.

Not sure what to even say here. We could talk this to death... basic point is that we've lost sight of the forest for the trees. Sad really, because our kids are paying the price.

So... since grading in red meant that it was stressful for me.... I could sue the government for putting me into an umcomfortable position. Oh wait... that would just make me as stupid as them. This is just idiotic. As was said before, its not the colour of the pen that counts, its the quality of the teaching. Needless to say... red= crappy grade isn't a big issue. I had one paper in College that was all marked up in red, but I got an A- on the paper. Its just people taking things way out of proportion.

This really isn't something to get worked up about.

RE: Dodgeball

Even though I enjoyed that it is a cruel game. There is no need for the PE teacher to provide a forum for cruelty.

What I don't get more than anything is that if red has been used for so long, because it does stand out so much, are these parents saying that they didn't receive the best education they could've, or that they were enraged as children because of the red ink?

This makes no sense to me at all.

I really hope that was a joke. If it is, I commend you on your subtle yet brilliant line.

If it wasn't, your statement is a prime example of why everyone in this thread is so up in arms about this supremely pussified notion.

And the truth shall set you free. Jordan fades back "swoosh", that's the ball game!

Not a joke at all. And I don't give a flying fuck about pen colors, to be quite honest. Nor do i see why anyone else is. Gendered language does concern me.

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=44729

Just so I'm clear on this... are you a pussy yourself and thus take offense with the term 'pussy' being applied to things you disagree with?

They're words. WORDS! That's only about 10% of communication, right? The words shouldn't matter. The meaning behind them should. In this case, the term "Pussification of America" means that we're all approaching life with oven mits on and it's ruining our culture.

And you're still hung up on WORDS!

mwahahahah! How about we teach our kids to READ the comments, instead of reacting to a color...I mean, if it says "GOOD JOB!" in red, I'd be excited. If it says "PIECE OF SHIT!" in green, I'd be upset.
I don't go into a deep depression just cause there's some red ink on the page. Fuck, I have a little more basis for my self-worth than how many comments a teacher put on my paper I cranked out the night before it was due.
I can see why the school gave in though. they don't give a flying fuck what colors the teachers use, and if it makes the parents happy, it's no sweat off their back.

All these parents are just afraid the teachers are commies...that's the real reason they don't like red. McArthy-ism is back!!!!!
Didn't mean to Bogart your term there Martin, I just think "flying fuck" sounds nice...

This kind of stuff is making mediocrity the rule of thumb in our society. It won't be long till some loser allegues that top level athletes makes him feel lesser so rankings should be prohibited.

To me "pussy" means coward, it doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl, black or white, green or purple. Taking offense on simple things like this is exactly what makes us loose focus on what really matters.

No. I don't use the word pussy to identify myself.

In this case, words are really all we have. There is some graphical communication that might take place by avatar, but essentially the TFP is a word driven communication system. As such, words are important.

I said what i did because it's a gendered insult. It assumes that weakness, coddling, and immaturity are somehow related to women, and women's sexuality. I don't think that's accurate. And i think it sends the wrong message to the women of this community.

I'm not particularly outraged at this, but i don't approve of it either. I've put my two cents in, and that's all i wanted to do.

Martin, just how we all know "gay" didn't start out meaning "homosexual" nor was it ever used negatively - "pussy" didn't start out associated with females. I've always been an advocate of the notion that if you cannot take words in their correct context, then you're probably not worth the breath it takes to explain their meaning.

With that said, getting bent over a word reminds me of a happlessly irreverent quote from Full Metal Jacket. "If I'm gonna get my balls blown off for a word, my word is poontang."

It shines light on the weight that is given to words, as if the word by itself is power. In relation to the quote, take "Freedom" for an example. The mere mention of it is sure to get any redneck NRA local militia member to puff out his chest.

You've gotta be smarter than that. You've gotta be more fluid and free-thinking than that. Being affected by a single word is submitting to the will of whoever would speak it. In my mind, that's too much power to give ANYONE over me.

People who are affected by words and words alone are the weak-minded hyper-reactive nitwits that we're trying to save our culture from.

Yay for saving the culture from weak-minderd hyper-reactive nitwits!

However, I think that you need to think up something more constructive than pussy to insult someone... like weak-minded hyper reactive nitwit! Point for Hal!

Anyway, you know what? If you suck at school, you need to have some constructive criticisim towards what you did wrong. I agree with the satement that said "if PIECE OF SHIT was written in green, I'd be upset" I do think that the color red causes a reaction in some people when they see it, so if you were going to be progressive in your teaching methods (and I'm all for progressing away from this NCLB crap) then grading in another color (I like the purple) might be a good idea. However, I think that grades on the top of the paper should be in red! That's your grade, it's what you earned, if it's good you should see it and react strongly to it, and if it's really bad, then you should be jarred into wanting to do better.

I'm all for the abandoning of this "oh, let's not hurt poor Johnnie's feelings cause he can't read" in favor for "OK, Jonnie, you're going to have to go to this different classroom because our previous methods of teaching you how to read were inadequate." I was always getting into trouble in class when I was young because the class progressed at the pace of the slowest kid, and I got bored really, really fast. I think that might have to do with some of the ADD that gets thrown around nowadays.

Down with the ineffectual bourgeoise public school system! Who gives a damn about the pen color when kids can't read!!

start out meaning and are now associated with are two different things. frankly, i don't know the etymological roots of the word pussy. but i don't think it's relevant. the word currently carries that meaning. faggot can mean match or cigarette, but that doesn't mean it's a commonly accepted part of civilized discourse.

again, i think you're overestimating my reaction here. i'm not in a position to tell you or anyone else on this board not to use a word. what i am communicating is that i do not respect your decision to use that word. now, if that makes me a hyper reactive nitwit, i'm sorry to hear that. but, really...i think this is as simple a matter of your choice to say something, and my choice to disagree.

(I think the title could have been different. I think that jorgelito choose it to be a reactive title to gain attention)

What is NOT being recognized in this thread is that the teachers are trying their best (in this case, by not using the red color) to overcome the fact that kids are not getting the validation/love/support they need in their home environment. Kids have become reactive in the education environment because most no longer have the stability they need in their homes.
It's not the red color that is stressing the kids, but the sheer fact that American society has made competition the only means by which people in our society, children or not, can get validation . . . people in our society are seen as successful only if they are winners, or somehow clawed their way to the 'top.'
What the teachers should be asking themselves is really WHY these kids are reacting to the 'stressful' color of red. It really does appear, as usual, that a Band-Aid is being placed on a larger issue.
As to Americans being 'pussies' or raising their children to be as such . . . last i checked, sentiments of being American in our world community is that we are cocky, arrogant and righteous . . .

Sweetpea :)

Martin, from there, it's a simple matter of being whiney enough to try to make people change. It all starts with being affected, as you are.

This is a thread about how we see things others care about as ridiculous. Is anyone's mind changed after reading this thread? Mine isn't, and isn't likely to be any time soon either. My son in 5th grade is about to have the big "Human Development" (read: SEX) talk in class, and it's difficult for me to accept how many other parents have such serious and heartfelt problems with the words "penis" and "vagina".

Are they pussies? Do they suffer from disease? Investigation and education is the way to build bridges to understanding between any two ideas, not ridicule.

I know people my age ashamed of papers they received as children with red ink on them -- the red was never good news. I think the color is a ridiculous fixation as well, but it's the meaning to others (i.e., failure) that carries all of the meaning that is misunderstood, not the color red (which is a temporary and unfortunate stand-in for real dialogue about the real problem).

Who here hasn't experienced a dozen of these disagreements in the last year?

Once again, a group of inept parents that are incapable of communicating with or parenting their children are blaming a completely innocuous inanimate object in an effort to make themselves feel better at their utter failure in raising their children.

Would this be an issue if their kids weren't flunking out of school because the parents were too busy trying to blame someone else for their screwups to help these children with their homework? You know this wasn't coming from the parents of the kids that brought home A's, this is from the people that their kids brought home papers where at least every other question was wrong.

I went through school, if I got a wrong answer it got marked that way, heaven forbid I get off my ass and study so that I didn't get the wrong answer, though studying may not be an option in modern society, these kids have completely full schedules what with their rigid dosing regimens, their ridiculous therapy sessions, and their sensitivity awareness classes, who has time for silly things like homework and studying?!

I agree that "pussy" is a simple-minded insult destined to make you more misunderstood thatn understood.

Words and how they are interpreted play a vital role in how one'e message is percieved, obviously. I think it stands to reason that when one is attempting to persuade another on a certain matter, one should use words that don't offend the audience. I don't really get offended by words that other people use. I do try and pay more attention to the words i use because generally words like pussy, bitch, faggot, nigger, etc convey more about the person using them than they do about any particular message.

The idea that anything is "just a word" seems to me to be a tad naive. A gun is not just a "lump of metal". That being said, choosing to get offended by someone else's inability to communicate without alluding to gender stereotypes seems rather bush league to me.

Halx, while I agree with you whole heartedly in theory, filtheron has made an excellent point. A word is just a word after all... but the complexities of human communication are not quite that simple. :)

Nobody is being called a pussy, the point is society and the world in general is becoming pussified.

SweetPea, you are partially correct.

I chose to use the phrase "Pussification of America" to:
1. Acknowledge MojoPeiPei's coining of it in another thread
2. Continuation of a dialogue originally titled "Wussification of America" (do a search)
3. Reinvigorate the discussion of said "coddling, 'p*ssification, political-correctness-gone-wild, etc" in a constructive manner.

Cheap theatrics aside, I actually did not intend for the thread to deteriorate into an argument over semantics. My original intention was to discuss the problems as I framed it in terms of: personal responsibility, accountability, parenting, common sense, and the balance between sensitivity and "reality (so-called toughening up). Perhaps I erred in judgement.

I do not think Martin is "wrong" nor do I think he "overreacted". I feel he has pointed out a valid point and regardless of "just words", we should be better than that and create better discourse (myself includeed of course).

I also agree with Hal(x) in that we need to be "tougher" and let that sh*t slide or roll off our backs etc (as I intrepreted what he was saying).

It is true, that MojoPeiPei often uses "colorful" speech in his debates. He is straight-shooter and at the very least, honest and up front. However, one can still make a compelling argument without coarse language or insulting diatribes, in my opinion. We are all here to discuss and words are our medium.

Looking at the "Rules of TFP, I have to remind myself of the "golden rule": to treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of agreements and disagreements and maintain a level of civility in discourse. We should all review the "rules" from time to time. [smiley face]

So, any teachers here on TFP want to weigh in on yet another "inane rule" (in my opinion) further cleaving parent-teacher relations?

How do things like this eventually affect our kids? What will they do when they get rejected from colleges, jobs etc? Are we setting them up for a huge nasty rude-awakening?

I think this kind of concern is pussified.

If I thought for a minute that some of the long lines I've stood in at parent teacher conferences were due to the fucking color of ink, I'd be going on a damn rampage.

Hahaha, this shit makes me laugh.. Kids are going to get more and more coddled, and then when they get out in the real world, they are going to be completely helpless. They won't have any tools to deal with anything. How can you expect a kid to learn and to grow without adverse conditions? Tomorrow's adults are going to be a fucked up bunch of helpless babies, unable to cope with the realities of life.

What's also funny is that the same people who are pissed about this are the same people who push for the pussification if people in other ways.

In many ways, I am glad that I am going to be joining the Marine Corps, so I will not have to deal with this bullshit. I'd rather call stupid people stupid, cowardly people cowards, etc. I am too direct for the bleeding pussies that inhabit the United States.

Some of my best learning experiences in school were the result of papers I turned in that were bled all over by the teacher. When I screwed up and didn't study, the sight of that blood red writing all over my paper was visible to me before it was passed half way back the row to me. Also there is a very good feeling when you aced the paper and that big bright red A was circled at the top.

I assume we are talking about grade school kids here, high school kids are too old to get excited by this stuff aren't they.

This will weed out the weaker kids. The smarter kids will take power and eventually we will have the Morlocks and Eloi. And all they had to do was let the red ink slide.

That explains it! I wondered who was the reincarnation of Frank Zappa. :)

(That's a compliment.)

If you haven't seen this, it's something of a classic. It's also 21 minutes long, so I'll understand if there are those who don't want to view the whole thing.

Zappa on Crossfire

I don't think it's that big of a deal. It's hard to tell what long term psychological effects it can have (same thing with using some words like the above argument over pussification.)

I don't see why people get upset over this, why not err on the side of caution? If red colors don't mean anything what's the big deal in changing it?

i do not use red pen when marking up papers because i do not like using a red pen when i mark up papers. so maybe i am complicit in this process of encouraging students to think for themselves by reducing the pointless flourishes that are about nothing but authority in and for itself, which would be part of what i assume you mean, mojo, with your term


"pussification"


were i you, mojo, i would be more concerned about the very macho educational trajectory that enabled you to imagine "the pussification of america" means anything.
it sounds like the kind of phrase that would pop into your mind during your fourth or fifth week of 24/7 limbaugh.

are you advocating anything here, really?
an education that inculcates servility, that respects authority, no matter how bankrupt, because it is authority?
an education that persuades students that a cretin with a gun is more free than someone who can think for themselves?

jorgelito...i tip my hat to you, good sir. enjoy the rest of your thread. :)

Yeah, I'm adovcating something here, I want people to wake up and grow some stones. Kids don't need this coddling or else they'll turn into whiney little bitches. Everyone is a winner, so let's do away with honor rolls, because those that didn't make it feel left out. Let's play musical chairs with enough chairs so no ones ego is bruised. National no name calling week? Is this shit serious? Again it doesn't relate so much to this particular instance of markers and color. My issue is that everyone seems to be fostering the idea that everyone is equal, when the reality is that we are not all equal.

Here is an article, talking about how Nashville did away with honor rolls and hanging up work in hallways. They also went after pep rallies and spelling bees.

This is pure backwards insanity. Also RB maybe you could fire back to me in laymans terms for me what you are asking, me in my simplistic underachieving burned out glory can't really make out what you are trying to tell and or ask me.

And taking from your words, I'll add "a tad naive" is an understatement.

If a word was just a word, anyone could say anything with no fear of repercussion. That simply isn't reality. Even on this board, if one uses the wrong 'words,' they will get banned. So a word really isn't just a word afterall.

As for the teachers who don't want to use red ink, I say good for them. Teaching is difficult enough and any resource to make the learning experience for everyone involved easier is a positive step.

How that makes kid's "pussys" I really don't know. But being a teacher, and having taught young kids, I don't see the connection. I don't use red ink either. There is enough pressure on young kids by their peers to be cool, macho, not a wimp etc,...that actually permeates the opposte of "pussification". Call it machofication or bullyfication.

To call a teaching method that creates a positive notion out of a potentially negative circumstance (a poor grade) "pussification" shows an ignorance towards a profession that some know little about. Hopefully those entrenched with notions of a society being pussified won't become teachers, or better yet, parents.

emabarassment for some underachievers????? what about the pride of the achievers? doesn't that have value?

presonally the words are just words, but America spends way too much time worrying about making someone uncomfortable.

Yeah no shit, right? If I were use the word 'fatass' a lot, I would be insta-banned.

so how does joining the Marines make you not have to deal with this shit? After all you'd be the one protecting all the "bleeding pussies".

Words define how you come across to the rest of the world. You can choose which words to use and which words to avoid. Normally, using swear, curse and anatomical words in place of more descriptive words is an easy way to convey an image of ignorance and stupidity. In very rare cases do people get away with it. Many people think they can get away with it and don't.

However, someone who's getting upset at how gentle and delicate America is becoming, is probably not going to care about being percieved by people like me as being ignorant. :rolleyes: ;)

It's not that "red ink" makes kids "pussies", rather, the issue that I was trying to address (and I assume Mojo too) is the reaction or overeaction to seemingly simple everyday events.

For example, to over simplify, the school and parents are concerned that the color red will hurt the kid's self esteem etc, etc. Or, that having honor rolls will do the same. It is the "everybody's a winner" culture that is misleading and (in my opinion) detrimental to kid;s development.

That is why I asked teacher's to weigh in. It seems to me that it gets harder and harder for teachers to well, teach these days because of new restrictions, and changing pedagogy. By over-coddling and aiding-and-abetting the delusion of "we're all winners", are we not setting up the kids for some major harsh reality check down the road?

The color of the pen really wasn't the point, I was trying to address the motivation behind it and its potential effects.

In the "wussification threads" (do a search), someone mentioned how their 1st grader was playing musical chairs at school, but to avoid hurt feelings, they didn't take away a chair. That way, everyone would have a chair! Seemingly innocuous, but lays the foundation for stunted growth. What's next, no scoring or records allowed in school sports?

I believe, the lesson we learn is "rising above adversity".

For example: My paper is returned to me with a sea of red ink. With a score of "C-", the teacher is merciless in pointing out my grammar errors, poor structure, sideways logic, and lack of support for the argument. Do I hold my head in my hands and cry? Well, maybe I shed some tears, but more importantly, I talk to the teacher, make my corrections and do better next time. Not, "oh no, look at all the red ink, my self-esteem os lowered now".

In the same way that we own our successes, we also own our failures. Personal responsibility, accountability can be instilled at an early age. It is the trend of blaming others or (hypersensitivity) that I am concerned with.

MartinGuerre, thank you for your kind remarks. ;)

Because not many people in the Marines are bleeding pussies.

If I worked out in the civilian world, I would have to deal with whiny bitches every day of my life. In the military, I would have to deal with much less of that.

I'm not saying that military people know everything or are right about everything, just that I would rather hear nationalism and patriotic bullshit than bleeding heart hippy bullshit.

I see a lot of people making bold proclamations about future generations of weaklings we are currently going to curse ourselves with. What i want to see is if there is any basis for this perspective. So teachers don't use red pens? And? Do any of you honestly think that the color of the ink plays any kind of fundamental role in the education a child recieves? Do any of you honestly think that the honor roll plays a huge part in the education of the average child? If so, maybe i should start a thread concerning the "baseless-speculationification" of america.

I don't think it's any single act that people think is making kids into weaklings, but more the mindset that kids should be coddled and protected from every single little tiny thing that may make them the least bit uncomfortable.

Yes, yes that's it. Thank you Carn, I guess I went the long-winded way about it. I don't think anyone bothers to read my posts anyhow, LOL.

I honestly think I live on the wrong planet.....for this to even be an issue is ridiculous.....

pussification is right

I have a friend who is a corpman. I've known plenty of Marines and my dad is a retired vet. I've never heard more bitching about things than military people. Anyway, I guess this is off topic so I'll leave it at that

Wait, Shanifaye, which issue are you referring to? (I think I got caught in the middle of a few different conversations here).

I was referring to the parents getting pissed off about the use of the red pens...lol I ignored all the posts that didnt refer to that specific thing....sorry for the confusion

Do you really think that it is a problem on a massive scale? If you don't have kids why does it matter? If you do have kids, why does it matter if other parents want to "pussify" their children?

I agree that children shouldn't be coddled. I don't think that evidence of the occasional isolated incident that may or may not actually have coddling effect on the children involved amounts to evidence of large scale coddling. I bet that for every instance of "coddling" there is at least one instance of some kid getting the crap kicked out of him/her.

Perhaps all you parents out there who fear the pussification of america could do all your countrymen a favor and beat the hell out of your child. Depussify him/her. If everyone does their part, we'll have nothing to fear.

I never said military people don't bitch.

I am not around kids a lot nor do I care to be, because I don't particularly like kids, so I'm not qualified to say whether they are being pussified or not. I was merely attempting to clarify what was being said.

I do however find it extremely annoying and stupid when people think that red ink should be banned from school papers because it lowers a kid's self esteem. In all the time that I have been in school, I have never known anyone who's self esteem was lowered because they did shitty on a paper and the teacher wrote in red.

I don't see the correllation either.

The kids self esteem was lowered by the poor marks they received for the effort they put forth, not by the color of the pen.

My papers have always been graded in red as a kid. It never shocked me.. I never cared. What would be important would be whats written on the goddamn paper.
Whether you write in blue, black, green, or even pink (to "pussify" kids even more...juuuust kidding) the fact is that you shouldn't waste time worrying what color the writing is in, but how you can make the kids progress. Maybe teachers should meet and discuss more of cognitive science, or the content of their classes. I don't think this is a case of pussification, just retardification.

I think the problem the parents had in the article was that they felt that red was a more "stressful" color. It's a value judgement. Everyone makes value judgements every day. Furthermore, it is relatively meaningless by any kind of measure. The parents decided that they didn't want the teachers to use red anymore. Big fucking deal. That's just one more of the many arbitrary rules that make up every day of our existence. It may be stupid, but it's their decision to make, apparently, and all of you would be hard-pressed to demonstrate any kind of ill effects of a red ink ban.

It seems ironic to me that a great many people in this thread are going out of their way to get offended by people whom they believe are going out of their way to get offended. In the nomenclature of the thread starter, you are all a bunch of pussies.

I personally welcome our new Morlock masters :D

filtherton - perfect post :)

I think it's really sad that parent's only reaction to their kid being a moron is "don't use red ink on Johnny's paper". I personally couldn't care less what color is used. Befor long, purple will be associated with warping young minds, and will be discarded in favor of pink.

I do forsee a time when they don't even grade papers anymore. Just give the whole class a gold star and a big group hug. That should get them ready for real life.

My understanding of the american society is that there is no such thing as common sense. I'm not saying Americans are stupid, just that there appear to be no common sense. I'm referring to all the warning labels you see on everything (like "CONTENTS FLAMMABLE!" on lighters) and also all the lawsuits (ref. Stella awards) it is seems that there really is no common sense as defined by the law. I think this is a problem in schools as well, who are more conserned with being PC than teaching (and enforcing) common sense.

The idea of common sense only exists to help people who think they have it feel superior to anyone who may not share their perspective or knowledge on certain subjects.

Until you can find one thing that every human agrees upon, there is no such thing as common sense in any kind of meaningful way.

I disagree Filth, there is such a thing as common sense. Saying there isn't, subscribing to some "great philosophical" "everything is a matter of perspective" is just for lack of a better word, retarded.

Nope, you're wrong. Tell me one thing that all humans have in common in terms of perspective and perception, without it you can't have anything in common in terms of sense. Maybe you could define common sense for me, not as a concept, but as it is in practice.

All you need is a job where you deal with many different people on a regular basis. What may seem like common sense to you may be completely foreign to someone else, whereas what may seem like common sense to someone else may be completely foreign to you.

"Common sense" is a meaningless term for people who can't understand that their own perspective isn't universal.

Common sense to me is what a majority people in a geographical or social group percieve as sensible. I'd say 90% of the americans I've met share my perception of sensibility, but that is of course a biased group. I think part of the the problem in US with regard to loony lawsuits is that the US is a diverse nation where it's harder to define common sense. Also the deeply founded american idea of personal independence and freedom inherently recognizes that others may have very different personal beliefs.

Anyway, it's pretty easy to mention examples of common sense within a group of people. For instance for the western world:

• Don't jump in front of moving cars
• Eating 10 BigMacs a day is unhealthy
• Don't use the hair dryer in the bath tub
• An 8-ball is not a pregnancy test
• For sun lotion to work, you have to apply it to the skin
• Loud farting at dinner parties is considered rude

I see what you're saying. I guess my point is that lacking common sense only means that someone doesn't share the perspective of the majority. This is often not a bad thing. I don't think having common sense is inherently valuable. There are a great many things which the majority has absolutely no clue about. If you asked the average person what the most common sense way to find a solution to a seperable first order differential equation most would just look at you like you were speaking french. What is common sense to someone taking a diff eq class is not common sense to the average american, just as what might be common sense to a bunch of parents in washington might not be common sense to a bunch of random strangers on the internet.

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what common sense is but when I was an adolescent my father assured me I didn't have any. :)

Thats just absurd to throw a hissy fit over what color they use to grade their kids with =/

Just a quick aside, the term "pussification of america" has been used by morning talk show hosts "Walton and Johnson" for a number of years. they play in texas and louisiana. and yes, this is a joke once again presented by people with nothing better to do with their lives but bitch and moan about unimportant issues such as the color of ink.

For the benefit of people who have nothing better to do than bitch and moan about the bitching and moaning of other people.

Small people with small minds are everywhere. The problem isn't that they are, it's that they're ceded and catered to; even more so that they're enabled to arbitrarily decide what shall be what simply by widdling away the opposition until they attain their mediocre and generally conspicuously, yet unexpectably (Hio!), deleterious victories.