I didn't know I went to elementary school with Beaver Cleaver.......

Ok guys, I love the '80s, I was born in '75 and went to elementary and junior high in the '80s. So I have fond memories of this decade. Transformers, He-Man, Voltron, Garbage Pail Kids, Lost Boys, yeah I remember all of that.

Great decade to be a little kid and preteen. But I don't understand why everyone is constantly making it out to be the greatest time there ever was? Especially these nutball people who INSIST there was little or no violence, sex, drugs, rape, etc, etc in the '80s. Guys, there WAS school shootings in the '80s. I know, I was a 12 year old who remembers that shooting. I was scared as hell. Come on now, why do you guys want to lie to the younger generation about the '80s? So one day you can tell your kids, "we lived in paradise, we didn't do that when we were your age?" And I suspect some of the older people here who were born in the '60s and have small children, are already telling their kids such lies.

I guess I am upset, because I had to put up with SO much nastiness in the schools I went to in the '80s. I was scared of guns, I was scared of violence. I was scared of getting mugged. All of this before I was finally 14 when the '80s ended. Starting sometime in the late '90s, all I hear about is how the SAME problems are treated like they are "new problems", that "we never had to deal with this before". For those of us who had to put up with such crap, it isn't great hearing people sugar coat the '80s and make it look like the '50s. All of a sudden I went to elementary and junior high with Greg Brady huh?

You can bet anything, the sugar coating of the '90s is right around the corner....infact, I have already heard a few people do it.

John

: I didn't know I went to elementary school with
: Beaver Cleaver.......

: Ok guys, I love the '80s, I was born in '75 and
: went to elementary and junior high in the
: '80s. So I have fond memories of this
: decade. Transformers, He-Man, Voltron,
: Garbage Pail Kids, Lost Boys, yeah I
: remember all of that.

: Great decade to be a little kid and preteen.
: But I don't understand why everyone is
: constantly making it out to be the greatest
: time there ever was? Especially these
: nutball people who INSIST there was little
: or no violence, sex, drugs, rape, etc, etc
: in the '80s. Guys, there WAS school
: shootings in the '80s. I know, I was a 12
: year old who remembers that shooting. I was
: scared as hell. Come on now, why do you guys
: want to lie to the younger generation about
: the '80s? So one day you can tell your kids,
: "we lived in paradise, we didn't do
: that when we were your age?" And I
: suspect some of the older people here who
: were born in the '60s and have small
: children, are already telling their kids
: such lies.

: I guess I am upset, because I had to put up
: with SO much nastiness in the schools I went
: to in the '80s. I was scared of guns, I was
: scared of violence. I was scared of getting
: mugged. All of this before I was finally 14
: when the '80s ended. Starting sometime in
: the late '90s, all I hear about is how the
: SAME problems are treated like they are
: "new problems", that "we
: never had to deal with this before".
: For those of us who had to put up with such
: crap, it isn't great hearing people sugar
: coat the '80s and make it look like the
: '50s. All of a sudden I went to elementary
: and junior high with Greg Brady huh?

: You can bet anything, the sugar coating of the
: '90s is right around the corner....infact, I
: have already heard a few people do it.

: John
In the 80's well...

Not all was rosy by any means. IMO, it's just human nature to remember mostly the good things about one's past- if one can.
Fortunately my personal experiences during the 80's were mostly positive and this message board gives me a chance to share that. No sugarcoating.

Just to share and ramble a bit (It's been a while since I've been on the board)...

I lived many places growing up so I got to experience different general "atmospheres" from one place to another. I found that there were indeed stark differences between small town America and big cities. I can understand to some degree where you're coming from.

From my perspective and in my opinion- the "dark" side of the 80's, mostly exposed and/or seen in the big cities, was a consequence of the troubled socio-economic circumstances of the time, which affected most of those who were struggling to survive - the impoverished. It also affected those of moderate income who in many cases neglected their children to some degree in order to work more than one job and STAY in the moderate income range. It affected those who were simply NOT rich.

In the 90's things were better in many respects. We learned from the 80's and there's more general awareness out there. Metal detectors are standard in many schools and other places, we continue to educate ourselves, we try to take better care of ourselves physically and emotionally and our families, we are more aware of our environment and try to take better care of the planet and its lifeforms... Hey, at least we now know to try, right?

But every decade has it's dark times. Remember the school shooting in Colorado? Violence no longer isolated to big cities. A handful of profanity words are now allowed on TV. Today, Reality shows show how people will do ANYTHING for money for the world to see, regardless of dignity, pride and taste.

The ability for originality was lost.

In just one example, the 90's and today's music and writing unequivocally lack the originality and life of the 80's. There's a lot to be said about the decade that ruled in music, arts and entertainment.

This is all just in my opinion.
SORRY for the rambling.

Tell us of some of your good experiences.
We're interested!

: I didn't know I went to elementary school with
: Beaver Cleaver.......

: Ok guys, I love the '80s, I was born in '75 and
: went to elementary and junior high in the
: '80s. So I have fond memories of this
: decade. Transformers, He-Man, Voltron,
: Garbage Pail Kids, Lost Boys, yeah I
: remember all of that.

: Great decade to be a little kid and preteen.
: But I don't understand why everyone is
: constantly making it out to be the greatest
: time there ever was? Especially these
: nutball people who INSIST there was little
: or no violence, sex, drugs, rape, etc, etc
: in the '80s. Guys, there WAS school
: shootings in the '80s. I know, I was a 12
: year old who remembers that shooting. I was
: scared as hell. Come on now, why do you guys
: want to lie to the younger generation about
: the '80s? So one day you can tell your kids,
: "we lived in paradise, we didn't do
: that when we were your age?" And I
: suspect some of the older people here who
: were born in the '60s and have small
: children, are already telling their kids
: such lies.

: I guess I am upset, because I had to put up
: with SO much nastiness in the schools I went
: to in the '80s. I was scared of guns, I was
: scared of violence. I was scared of getting
: mugged. All of this before I was finally 14
: when the '80s ended. Starting sometime in
: the late '90s, all I hear about is how the
: SAME problems are treated like they are
: "new problems", that "we
: never had to deal with this before".
: For those of us who had to put up with such
: crap, it isn't great hearing people sugar
: coat the '80s and make it look like the
: '50s. All of a sudden I went to elementary
: and junior high with Greg Brady huh?

: You can bet anything, the sugar coating of the
: '90s is right around the corner....infact, I
: have already heard a few people do it.

: John

There were problems in the 80s, but compared to the current times those problems are tame by comparison. I'm sure we come from different places, but where I'm from you were safe to walk the streets at night and there was very little crime. Nowadays, it's not that way anymore. School shootings and senseless crimes were not of the epidemic proportions they are today.

: There were problems in the 80s, but compared to
: the current times those problems are tame by
: comparison. I'm sure we come from different
: places, but where I'm from you were safe to
: walk the streets at night and there was very
: little crime. Nowadays, it's not that way
: anymore. School shootings and senseless
: crimes were not of the epidemic proportions
: they are today.

As a matter of fact, we were a lot freer than we are now. For one thing, we didn't have police peeking inside our cars to make sure we're all wearing our seat belts like good little boys and girls and we losing more and more freedoms as new laws are passed to restrict our choices and "save us from ourselves" because, ofcourse, the Government knows what's best for each and every one of us!

: As a matter of fact, we were a lot freer than
: we are now. For one thing, we didn't have
: police peeking inside our cars to make sure
: we're all wearing our seat belts like good
: little boys and girls and we losing more and
: more freedoms as new laws are passed to
: restrict our choices and "save us from
: ourselves" because, ofcourse, the
: Government knows what's best for each and
: every one of us!

Dave, you're my kind of guy! Well said.

: Dave, you're my kind of guy! Well said.

Thank you, WL. You are a great American! We need more people in Government who want to preserve and enhance our freedoms. The Fourth of July marked the 225th birthday of our nation and everyone was talking about freedom, but I wonder how many really know what freedom is. That is one thing other than good music that I can say with all certainty we have much less of today than we had in the eighties.