School hoax over drunken drivers - Page 3

I have. It doesn't change my opinion. I just can't back a "whatever means necessary" philosophy to cure society's ills.

Of course they believed it...this information was coming from what was, right up until that moment, a trusted source. Trusted no more would be my guess, not after they played fast and loose with the students' emotions.

I agree. Students were upset. Why would they be upset if they didn't believe it? Also, if they didn't believe it where is the impact they were trying to create?

The biggest question is: Will they remember it when they have had a few drinks and think that they can handle driving? Drinking causes a lot of mistaken perceptions.

Frankly, I don't care if kids were upset, depressed OR traumatized.
It is the real world, there are going to be much worse things happen to them, suck it up and learn a good lesson without someone dying.

No wonder kids grow up and live with mommy and daddy forever when we coddle them so.

On one hand you say that they are smart enough to know that it was done for their well-being but on the other hand they should be treated as dumb idiots who don't understand anything unless they are basically tortured.

They can get the lesson with being honest with them and that isn't coddling but treating them with respect.

The real world is hard enough, why unnecessarily manipulate them?

You are repeating yourself without addressing what anyone else has said. What about the LYING issue?
What about the other options several people have mentioned that can have the same impact? Here's a good one.
What about this? Would this be okay with you?

I don't care about the lying.

Does that mean that you think lying is OK, or that you just don't feel that lying is worth worrying about?

I am talking about this situation Skippy, only this one.

Ok cool. My question was only to clarify that. It didn't sound like you in general at all

And that brings us to the next question. Now that the children have been taught, by adults they trust, that lying is permitted as long as it accomplishes their goal, what action should be taken if they are caught lying.

I have a stepson who is not that far in age from me and I had a long talk about drinking and driving. I made it ugly and harsh on purpose. He got the message loud and clear.
I don't think teenagers hold adults in very high esteem at that age. I don't think an adult playing a hoax on them is going to make them mistrust their elders anymore than they already do. Teenagers in 2008 are not the teenagers of yesteryear. These kids are 15 going on 45. The stuff my niece has told me about makes my head spin and my teen years were not THAT long ago. I am sure this was not discussed lightly and I am sure there was some debate about it.
When I took drivers ed we had the films and the deputy come in. We had the survivors in wheelchairs and stricken mothers address us. It didn't stop one person from doing it. People made jokes about it. They felt bad for a little while but that weekend's party was not postponed.

I do think our society has become one that does not prepare young people for the harsh realities of life. Life is unfair and painful sometimes. Things happen that are uncomfortable.
We can't continually decide not to do things because a few may not be able to handle it. In any situation with large groups of people you are bound to have people with different temperaments and sensitivities. Nothing is perfect and but in this case people were trying to save lives. I think teens are strong enough and resilient enough to take it.

I believe it comes down to principals and how we treat people whether they are teenagers or adults. Those principals are to treat others with respect, honesty, and not manipulate their emotions. Why this appears to be coddling, I don't know. It is very sad to me that so many people think it is ok to do this. It appears that they believe other people are so stupid that they have to be tricked into something.

Drunk drivers believe that they can handle the car. Charades like this won't change it and teenagers won't believe it will happen to them. I've seen people who have lost a loved one to a drunk driver and still insist they can drive after drinking.

The ultimate goal is to stop drinking and driving. I think this was an exercise that was useless and certainly can't be used again because everyone will look on an announcement like this with skepticism. I would rather see development of simulators where a person sees that drinking can affect the way he perceives his abilities.

Raise the age limit for obtaining a driver's license to 21. That also goes for,
drinking, voting and enlisting in the military. While they are at it, make kids go to school until they hit 21 also.

Unless this is sarcasm this makes no sense with your previous comments of children being "coddled". Wouldn't being able to drive at 16 so that one can get a part time job, leave to go to college, and go into the military be part of growing up? What you're suggesting would keep young adults at home longer - something you mentioned as a bad thing earlier in this thread... and before you or others suggest public transportation, it simply does not exist in some places.