Comments on: To me you’re just a lowly student, soldier

By: Wendy M. Grossman

Wendy M. Grossman — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:48:09 +0000

I think it’s a dislike of anyone being at all different or special. Military uniform, Morticia Addams dress and makeup…it’s all stuff that sticks out, and they don’t like it.

At *our* high school graduation in 1971, all the girls had to wear floor-length white dresses and process down a grassy hill in height order. Seriously.

By: tanita

tanita — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 21:56:02 +0000

As conservative as the Brentwood, CA area tends to be, I, too, very much doubt that this was anti-military feeling. This seems much more like “this is the a big day for our school, screw your high emo teen drama.” People disrespect teens with that free-floating disdain every day, and it’s weird, because seriously – their only fault is youth. They will age, and if that’s the only reason people can offer for being difficult, then what is wrong with them??? Why the hell are they working at a SCHOOL???

Honestly, an eternal question for the ages.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 17:03:05 +0000

It is indeed difficult to tell when chronic free floating disdain, routine authoritarian assholery or high school pompous rigidity (I feel fancy just retyping your words) becomes acute discrimination. I have seen this slippery slope used to excuse bad behavior as in “So-and-so is not racist; so-and-so is an asshole to everyone.”
One writer/advisor (was it Ask Prudence, or Ask a Manager, or SorryWatch) responded that a history of being an asshole to everyone is not really a strong defense at all.
I shall try to find the actual example, because the original words are better than mine and need to be read with proper credit given.

By: snarly

snarly — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 03:07:40 +0000

That “may” just steams the living daylights out of me.

The principal sounds like the principal in innumerable John Hughes movies.