River Rat Education

[lampundermyfeet]

Hello all:

I have noticed that traditional knives and traditional values go togather.

I have been reading Kenny Salwey's Tales of a River Rat. It is about a man who has made his life living on the Mississippi. One of the things that he has with him at all times is a jackknife. He puts it just perfect when he talks of carrying a knife to school and the new school sytems.He writes that today's school system, that is made up of combining many districts togather, is filled with drugs and violence. Back when he grew up, the boys were allowed to bring a knife to school. He writes that he would feel naked without it. A knife is a tool to him and none of the boys would have thought about using it on someone. The boys back then used a knife to clean fish, or other animals. It was a apart of them and not something to be used for violence. He attributes much of the problem here is that the children are not known to each other or to the teachers. The community values are gone.

I found it interesting how the values and the carrying of a knife have changed so dramaticaly.

 

[jackknife]

I feel he is 100% correct.

These days of ever growing suburban sprawl, alot of nieghbors don't know who lives in the house a couple of doors down the street. Most peope go to work in the morning, and go home to their air conditioned castles, and pull up the drawbridge and imerse themselves in the latest drama of who is going to be the next American idol. Do you notice that modern homes don't have much in the way of front porches anymore?

Gone are the local grocery store where you knew the guy who owned AND operated the store with a few hired help who had been there for years. Same with the hardwear store, the impersonel big box stores have taken over.

Look at the entertainment the modern generation of punks have been raised on. If Quentain Tarantino has any redeeming value I'm not aware of it. Movies with an overboard amount of violence just for the sake of violence has to have a impact on young minds. There's no lesson in the modern stuff. Growing up with Jimmy Stewart as a big screen role model, at least there was a value lesson in the movies that was refective in the grown men in your life. The often reluctant hero may have to use a little violence, but it is something to be done only as last resort, and in the end you have to do the right thing, even if it is a little of the hard way or scary. Sometimes doing right is not an easy thing to do.

The move to an urban office culture has alot to do with it as well. Living and working in cubicles is a good way to loose part of your humanity. The modern buildings resemble an ant hill. Things become impersonal. Men who have to man a work boat, bring in a farm crop, survive a shift in a mine, or work together building something, have to learn to respect each other and get along towards a final goal to get the job done.

It seems that the local churches don't sponcer much Boy Scout activities these days. Take the kids out camping and let them experiance the wonders of nature like seeing a flock of geese honking thier way into landing on the river in front of you, or a sunset over the mountains, and working together getting tents set up and campsites brushed out and firewood gathered. Not many wonders in a shopping mall.


As far as carrying a knife to school, I can recall my 6th grade teacher being the only one who gave me a warning in a constructive way. I was showing my new scout knife to a friend when Mr. O'Donnel came by. He asked for the knife and examined it carefully. I told him my dad had given it too me because I was now in the scouts. Mr. O'Donnel handed me back the knife and made the remark;"Now that you're a scout, a higher standard of behavior will be expected of you, young man!"