by Pancho Villa

Created on: June 11, 2008

Applaud Graduating High School Students? - NEVER
Seven persons arrested for cheering at a high school graduation ceremony. Read the entire story here http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365461,00.html . MY GOD what is this country coming to? How could these people dare cheer for someone graduating high school?

Ok. So it may be that this is the only family member ever to graduate from high school. Big deal. Is that any reason to cheer? Maybe this student completed his course work from a hospital bed but still made it to graduation. That's no big deal. Is that any reason to cheer?

Just because these kids spent over twelve years of their lives to accomplish this feat is no reason to be proud of them. After all, they only did what was expected of them. No more and no less. No one is supposed to get a pat on the back for doing what is expected of them. Just do your job and shut up.

Remember that a high school graduating ceremony is supposed to be a somber event. At least it is for the school.

So you might ask, just when are we supposed to cheer for the accomplishments of our youth? Well, there are many other accomplishments students achieve that can be cheered. At some of those events cheering is even encouraged.

I once attended a "jumping in" ceremony. Cheering was not only allowed, it was encouraged. It was a wonderful ceremony. The candidate was made to run between two rows of his soon to be brothers and beaten with sticks and/or punched with clinched fists. Every one cheered. The more blood was spilled the more everyone cheered. It was a really proud moment for the young man. At the end of the ceremony he was accepted into the gang with extra loud cheers.

I was once invited to a coming out party for a young man. Cheering was encouraged and even expected at this party. There must have been about fifteen or twenty guest at this party. Every one was cheering and hi-fiving each other. Then the moment every one was waiting for - the doors of the prison opened and the young man was finally released. YES after completing 4 years of quality rehabilitation in prison this young man was cheered and applauded.

An even better example of when to cheer our youth is when I was in college. We would gather at some watering hole (bar) and then it would begin. I was chosen one night and it really felt good. Every time I downed a shot of alcohol the entire bar would cheer and applaud. I don't remember much about that night but I do know that somehow I managed to drive back to the dorm, even though I don't exactly remember driving.

So I say to you, the graduating class of 2008 and those that will graduate high school in the coming years, do not despair, cheers and applause await you. Just give it time and soon we will cheer and applaud you.

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