Though I completely agree that we should not crawl beneath our desk, I disagree on the reasons why the government mainstreamed that "safety" tactic to the masses. I would argue that it was not for safety, nor was the government acting in stupidity when it was suggested. The government did so as yet another fear-inducing psy-op:
Though I completely agree that we should not crawl beneath our desk, I disagree on the reasons why the government mainstreamed that "safety" tactic to the masses. I would argue that it was not for safety, nor was the government acting in stupidity when it was suggested. The government did so as yet another fear-inducing psy-op:
Kids would grow up wondering when they would need to dive under their desks.
The kids would grow up believing that the government would save them by being told to take cover under their desk, i.e. instructions to the masses on how to save themselves from the impending doom.
Thus, we would always recall the image of cupping hands over heads, on the ground, huddled in fear.
The mental images and emotional feelings equate to another fear-inducing means to an end. It was conditioning. Pure and simple, IMHO.
That’s probably true. But I remember thinking, well this is stupid, every time we crawled under the desks. I also remember thinking that I wasn’t going to worry much about it because there was nothing to do be done if we were hit with an atomic bomb. Kids knew it was worth nothing to go under those desks -they aren’t stupid. And while I’m sure there were many who were fearful, my experience was that my classmates and I just ignored it and went on with life.
As a teacher now, my students do see the ridiculousness in our world and I have hope that they may save us someday. I know there are many young people who are easily led astray from truth, but I see more who see through the lies than not.
I remember in 3rd grade we would laugh about how futile it was to hide under our desk. We got a kick out of it because even at that age we knew it was beyond ridiculous.
Especially after they showed photos of people wearing mask that made them look like giant anteaters to protect from “fallout!” Forget this flimsy desk, where were OUR masks?! (Little did we know they were coming later…)
Lord, let me be the last one ever to be thought of as defending the competence of the government…
That being said, it’s not a bad idea to use whatever cover is available to you any event of a bad thing including a nuclear explosion. Those bombs especially way back then we’re not very precise and all sorts of phenomena and guidance malfunctions could send them many miles off course. So of course if your school or whatever is in the blast radius - well you’re dead anyways but what if you’re only far enough away that the concussion shatters your glass? Then being underneath the desk is a good thing. So to me it seems kind of practical that the people who are going to die are gonna die no matter what they do and the people who are fortunately far enough away to live should use every means available to them to protect themselves and get to safety.
As is true worldwide, kids in school find that any distraction from the boring schoolwork is entertaining. Hence, protests, "furries", desk-diving. We thought it was fun!
I thought the same way, Kim - and I also thought "Why would I even WANT to survive an atom bomb?" The horrible repercussions that last for several generations are enough to make me want to "beam up" to heaven in atomic particles!
I was in Germany for most of the ’dive under the desk’ practice. We didn’t have those drills. We knew the US would not bomb us, at least not deliberately, and we were too close to Russia for them to risk fall-out drift.
I was surprised when Jeff said he was taught to do that in school. He’s 11 years younger than me and wasn’t even born in ‘62 when the Cold War threat was going on.
I don’t recall ever having desk drills when I was older. 🤷♀️
I was an elementary student in the 50’s. I don’t remember doing that under the desk thing but I do remember very clearly being loaded in buses to go get polio shots across town. .
I was also in grade school during those years. We hid under our desks. We also recited the pledge of allegiance and the Lord's Prayer every morning becore class began. Once a week or so we also recited Psalm 23. As a result, many of us grew up able to walk through this life with our priorities in correct order, holding faith over fear.
True. I live in the Midwest. Tornado drills for sure. At home we hid under a big oak table in the basement with blankets while we could hear dad walking around the house looking out the windows. We had some close calls.
I just asked my husband about this and he thinks the Cold War threat ended when the Berlin Wall crumbled. So that explains why you younger people had to crawl under desks too. It's funny, it was a happy day when we took off our little silver ID bracelets, probably in '62.
I came along later and we still had them in elementary school. But, I lived way out in the country and things changed slowly back then, with no internet, no consolidated radio stations, etc. Better in so many ways, even if there were some dumb things like doing bomb drills when there was no threat and the "solution" would do nothing. (Even as a kid I was thinking, I'm pretty sure a bomb can beat this desk.)
Liz, have you read any of the books or other material revealed when the Soviet Union fell, e.g. the Venona Files? McCarthy wasn't what the Deep State of the time wanted you to believe. You know that the NYT coverage of the Holodomor was purposely fake, so as to help the Soviet communists, and that the British journalist who went to Ukraine to cover it honestly was later murdered? We're nearly communist ourselves nowadays because of the smears of people like McCarthy, Jones (the journalist), and J. Edgar Hoover, who was tasked to investigate American communism in 1919 and wrote a book about them, Masters of Deceit, around 1958 or so. Telling the truth then was handled quite like it's been in the last four years.
I know that the fight against communism was hand in hand with the Cold War, engineered by the CIA - Russians, who lost 25 million in WWII and won it for the Allies, wanted PEACE> and without CIA meddling on behalf of the WAR INDUSTRIES< (still in the drivers seat in Congress) we would have had world peace in the 60s, but to avoid that possibility the cia did jfk.
I was born in '62 and we never did the "dive under the desk" bomb drills. Living in Texas, we did the similar "tornado drill", but you sat cross-legged in the interior hallway and covered our head.
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s with the monthly bomb drills in which we would hear the school's alarm going off and we would have to crouch under our desks. I clearly remember thinking the whole thing was stupid, and intuitively I knew that if something were to really happen, being under a silly little desk wouldn't protect anyone. I certainly never worried about any of it. I really don't remember any of the kids taking it all that seriously, it was more like a game, a diversion.
it's because you have forgotten the final, last instruction and component of crouching under the desk. You were supposed to hold your ankles and bend over far enough to kiss your arse goodbye. That's what I remember. Just sayin.
Though I completely agree that we should not crawl beneath our desk, I disagree on the reasons why the government mainstreamed that "safety" tactic to the masses. I would argue that it was not for safety, nor was the government acting in stupidity when it was suggested. The government did so as yet another fear-inducing psy-op:
Kids would grow up wondering when they would need to dive under their desks.
The kids would grow up believing that the government would save them by being told to take cover under their desk, i.e. instructions to the masses on how to save themselves from the impending doom.
Thus, we would always recall the image of cupping hands over heads, on the ground, huddled in fear.
The mental images and emotional feelings equate to another fear-inducing means to an end. It was conditioning. Pure and simple, IMHO.
That’s probably true. But I remember thinking, well this is stupid, every time we crawled under the desks. I also remember thinking that I wasn’t going to worry much about it because there was nothing to do be done if we were hit with an atomic bomb. Kids knew it was worth nothing to go under those desks -they aren’t stupid. And while I’m sure there were many who were fearful, my experience was that my classmates and I just ignored it and went on with life.
As a teacher now, my students do see the ridiculousness in our world and I have hope that they may save us someday. I know there are many young people who are easily led astray from truth, but I see more who see through the lies than not.
I remember in 3rd grade we would laugh about how futile it was to hide under our desk. We got a kick out of it because even at that age we knew it was beyond ridiculous.
Especially after they showed photos of people wearing mask that made them look like giant anteaters to protect from “fallout!” Forget this flimsy desk, where were OUR masks?! (Little did we know they were coming later…)
So true!
Lord, let me be the last one ever to be thought of as defending the competence of the government…
That being said, it’s not a bad idea to use whatever cover is available to you any event of a bad thing including a nuclear explosion. Those bombs especially way back then we’re not very precise and all sorts of phenomena and guidance malfunctions could send them many miles off course. So of course if your school or whatever is in the blast radius - well you’re dead anyways but what if you’re only far enough away that the concussion shatters your glass? Then being underneath the desk is a good thing. So to me it seems kind of practical that the people who are going to die are gonna die no matter what they do and the people who are fortunately far enough away to live should use every means available to them to protect themselves and get to safety.
As is true worldwide, kids in school find that any distraction from the boring schoolwork is entertaining. Hence, protests, "furries", desk-diving. We thought it was fun!
I thought the same way, Kim - and I also thought "Why would I even WANT to survive an atom bomb?" The horrible repercussions that last for several generations are enough to make me want to "beam up" to heaven in atomic particles!
Right!
I was in Germany for most of the ’dive under the desk’ practice. We didn’t have those drills. We knew the US would not bomb us, at least not deliberately, and we were too close to Russia for them to risk fall-out drift.
An early version of face masks is all it was.
I was surprised when Jeff said he was taught to do that in school. He’s 11 years younger than me and wasn’t even born in ‘62 when the Cold War threat was going on.
I don’t recall ever having desk drills when I was older. 🤷♀️
I think I’m about Jeff’s age, and I remember these. We joked that we had to “put our head between our knees and kiss our ass goodbye.” 🤣
🤣
I was an elementary student in the 50’s. I don’t remember doing that under the desk thing but I do remember very clearly being loaded in buses to go get polio shots across town. .
I was also in grade school during those years. We hid under our desks. We also recited the pledge of allegiance and the Lord's Prayer every morning becore class began. Once a week or so we also recited Psalm 23. As a result, many of us grew up able to walk through this life with our priorities in correct order, holding faith over fear.
Oh no! I remember polio shots at school too- actually we ate a sugar cube..
Ahhh...polio. So many lies. So little time. Read The Moth in the Iron Lung by Forrest Maready if you want the truth.
I think I know. the spraying of DDT.
Janet, I think it started in ‘61, 62. Yes, I remember lining up for my polio sugar cubes, and then later, a shot.
We didn’t hide under desks in Kansas in the 60s but we did hide our heads in the inner halls for tornado drills! Now that was helpful.
True. I live in the Midwest. Tornado drills for sure. At home we hid under a big oak table in the basement with blankets while we could hear dad walking around the house looking out the windows. We had some close calls.
I was born in 1970 and through most of elementary school we practiced hiding under desks
I just asked my husband about this and he thinks the Cold War threat ended when the Berlin Wall crumbled. So that explains why you younger people had to crawl under desks too. It's funny, it was a happy day when we took off our little silver ID bracelets, probably in '62.
Yes, exactly. I was in college then and it was amazing to see after all those years of potential threat.
I think I was blissfully ignorant! 😆 I do remember the wall coming down though. Wish I could be a bit more ignorant today. I'd be a lot happier. 😉
I came along later and we still had them in elementary school. But, I lived way out in the country and things changed slowly back then, with no internet, no consolidated radio stations, etc. Better in so many ways, even if there were some dumb things like doing bomb drills when there was no threat and the "solution" would do nothing. (Even as a kid I was thinking, I'm pretty sure a bomb can beat this desk.)
Really? I'm 52 and we did all the way through junior high.
Must be different based on geographical location
Those desk drills also worked for tornadoes. 🤪
he's 25 years younger than me~! and we never had to do it, for some reason.
I was born right in the middle of the McCarthy commie hating, nuclear bomb scare days!
1952 was the Army -McCarthy hearings, some of the most fascist, scary times for free thinking people, ever.
Liz, have you read any of the books or other material revealed when the Soviet Union fell, e.g. the Venona Files? McCarthy wasn't what the Deep State of the time wanted you to believe. You know that the NYT coverage of the Holodomor was purposely fake, so as to help the Soviet communists, and that the British journalist who went to Ukraine to cover it honestly was later murdered? We're nearly communist ourselves nowadays because of the smears of people like McCarthy, Jones (the journalist), and J. Edgar Hoover, who was tasked to investigate American communism in 1919 and wrote a book about them, Masters of Deceit, around 1958 or so. Telling the truth then was handled quite like it's been in the last four years.
I know that the fight against communism was hand in hand with the Cold War, engineered by the CIA - Russians, who lost 25 million in WWII and won it for the Allies, wanted PEACE> and without CIA meddling on behalf of the WAR INDUSTRIES< (still in the drivers seat in Congress) we would have had world peace in the 60s, but to avoid that possibility the cia did jfk.
Check out the 45 Communist Goals that were read into the Congressional Record in 1963.
https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/watchwomanonthewall/2011/04/the-45-communist-goals-as-read-into-the-congressional-record-1963.html
Many of these goals are now complete.
We didn't do any "desk dives" in any of my schools (born in 57) but we were in Northern Minnesota so, probably, nobody cared if we got blown up. :>)
🤣
I was born in '62 and we never did the "dive under the desk" bomb drills. Living in Texas, we did the similar "tornado drill", but you sat cross-legged in the interior hallway and covered our head.
That makes more sense.
I grew up in the 1950s and 60s with the monthly bomb drills in which we would hear the school's alarm going off and we would have to crouch under our desks. I clearly remember thinking the whole thing was stupid, and intuitively I knew that if something were to really happen, being under a silly little desk wouldn't protect anyone. I certainly never worried about any of it. I really don't remember any of the kids taking it all that seriously, it was more like a game, a diversion.
it's because you have forgotten the final, last instruction and component of crouching under the desk. You were supposed to hold your ankles and bend over far enough to kiss your arse goodbye. That's what I remember. Just sayin.
😂
hehe
Exactly!
We climbed under our desks for earthquake drills...no way 35-40 kids were going to fit in the doorway...
Even though I remember the air raid siren tests on Friday morning, there was no desk-ducking.
They don’t have much new material. Remember this? https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/images/keepcalm.gif
I don't know Renee Morris, it seems the routine was good training for flying commercial airlines nowadays!