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Toss and Spin the Rifles. Don't shoot 'em.


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Unfortunately some former members of the Madison Scouts were involved in a world-famous fatal bombing at the University of Wisconsin campus way back in 1970. Dwight and Karleton Armstrong didn't intend to kill anyone with the bomb, but they did. You never know who will do evil.

Here's a news article about them:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19720218&id=HjYdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mCgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4985,5000615&hl=en

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The OP (me) intended for the discussion to center around whether or not participation in drum corps could be of value to young men (or women) at risk of such heinous behavior.

would you have wanted your kid to march with someone "at risk of such heinous behavior" ????

I would not want to march with anyone like that.

Drum corps is an activity for generally upper middle class white kids.

It is not a mental health facility.

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HD what I see from the inner city few miles from me, it's not the state vs family but a lack of family that's causing the problems.

And as for the post above me.. talk about a drum corps generation gap......

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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The "loner" aspect is important to keep in mind.

I am someone who wishes drum corps cost less and there were more local corps because like the original poster, I see many "fringe" benefits to drum corps as I'm sure many people who post on this sight do as well.. I am also realistic about knowing those days are gone and the attraction of drum corps is not what it was years ago.

If such corps were available today, it would be perfect for a shy, withdrawn young person, but these people may not be loners. "Loners" are most likely anti-social and probably need psychological help, whereas the shy or withdrawn young person needs assistance to come out of their shell or gain confidence. A drum corps would be an excellent option for such a person, but keep in mind, such a person would not need psychological help and caring capable adults and good friends would do the trick. For a true loner who may be better described as anti-social, my guess is that drum corps would not help. Identifying such a person and getting therapy is probably the only solution.

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Drum Corps participation was not, and will never be, a panacea for all that ails youth and society's ills.

But we would be remiss if we did not recognize that Drum Corps participation ,in the past especially, certainly can be credited with redirecting the energies of at risk youth in a most positive manner. There is no doubt that in the absence of Drum Corps participation, more young lives would have fallen victim to the lure of crime in the streets. Not all would have become mass murderers, of course. Few " loners " ever joined Drum Corps to begin with, as an example. But it was always far better for both youth and its large city communities when its local at risk youth were in a " gang " ( Drum Corps ) and out in competition with one another in controlled environments, than the alternative, ie.. out and about in competition with other " gangs " with live guns, and live ammunition in uncontrolled environments. Drum Corps primary mission was to get at risk youth off the streets and to provide them with needed discipline, adult supervision, proper adult role modeling, love of God, Country. Today, it has changed with the times to a primary mission of Music and Dance Instruction that is an adjunct to the school's successful ( or failure ) mission in this realm. But the tangible and intangible benefits to the individual participant has not waned over the years. But the loss of Drum Corps in the large cities has been both US Society as well as its youth at risk loss. And it has been a huge loss in this regard, imo.

Edited by BRASSO
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But it was always far better for both youth and its large city communities when its local at risk youth were in a " gang " ( Drum Corps ) and out in competition with one another in controlled environments, than the alternative, ie.. out and about in competition with other " gangs " with live guns, and live ammunition in uncontrolled environments.

Good points B, but I'd nick pick a little about the guns/live ammunition thoughts. Fifty to sixty years ago, I don't believe there were guns used amongst D&BC members during their altercations.

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HD what I see from the inner city few miles from me, it's not the state vs family but a lack of family that's causing the problems.

And as for the post above me.. talk about a drum corps generation gap......

Times change.

The activity is not kids off the street anymore.

I'm not making a judgement if that is good or bad. It just is.

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would you have wanted your kid to march with someone "at risk of such heinous behavior" ????

I would not want to march with anyone like that.

Drum corps is an activity for generally upper middle class white kids.

It is not a mental health facility.

Cadet 2000, is that generalization accurate?

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would you have wanted your kid to march with someone "at risk of such heinous behavior" ????

I would not want to march with anyone like that.

Drum corps is an activity for generally upper middle class white kids.

It is not a mental health facility.

My post partially agrees with your last statement, but one, most of the time we do not know about these people until it is too late. Do you think those young college students eould have attended class if they knew what was going to happen or would have ignored warning signs? Two, by reducing drum corps to a white upper middle class activity, the two young men responsible for the Columbine High tragedy fit the criteria. Perpetrators of senseless violence range all races and all incomes.

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