Here's a funny discussion that I had with DDs yesterday afternoon!
THey were commenting on the fact that you need gum to get through the day at school. THis always amazes me as we were not allowed to chew gum at school. So I mentioned that if we were caught chewing gum at school, we would get detention.
They told me that was a ridiculous rule. They wanted to know why we couldn't chew gum, but were allowed to bring guns and knives to school and had a smoking lounge. It is amazing to think about this, but I grew up in avery rural area and most of the teachers and guys in HS hunted. They would hunt before and/or after school so would bring their rifles and hunting knives and keep them in their locker or in gun racks in their trucks. Never had any problems and never gave it a second thought. It was just a way of life I guess. The smoking lounge was a solution to foggy bathrooms where the smokers would go to sneak a cigarette. If you had a note from your parents you could smoke in the smoking lounge (really an outdoor patio off of our cafeteria). Also the drinking age was 18, so on our senior trip to QUebec, the chaperones were absolutely fine with us ordering wine or beer with our meals and having a huge mega party at the hotel with alcohol. THe chaperones weren't allowed to drink, but the kids were!
Can you imagine any of this happening today? But we we not allowed to chew gum!

I graduated in 1980.