What's with all the graduation banners? (Atlanta, Roswell: HOA, houses, neighborhood)

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

You are supposed to graduate high school. That alone isn't an accomplishment.

I totally disagree with you. Part of being successful in life is establishing goals and milestones and achieving them. Success is not a destination but a journey.

Regardless of whether you go to college or you do something else, graduating high school is the completion of a part of your life and the achievement of a goal that should be celebrated. Maybe I just place way too much emphasis on personal achievement, but in my opinion it's a milestone that should be celebrated.

[wawa1992]

Yeah, it's something to celebrate. It's a major rite of passage. No room for cynicism here.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I totally disagree with you. Part of being successful in life is establishing goals and milestones and achieving them. Success is not a destination but a journey.

Regardless of whether you go to college or you do something else, graduating high school is the completion of a part of your life and the achievement of a goal that should be celebrated. Maybe I just place way too much emphasis on personal achievement, but in my opinion it's a milestone that should be celebrated.

Well said.

I also agree with Box. When parents and the community celebrate a kid's graduation it shows that they care and that achievement is valued. I would have knocked down the door to get to any of my kids' high school graduation, and I don't mind admitting that I was bursting with pride when they crossed that stage.

[gtcorndog]

My comments are directed at the East Cobb signs that I see each day. If you are the first in your family to achieve a high school diploma that is certainly noteworthy and should be commended that you are trying to further your education beyond what has been your family's norm. I understand that and I would congratulate anyone in that situation. However, those graduating from an affluent community with all of the advantages int he World should not be commended and congratulated for doing what should be a minimum for them. Not achieving that level should be shamed rather than celebrating those that achieve that minimum. Don't set the bar that low because it breeds a false sense of accomplishment. Once you get out in the real world no one is going to congratulate you for meeting the bare minimum requirements. Time to toughen up America and get back the mentality of hard work that made this country great and not the 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality that is hurting our country today.

To me this is similar to the Sweet 16 parties that have become popular. They do nothing but breed entitlement and a sense of accomplishment that isn't deserved. You have not accomplished a damn thing and yet parents are spending thousands and thousands of dollars to celebrate a 16th birthday. That is absurd. (I've seen it twice with my wife's cousins and it is sickening.)

[Box]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

My comments are directed at the East Cobb signs that I see each day. If you are the first in your family to achieve a high school diploma that is certainly noteworthy and should be commended that you are trying to further your education beyond what has been your family's norm. I understand that and I would congratulate anyone in that situation. However, those graduating from an affluent community with all of the advantages int he World should not be commended and congratulated for doing what should be a minimum for them. Not achieving that level should be shamed rather than celebrating those that achieve that minimum. Don't set the bar that low because it breeds a false sense of accomplishment. Once you get out in the real world no one is going to congratulate you for meeting the bare minimum requirements. Time to toughen up America and get back the mentality of hard work that made this country great and not the 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality that is hurting our country today.

To me this is similar to the Sweet 16 parties that have become popular. They do nothing but breed entitlement and a sense of accomplishment that isn't deserved. You have not accomplished a damn thing and yet parents are spending thousands and thousands of dollars to celebrate a 16th birthday. That is absurd. (I've seen it twice with my wife's cousins and it is sickening.)

I know a lot of kids who are middle class to upper middle class who become burnouts and high school, and didn't graduate because they were use to being provided for. Even rich kids should be congratulated for graduating from high school.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Box

Even rich kids should be congratulated for graduating from high school.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (that's one of those vinyl disks that plays music for all you 20 and 30 somethings), why does it have anything to do with rich, poor, black, white, middle class? It's an achievement and a stepping stone to hopefully better things. I'm a cynic, but I can't understand how someone can be cynical about the celebration of high school graduations.

[Box]

Originally Posted by neil0311

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (that's one of those vinyl disks that plays music for all you 20 and 30 somethings), why does it have anything to do with rich, poor, black, white, middle class? It's an achievement and a stepping stone to hopefully better things. I'm a cynic, but I can't understand how someone can be cynical about the celebration of high school graduations.

I dont get it. For some reason this person thinks that people from lower economic backgrounds or so called lower economic classes are not expected to graduate, at least not as much as people who are well off. This is something that is simply not true, most of the drop outs that i do know dropped out against their parents wishes. The irony is most of my friends who dropped out came from backgrounds that were pretty stable economically.

[RainyRainyDay]

I've always thought those banners are charming. They express community pride and support for the young people at this important life transition. Every year as I drive by I recognize names I've picked up at my kid's school thinking "oh, so that's where the Xs live" or "lots of people matriculating to Georgia Southern this year." It's interesting.

This year my daughter's name is on a graduation sign at our subdivision entrance. We're in East Cobb too, so ours may even be one of the signs that has particularly pained gtcorndog. Who knew?

Happily for those sensitive individuals who are distressed by this shameless exhibitionism (even covering up subdivision names!) it'll all be over in a week or so, for another year.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

My comments are directed at the East Cobb signs that I see each day. If you are the first in your family to achieve a high school diploma that is certainly noteworthy and should be commended that you are trying to further your education beyond what has been your family's norm. I understand that and I would congratulate anyone in that situation. However, those graduating from an affluent community with all of the advantages int he World should not be commended and congratulated for doing what should be a minimum for them. Not achieving that level should be shamed rather than celebrating those that achieve that minimum. Don't set the bar that low because it breeds a false sense of accomplishment. Once you get out in the real world no one is going to congratulate you for meeting the bare minimum requirements. Time to toughen up America and get back the mentality of hard work that made this country great and not the 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality that is hurting our country today.

To me this is similar to the Sweet 16 parties that have become popular. They do nothing but breed entitlement and a sense of accomplishment that isn't deserved. You have not accomplished a damn thing and yet parents are spending thousands and thousands of dollars to celebrate a 16th birthday. That is absurd. (I've seen it twice with my wife's cousins and it is sickening.)

Geeze, it's a right to passage into adult hood and people want to celebrate. How is "everyone" getting a trophy? People are supposed to walk to but I guess we shouldn't praise a child's first steps either? High horse much?

[cwkimbro]

Wow! so cynical!

It isn't just about the students, the parents, or even the individual name... I kinda of see it as a community building thing too.

I can't help but to notice we establish ourselves by school clusters as often...if not more often than city limits or zip codes. I think its nice to kinda have a reason to show that across the whole area every year.