Duck and Cover!
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (62120)
United States
October 12, 2017 8:37am CST
Let me preface this by saying I'm fully aware that people who are under emotional stress don't think clearly. That's established.
Having said that, I heard something that was a little on the comical side while watching the sad and devastating news coverage of the Wine Country fires online. A man was being interviewed about what was left of his neighborhood, and he had a great reply:
When I saw it, I thought North Korea had nuked us.
If you're in your late 50s or older you remember the old lie about "duck and cover," where you could get under your school desk (which the annoying kid behind you could move -- with you sitting in it -- with his feet) and survive a nuclear attack.
A moment of levity in a tremendously sad event in California.
Bert the Turtle!
This is from the famous Civil defense film known as "Duck and Cover". The featured character in the film was Bert the Turtle. This is Bert's introduction in ...
11 people like this
9 responses
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Oct 17
I remember those school drills well.
4 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
12 Oct 17
We weren't told about nuclear attacks under our desk but I do remember having some kind of drill where we were all under the desks.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (62120)
• United States
12 Oct 17
I think by the late 60s they were trying to keep from traumatizing the kids, so my school called them “disaster drills.”
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
12 Oct 17
@FourWalls Yeah they were called the same for us I think.
1 person likes this
@Aquitaine24 (11653)
• San Jose, California
25 Nov 18
@FourWalls Yes,they had to make everything seem groovy!LOL
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Oct 17
We used to have earthquake drills where we had to duck and cover under our desks. I always hated it because I was taller than the other kids and never fully fit under my desk!
Though I have to say, I don't remember ever worrying about a nuclear attack when I was a kid in the '80s and '90s.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62120)
• United States
13 Oct 17
It was a big thing in the 50s and 60s. I remember when we went on vacation to Washington DC when I was a kid (I'm thinking 10 years old) I kept looking to see if those black-and-yellow "fallout shelter" signs were on buildings nearby.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
13 Oct 17
@FourWalls It makes me sad that you guys grew up worrying about that, and that kids now will grow up worrying about it. I think it may have been a worry in my early childhood due to the Cold War, but I don't remember it. My parents probably wouldn't have said anything about it to us then anyway. I remember the Soviet Union falling but I don't recall ever feeling stressed over the threat of the USSR nuking us, although older people I've talked to have said that was still a worry during the '70s and '80s. I probably don't remember it because Gorbachev became a leader of the Soviet Union when I was still a baby, and to my understanding he was responsible for many reforms that brought an end to the tension between our countries.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73408)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Oct 17
I don't remember what it was for but I do remember having some kind of drills at school and of course fire drills as well.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Oct 17
Ah yes, duck and cover. I remember it well.
1 person likes this
@Aquitaine24 (11653)
• San Jose, California
25 Nov 18
It is really a sad event.The smoke was bad as well.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
12 Oct 17
Yea the school desk is a great way to avoid a nuclear attack lol.
1 person likes this
@chloeamber (718)
• Philippines
12 Oct 17
that's right it's really not good making decisions while in anger or stress it always turn out bad ..
1 person likes this
