Have times changed? You bet they have. Were parents (or pundits) always this way? No. The students I taught in my first go around with teaching were largely from some of the wealthiest, most conservative families in American (eg, Pabst and Kohl). I wa a young guy fresh out of college. So you can bet there were things I taught that they didnt like. But I never even got an angry phone call, much less a phyical threat. Those parents looked down on me as a teacher, as so many profesional Americans do, but they respected my position and obligations.