The anti-pseudoephedrine argument sounds SO familiar: "If only we could limit access to guns, there would be less crime." Wrong.
What motivates people to take drugs like meth in the first place? If they know how it undermines their mental capacities, could it be possible they've been taught that the mind is something NOT to be valued?
Could ultimate responsibility lie in a culture that teaches people to depend on others to make their decisions? To rely on faith rather than reason? That human beings are monsters (Originial Sin) but they'll be allowed to get away with whatever they want (grace)? Have you seen the Diesel ads that proclaim that being stupid is cool?
Or perhaps we should blame the philosophers that lay the foundations of a culture? Such as Immanuel Kant who sought to destroy reason by turning it against itself because he saw the Enlightenment as a threat to the political power of religion?
As long as we continue to evade such issues, our culture remains at risk.
Also, Don't Be a Dragon!
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Jerry Liu offers the following advice, which fellow role-playing gamers
will find easy to translate into real-life terms and quite memorable: *Use
your pot...
10 hours ago
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My husband and I were just discussing this very topic, because Idaho is currently engaging in an anti-meth campaign that seems to us to be misleading and full of scare tactics. Thank you for addressing what does seem to be the real cause of so many of the issues our society is dealing with.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
ReplyDeleteI think many of the arguments used by "pseudoephedrine-control" advocates are identical to arguments used by gun-control advocates.
Oklahoma seems to have been something of a trail-blazer in this area - unfortunately - so I would expect Idaho to copy some of the same tactics used here. Let's hope it's not the same number of years before Idaho wakes up to the same realization that it doesn't work.
I don't disagree with what you say. It would be more effective to address the problem at the source. And maybe society does teach us to devalue our own minds and not think for ourselves. I find it somewhat humorous that you mention the Diesel ads. I quite like those ads. I think that you might be looking at those ads from the wrong perspective. I think those ads are talking to a group of people who can over-think things (denying themselves things because of morals imposed by other people) and are encouraging them to let loose and have fun. Maybe you are taking it in a literal way, which I can pretty confidently say that Diesel is not encouraging people to actually be "Stupid." If you look at their other ads, they say things like "Smart Critiques, Stupid Creates." Which shows that Diesel is encouraging thinking for yourself. I know that the Diesel ad is a minor part of your post, but it bothered me enough to comment.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: I think you're misrepresenting stupidity. I continue to find the Diesel ads disturbing.
ReplyDelete