Several articles from alternet

[conuly]

One on steel mill accidents.
One on women soldiers in Iraq, and changing the rules on what positions they can serve.
One on discussing drugs with your kids.
One on nonviolence.
One on dangerous chemicals.
One on Madonna and Kabbalah and homosexuality.
One on Iraq.
One on Japanese media.
One on families of soldiers.
One on the peace movement.
One on Apple.
One on oil.
And one on this gilded age.

That's a lot.

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

*blinks* I think this is the third article I've read today - each posted by a completely different LJ user, each on a totally different topic where the article actually lacks any sort of cogent argument or totally misunderstands itself.

The drug use one, it says over and over again that the current generation of parents used drugs and were fine, so they're not worried about drug use in their kids. But things have changed. Mainly, we view drugs differently now. So, drugs are dangerous. Tell your kids they are dangerous. And your kids may have used marijuana, and so you're in denial about whether you need to talk to your kids about drugs even though you believe marijuana use in moderation isn't harmful, you're wrong because things have changed.

What's changed? It doesn't explain except to make reference to use of painkillers/cough syrup etc. but with no explanation of why that matters, and to say our views have changed.

You can't argue that it's more physically dangerous just because we view it as such with no evidence.

*sighs*

Yes, drug use can be dangerous. Yes, some people will die from it (although I do wonder how many of them are not dying from other things like suicide because of the drug use). But that doesn't mean there's no such thing as recreational drug use or every kid who tries marijuana is doomed or you need to tell your children such things. I'm all for talking to kids, but I'd be honest. And I'd tell them that some drugs are more dangerous than others. A message that often gets lost. That just because marijana didn't ruin your life doesn't mean you should try crack or heroin.

[conuly]

That just because marijana didn't ruin your life doesn't mean you should try crack or heroin.

I've known people who, when they found out that marijuana wasn't so bad, decided that they'd been lied to about *all* drugs.

Me, I'm so messed up I can hardly take aspirin because Drugs. Are. Bad.

[leora.livejournal.com]

That is one of the reasons I wouldn't want to lie to any children of mine.

My sister's approach (her children are still very young, the oldest is ummm 8 I think now) was to say: Drugs are powerful. They are often good and helpful, and we use them carefully when we're sick. But drugs can be dangerous if misused, so you have to know how to use them safely.

None of this all drugs are bad... but we'll ignore the fact that there's caffeine in your chocolate bar and coco cola the school gave you. Or all drugs are bad, but your aunts certainly do enjoy a nice glass of wine now and then. All drugs are bad, but you have to take your antibiotics now.

Honesty - novel concept.

oh and the gilded age article just makes me sad.