(no subject)

The Quake 3 soundtrack didn't come with any track names. So I made some up. I don't think they'll mind ...

"As long as we keep censoring, we are lost in the symptoms of our society's problems, thus ignoring the problems themselves. Pornography, for example, doesn't degrade women; women are degraded by our culture, and certain forms of pornography reflect that. Yes, we have a serious problem with the way women are treated in our culture, and pornography is a symptom, but let's not kill the messenger. Let's get the message and do something about it."

"Similarly, violence is a messenger. The idea that problems can be solved through violence causes violence. We have a problem with drugs? Let's declare a war on drugs! We have a problem with crime? Let's declare war on crime! We have a problem with violence? Let's declare war on violence! The deeply ingrained American attitude that we can solve any problem with enough force creates, feeds, and rewards the epidemic of violence we are currently experiencing."

-- from "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do"

Protective Technology

Wow, I love this book. :) I read it once, too many years ago. Glad to rediscover it.

" In 1990, more than half of the fatal car accidents in this country were related to alcohol, killing 22,083 people. This is the equivalent of a fully loaded 747 crashing. Three times a week. Every week." ... "Alcohol is involved in 80% of fire deaths, 77% of falls, 65% of drownings, 65% of murders, 60% of child abuse cases, 35% of rapes, and 55% of all arrests. According to a 1992 study by the National Center for Health Statistics, "10,500,000 Americans are alcoholics; 76,000,000 more are affected by alcohol abuse, having been married to an alcoholic or problem drinker or having grown up with one." Is this a call for a new Prohibition? No. As with cigarettes, the key to helping people from hurting themselves is education. There is, however, a great deal more we could do to protect nonconsenting victims of alcohol abuse -- such as sober drivers and pedestrians. (Please see the chapter, 'Protective Technology.')"