Students take major step toward learning to say 'no'

Posted Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at 9:47 AM
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  • All these substances get a single label called "drugs". Since these substances are ubiquitous, and vary widely in legality, type and strength of effect, level of physiological danger, permanent damage, and most importantly - addictive qualities. It's safe to say completing a DARE program leaves you dangerously ignorant of extremely important details about individual substances being pushed at you, and especially the ones you care about. That should help explain the lack of progress in reducing substance abuse in our youth across the US (nope, these expensive "just say no" programs are not working). Even the expanded version of DARE with "keeping it Real" is like an expanded version of "just say no", that takes longer to complete. In comparison, abstinence only training for high school pregnancy turned out to be a pretty good way to roll the dice and get knocked up (see Mississippi teen pregnancy rates where abstinence training is their messiah).

    Our society has got to realize that our youth talk to each other, and they exchange ideas about controlled substances that apparently do not often enough include more clever ways to say 'no'. Often the addictive nature, or the actual danger level of a given substance is left as a mystery to the DARE graduate (yes, even with a signature that says they won't try them) so those 'knowledge gaps' are gladly filled in by the helpful sales person (pusher) or "friend". Do you want an actual drug pusher to educate your loved ones about the drugs they're pushing? Didn't think so.

    Finally, anyone that doesn't have an open, candid, honest and informed conversation with their child, loved one or at-risk youth about the different types of substances out there, their physical and mental dangers, and the real addictive nature for each substance is rolling the dice with the physical well being and happiness of their loved one. Who would knowingly do that? If all you know is "they're bad" then how can you teach your children to say no when there will be someone else, conveniently an ultra cool badass living example telling them "Oh, this stuff isn't so bad, see how well I'm doing?"

    As far as bullying goes, you have to teach your child to physically defend themselves and others from bullies that physically attack as a moral and ethical obligation. Period. Failing to defend the weak against an attacker constitutes moral and ethical failure. Choosing not to defend yourself when you are able to, ignores your family's and friends interest in your physical and mental well being and happiness. Yes, sorry pacifists!, it's time to stand up for yourself. Sadly, pacifism is at the heart of many bystanders' inaction. Pacifism allows the aggressive attacker free will to do what he wants, when he wants, as often as he wants with no restraint to the weak and defenseless. An actual pacifist is a moral monster. The pacifist will sit by and weep as his girlfriend is raped before him. Pacifism is akin to cowardice and no one likes a coward for good reason. Unfortunately pacifism is primal to Christianity (turn the other cheek) hence the insane level of moral confusion in the US. Because no, there is nothing biblical about defending the weak and standing up for yourself - but somehow some people choose to ignore biblical teaching and protect those around them, sometimes with their own life. When one person attacks another person in the presence of other civil people - this should be a total non-starter. It is a green light for everyone in the group to pounce on the attacker and remove his will to fight. This way, it's no longer acceptable to attack people in polite society. Suffice to say it is the identical principal in an aircraft at 30,000 feet, when someone says "listen everyone, I'm just going to take control of this aircraft". This is a green light for all the moral people in the airplane. Someone hits him high, someone hits him low, someone grabs a weapon hand, and everyone should be clawing this jerk's eyes out.

    Finally, if someone says something to you that was designed to illicit a response, it is totally up to your mental status as to whether or not your jimmies get rustled. You can't go punching someone for something they say to you online or in person, no matter how wrong you think it may be. Furthermore, the level of butthurt you feel or react to is a direct result of your level of emotional intelligence. You don't see class presidents and happy successful leaders in the community getting violent every time someone said something unpleasant to them [citation needed]. Every person in the world has to deal with impolite, disrespectful, intelligence insulting idiots in daily life. You're only a punch away from being an oversensitive thin skinned jerk with a penchant for violence that will end up in jail if you doesn't control yourself and demonstrate your intelligence and calm.

    Sometimes, all that is needed to calm an irate person is an honest mea culpa, if what you did or said was wrong.

    This may seem like a lot to swallow, and you may agree or disagree or a little of both, but it's totally up to you, and this is simply my opinion of how to stay happy and sleep at night with respect to these subjects. Now, go teach your children something good! - Gern

    -- Posted by GernBlanstol on Sun, May 22, 2016, at 3:35 AM
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