From: JR@ns.cnb.uam.es
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 21:26:56 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: [RANT] Giving Mind Control Drugs to Children
Message-ID: <960709122701.21003a36@ROCK.CNB.UAM.ES>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


"Perry E. Metzger" <perry@piermont.com> says:
Mike Duvos writes:
> Perry Writes:
> 
> > Most people would have no particular urge to stop a child with
> > diabetes from taking her insulin. Your friend seems to have the sick
 ...   ... 
> Since diabetes has an organic cause, this analogy with syndromes and
> disorders defined solely by behavioral percentages fails.

'fraid not. ADD has an organic cause, and can be detected
with reproduceable biological tests.

	Agreed, but the point is IMHO that not everybody that takes it
do actually need it, and that it is worst for them as well as for the
rest of us (indirectly). And I don't think there's any point in
denying there is a strong and widespread abuse of "easy solutions"
(like government mandated key scrow for instance).

>Admittedly, ADD is nonfatal, and I will agree that the analogy breaks
>down there. I will also agree that it may be overdiagnosed -- that is,
>misdiagnosed by sloppy practitioners. That does not mean it isn't real.
>
	That's it. Agreed again.

....
>Has it occurred to you that many of the children in question are happy
>being medicated, as are many adults? In any case, who are you to tell
>other people what's good for them?
>
>Perry

	Wrong. Many people feel happy taking antibiotics for a cold. But
it is worst for the vast majority of them. A cold is produced by viruses
on which no antibiotic is effective. But they kill their natural baterial
barrier, making them more prone to a serious disease. And they select
AB-resistant bacteria which will spread to other innocent people later.

	Anyway, I'm nobody to tell them to stop killing themselves. But
*I* am ENTITLED to tell them not to kill *ME* by selecting resistant
microorganisms when they take antibiotics they shouldn't. For *I* will
have to stand those myself later. I don't tell them what's good for them.
I do tell them what's BAD for ME.

	As well as I tink I'm not entitled to forbid anyone to smoke, but
I am to expect they not to in my presence and to respect my health if I
politely ask them so.

	I am not entitled to say which crypto anyone has to use. But I
am entitled to expect no one will force me into using one that will be
worst for me in the long run. And would rather prefer if people knew 
what they do and the extent on which they can rely on crypto when they
use it.
				jr