From: minow@apple.com (Martin Minow)
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 05:14:53 +0800
To: Simon Spero <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: [RANT] Giving Mind Control Drugs to Children
Message-ID: <v02140b01ae05aff1e8ee@[17.219.103.246]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Simon Spero comments on Tim May's Ritalin rant:
>On Sat, 6 Jul 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:
>>
>> When the mother (a single mother, as this is California) drops her son off
>> with my friend (also single, of course), she includes several "Ritalin"
>> capsules with instructions on how to dose her son with this
>> depressant/behavior modification drug.
>
>Er... Tim... Ritalin is an amphetamine.
>

Yup, and it was the illegal drug of choice in Sweden in the 1960's,
making its use as a convenient way to quiet down rambuncious kids
a bit strange -- but the "medical professionals" have an explanation.

Interestingly, it is illegal to hit kids in Sweden -- the courts
call it assault, just as if you hit an adult. When I lived there
(in the '60 and '70s), I took an informal survey and found only
one person who had ever been spanked as a child -- and only once,
for breaking her brother's violin.

A good friend would infrequently give her infant a pat on the
bottom (when he tried climbing on the stove), but was always
careful to aim for the well-padded diaper.

You may wish to consider whether Sweden's low murder rate is
related to the lack of parent-child violence.

Martin Minow
minow@apple.com