Posted by Edwards on 07/27/06 16:27

On 2006-07-26, mmeron@cars3.uchicago.edu <mmeron@cars3.uchicago.edu> wrote:
> In article <270720060012457958%phineaspuddleduck@googlemail.com_NOSPAM>, Phineas T Puddleduck <phineaspuddleduck@googlemail.com_NOSPAM> writes:
>>In article <1153955390.634129.63700@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
>>RichA <rander3127@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> It was a fascinating story and it highlighted a graphic problem that is
>>> stifling creativity
>>> in the U.S. today; The pathological fear of risk, when it comes to
>>> anything. Ads urge mommies to carry frigging gelled alcohol to
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> constantly wipe their kids hands, chemistry sets contain nothing
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> remotely interesting anymore because of "safety concerns."
>>> They are turning adults and children into a nation of SISSIES afraid to
>>> take any kind
>>> risk that would assist them in learning or just developing as a human
>>> and not a robot.
>>
>>Its not just a US problem. In the UK the same holds. I remember (in the
>>70's) having chemistry sets with magnesium, and crystal growing kits.
>>
> This appears to be a general problem of the western civilization.
> Safety became the new religion and it is pursued with the kind of zeal
> typical of new religions.

But it's not even "real" safety, just a (often badly misguided)
_sense_ of safety. I mean, "Kills 99.99% of bacteria." Great, so
tomorrow you'll have the same amount of bacteria on your kitchen
counter (it'll reproduce as much as the environment will allow,
right?), and it will _all_ be descended from that .01% that was too
nasty to be killed by your little wipe.

--
Darrin

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