A reference to Gloria Steinhem's book, Revolution From Within, is pertinent
in this discussion:
She talks about a project of the Californian Legislature which in 1990
created a Task Force to Promote Self-esteem and Personal and Social
Responsibility. Self-esteem was considered to be a "'social vaccine'
against an epidemic of school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, domestic
violence, drug and alcohol addiction, child abuse, and other destructions of
the self and others". Quoted successes of the Task team include: a 40%
reduction in the number of school teachers wanting to retire; a fall in
un-wanted teenage pregnancy at one school from 147 to 20 in a year; and a
75% drop in student discipline problems in an Hispanic school located in one
of the State's poorest districts.
There was, unfortunately, limited publicity of the success of this Team, due
to public ridicule, religious objection ("failing to recognise the Eternal
God as the origin of all human worth") and in the end failed to get
additional government funding for similar exercises in other states. Guess
what? This was during the first Bush presidency!
For a summary of the Task Force research see:
The social importance of self-esteem, Andrew M. Mecca, Neil J. Smelser and
John Vasconcellos, editors, Berkley, California: University of California
Press.
Stephen Barrow
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Gil Robertson
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2002 6:40 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: OFF:Fw: [globalnews] Bush to Fund Colombia War Effort
jsherry wrote: Bush to Fund Colombia War Effort Snip.
It is an ever continuing wonder to me why efforts are made to "fight our
never
ending war on drugs", by hunting minor couriers or going into another
country
and reaping havoc, usually mainly against innocent women and children
and
farmers of other crops.
Would it it not be more to the point, to removing the market? No market,
no sale!
In a crass generalization, could I suggest that people use drugs when
they are
not in a situation they find tenable. Would it not be more to the point
to give
our young the education that is required to equip them for a fruitful
and
contented life. Would it not be useful to develop a society in which
each was
reasonably access employment, shelter and creature comforts, in the area
they
choose to live.
A friends' son is a quadriplegic from a drug over dose. I believe his
drug use
can be traced back to an education unsuited to his likely employment,
along with
religious, social and family pressures, he was not equipped to handle. I
believe
that if his education (in every sense of the word) was properly tailored
to his
needs, he would have been able to handle life and not have his tragic
drug
career.
I write from an Australian perspective, but I thing the issue is common.
Gil
