By Adam Alonzi
I was recently told that self-defense classes implicitly condone rape. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. One cannot make these things up. No, she was not joking. To recognize a problem and try to treat it with a rational manner based on the facts available warrants crucifixion. Yet, apparently, teaching someone how to avoid or get themselves out of a dangerous situation is morally reprehensible. Clearly classes designed to prevent sexual assault are covertly misogynistic. It would be funny if there were more people realized symbolic censure does nothing to fight crime. Otherwise, there would be no crime. How many children are encouraged to harm others and break the law?
In spite of the stupendous failures of Christianity and Marxism to mold human minds according to their noble but unrealistic ideals, there are innumerable activists who, using logic not unlike Dora the Explorer’s, believe they can solve the issues of the world through sloganeering and lawmaking. Dora tells Swiper not to steal, so he doesnt. She chants a magic mantra: swiper, no swiping. This logic makes perfect sense to toddlers watching the cartoon, but is not applicable to the real world. Prohibition was a costly quagmire that created organized crime in America. The worldwide War on Drugs has been a massive failure. Also, thanks to widespread racial profiling inherent in our justice system, it has been especially harmful to the African-American community. Yet, in spite of all the damage they have done, in spite of what both academic and folk biology teach, righteous crusaders of all shades persist in believing that the adoption of a “stance” by a governmental institution can fundamentally alter culture and human behavior. Their presumptuousness straddles the line between magical thinking and megalomania.
Dont do drugs! Teachers, police officers and parents indoctrinate children with this message before they can even read. American culture is generally opposed to all psycho actives besides alcohol. What has this achieved? Nothing, nothing, nothing, less than nothing. It has destroyed lives, families and entire communities. They are the butts of jokes. Anti-drug commercials appear to act as advertisements. Sports stars are paid to warn kids about drugs. So what? Neither positive nor negative reinforcement have caused drug use to decline substantially. This does not take the needle out of the junkies arm. This does not alleviate the social ills linked to hard drug use and it certainly does not alter the addicts neurobiology!
Humans are miraculous but flawed. Antisocial traits are largely genetic, although they are certainly aggravated by environmental factors. Some people never grow wisdom teeth and some people never develop empathy. To date there is no evidence, even weak evidence, showing serial killers and serial rapists can be rehabilitated. While some external factors can be adjusted to make them less likely to turn out this way, We must address problems in a realistic manner, even when reality is frightening or repulsive. Poverty and the proliferation of undesirable genetic traits are both responsible for crime. We should try to encourage the development of positive values in youth, but we must also realize that a portion of the population cannot be helped.