(no subject)
I want everyone to read this.
John Stewart, live at RIT:
"You study the bell curve, right? The bell curve is there are extremes on both sides, and in the middle is the majority. In our society, howerver, those extremes are in control. We're the center. Those two extremes are controlling the debate. Those of us in the middle don't have shit to do, we have to raise kids and work.
If you look at a bell curve though, that right side of the curve, and that left side of the curve, they can't see eachother. We're blocking their view. They live in different worlds, where reality is subjective. Terry Schiavo is the perfect example. On the left side, she is just cells, protoplazms, dead for 15 years. On the right side, she is just a couple pilates classes away from joining the Rockettes.
So these two sides. How can we come to any concensus whewn they can't see eachother. School Violence, for example. Kids coming to school with guns. This side of the bell curve, they say, "You know what the solution to that is? Put up the 10 commandments." That was an actual proposal. From a senator. So this kid comes to school with a gun, and he walks up to the front desk and says, "Oh, thou shalt NOT kill."
The other side, says, "let's just get rid of guns, that'll solve the problem." Because nobody ever died from violence before guns showed up. Man is inherently violent, getting rid of guns just means a lot more people will be getting hit on the head with rocks. So the real solution lies within the middle of the bell curve but nobody talks about it, because those people aren't in control. The real solution lies in telling 10th graders that high school isn't forever, that the eccentricities and vulnerabilites that they feel, that make them weak and easy pickings, will actually become strengths after high school. When in adulthood, the whole paradygm switches on it's head.
The real solution is field trips. And not to planetariums and shit like that.
The real solution is to take 10th graders to 25 year high school reunions. Just walk them around the room.
See that sad, fad, bald, drunk motherfucker lying in the corner? Captain of the football team. The only place they call him captain now is Long John Silvers. Sad story."
John Stewart, live at RIT:
"You study the bell curve, right? The bell curve is there are extremes on both sides, and in the middle is the majority. In our society, howerver, those extremes are in control. We're the center. Those two extremes are controlling the debate. Those of us in the middle don't have shit to do, we have to raise kids and work.
If you look at a bell curve though, that right side of the curve, and that left side of the curve, they can't see eachother. We're blocking their view. They live in different worlds, where reality is subjective. Terry Schiavo is the perfect example. On the left side, she is just cells, protoplazms, dead for 15 years. On the right side, she is just a couple pilates classes away from joining the Rockettes.
So these two sides. How can we come to any concensus whewn they can't see eachother. School Violence, for example. Kids coming to school with guns. This side of the bell curve, they say, "You know what the solution to that is? Put up the 10 commandments." That was an actual proposal. From a senator. So this kid comes to school with a gun, and he walks up to the front desk and says, "Oh, thou shalt NOT kill."
The other side, says, "let's just get rid of guns, that'll solve the problem." Because nobody ever died from violence before guns showed up. Man is inherently violent, getting rid of guns just means a lot more people will be getting hit on the head with rocks. So the real solution lies within the middle of the bell curve but nobody talks about it, because those people aren't in control. The real solution lies in telling 10th graders that high school isn't forever, that the eccentricities and vulnerabilites that they feel, that make them weak and easy pickings, will actually become strengths after high school. When in adulthood, the whole paradygm switches on it's head.
The real solution is field trips. And not to planetariums and shit like that.
The real solution is to take 10th graders to 25 year high school reunions. Just walk them around the room.
See that sad, fad, bald, drunk motherfucker lying in the corner? Captain of the football team. The only place they call him captain now is Long John Silvers. Sad story."