[PRCo] Re: THEIR 6TH SUPERBOWL WIN!

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

> From: Edward H. Lybarger <trams2 at comcast.net>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 12:05:40 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: THEIR 6TH SUPERBOWL WIN!
> 
> Sorry, I guess I don't understand.  We're happy,
> so we destroy things that belong to others.
> 
> Sports fans aren't always the most
> mature folks around, are they?
> 
> Of course, I wasn't particularly impressed by the
> behaviour of the players on the field, either...
> I didn't think either team was worthy of calling
> themselves "champions" after the thuggery that went on. 
> Do we really need to try to injure the others?
> It's rough enough naturally.
> 
> As you can tell, I'm not a sports enthusiast. 
> I think sports contribute mightily to 
> the dumbing down of America.
> 
>
>
Mr.Lybarger;


I understand your frustration.  With the highly visible
'beer-drinking,  animal-grunting,  -hollering,  -belching, etc.'
railfan -- I mean 'sports-fan' -- giving the rest a bad name
it is not at all difficult to reach that conclusion.  It is not
unknown that many in the sports field had problems with
academia;  'if' they went to college they often
'made the grade' only because they were valuable for
sports and school image weren't they.  As with all other
aspects of life, exceptions exist.

This set me to thinking;  like with politics, regardless
of title the lowest common denominator is 'individual'
isn't it.  Quoting from the picture caption on pg.184 of
'Trolley Car Treasury:'  "Just before the riot started.
A last run in Norfolk, VA, ended with broken windows,
disabled car, and the cops called out."  One man may
be a sports fan holding a banner;  then again, it may be
he already ripped out the destination sign.

I just read where the violent drug wars of Mexico are
spreading to the US - Anchorage, Atlanta, South Dakota,
Phoenix to name a few.  A quote from the article:
"When you are willing to chop heads off, put them in an
ice chest and drop them off at a police precinct,
or roll a head into a disco, put beheadings on
YouTube as a warning," very little is off limits."  The
article says there are at least 350 home invasions
yearly in Phoenix because of drugs so there are plenty
of people on this side of the border 'dealing' illegally.

That type of activity is 'expected' with criminals yet
such are still 'individuals' as well aren't they.  Theoretically
they are 'tuned - geared' to do well but 'choose' to do
otherwise don't they.  A TV documentary 'disclosed' the
'pot' trade in California that has literally taken over small
communities.  I would not be at all surprized if 'pot'
is legalized  --  certainly not on moral / ethical grounds
but because of the $$ available to government when
they regulate same.

What was unacceptable, even unthinkable, a couple
generations ago is openly promoted let alone accepted
today.  Values, morals, ethics are in a downward spiral
and this is considered progressive.

The 'old west' is still alive today isn't it;  autos are used
instead of horses but guns are very much evident in road
rage and other shootings on the highways.

Animal cruelty results in national if not international outrage
yet baby abandonments and death in the hollow of a tree
and/or otherwise merciless and senseless killings of humans
barely receive press coverage.  One doesn't even shrug a
shoulder at human death.

It has been within the last couple decades where surveys
revealed that 'business ethics / responsibility' was all but
dead.  Consequently special 'ethics' courses were offered
in colleges / universities but their effect isn't realized as
yet is it.

Hand in glove with that are these quotes concerning the book
"The Cult of The Amateur"  (Especially please note the wording
of the first quote:)

"CNN's Paula Newton talks with author Andrew Keen about
why he thinks the Internet is dumbing down culture."

"Look what it has done to the music industry - people don't
realise that you have to pay for music or the artists don't 
get paid. It's the same for news, books and movies."

""The Internet is a culture of rights rather than responsibilities.
We have no coherent theory of digital responsibility."

This dovetails well with an observation I made in another
recent email;  the individual believes, states and acts thus:
"I can say and do as I please because the
Constitution guarantees it."

We today proudly state that we are the most intelligent
generation;  then, in almost the same breath, we say:
"History Repeats."  Why are we as wise people repeating
the mistakes of the past?  We shoot ourselves in the foot
don't we but we are totally numb to the wound and don't
learn.  I'll admit this  --  we possess the largest 'knowledge'
base of any time in history but by most any standard
of measurement our wisdom comes up wanting relative
to many generations of the past.  With more knowledge
comes more responsibility.

With all this 'assumed wisdom' why are we grappling with
the same social ills for many millenia?

I agree with the dumbing down observation but it is far
wider spread than sports fans and America - it is,
unfortunately, universally common to humans.  It is
not limited by any boundary.



Phil


http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=1596983

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/714fjczq.asp

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2008/nov/24/events-socialnetworking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neTLGwyF5oQ

http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=73899

http://tinyurl.com/banguq