[PRCo] Re: THEIR 6TH SUPERBOWL WIN!

[Schneider Fred]

On Feb 10, 2009, at 2:31 PM, Phillip Clark Campbell wrote:

>> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>