From: keith@balrog.dseg.ti.com (Keith A. Schauer)
Subject: Re: Drugs in the Classroom  (Was - Re: Re: Creed.)
Organization: Texas Instruments Information Technology Group    Plano TX
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 14:32:12 GMT

In article <1afgmdINN954@network.ucsd.edu> spl@alex.uucp (Steve Lamont) writes:
>In article <1992Oct1.140122.5963@balrog.dseg.ti.com> keith@balrog.dseg.ti.com (Keith A. Schauer) writes:
>
>... and the teacher is too uncreative and the coursework is so
>unstimulating that probably half the class is bored to tears.  The
>point is that the curriculum should be interesting enough and
>challenging enough for Joey that he won't *want* to disrupt the class
>because he'll be so fascinated with what he's learning.  The easy
>solution is to brand the kid hyperactive or emotionally disturbed or
>whatever and feed him Ritalin (probably more likely than Prozac, which
>is an antidepressant) to quell his "Attention Deficit Disorder" or
>"Hyperkinetic Child Syndrome" (source: _Physician's Desk Reference,
>1991_, p. 865) until he shuts up.  There's a difference between a
>child who is unchallenged and bored by his educational environment and
>one who is disturbed or hyperkinetic.

We had a story of one child who couldn't handle the class.  Not half a class
of children with the same problems.  If it was a story about half a class, I
would tend to agree with you.  But it wasn't.

>
>>And don't forget, that now the other 29 children have a learning environment
>>they can handle.  Joey, since he can now control his own emotions and actions,
>>can learn also.  He can learn how to interact with the rest of civilization.
>>He can learn appropriate behavior for the classroom, and maybe the office.
>>Maybe, he can actually succeed in society.  (and make BIG BIG bucks like 
>>scientologists do)
>
>Well, he can fit into a society that is so badly broken it's hard to
>know where to begin fixing it but I don't call that a small-w "win"
>for Joey or for society, in the long run.
>
>[BTW, I'm not now nor have I ever been a Scientologist, nor am I an
>apologist for a Scientologist.  I haven't even been able to get
>through LRH's SciFi]
>
>>BTW, do you have any experience with hyperactive children?  Worked with them or
>>know them/or their parents personally?  Know any children on Ritalin?  Have
>>children of your own, children in school?
>
>I can say that I'm thankful that I've managed to avoid bringing any
>more mouths to feed to this planet.  (And so are you, no doubt :-) )

I have two children, and assuming you take the responsibility for yours, I have
no qualms about you raising your own.

>
>I have observed a few children over the years, however, and seen what
>the whole system can do to an energetic, creative, intelligent young
>mind when it decides that it's "disruptive."

I would be interested in knowing what you consider the 'system'.  Is it a
school, a classroom, a school system, the parents, society?  
>
>I've just looked up Ritalin in the PDR, too.  A few extracts

	[excellent PDR referenced deleted.  thanks]

>
>Just the thing to feed to a child whose only problem is most likely
>boredom.  (Remember, that's what we were originally discussing, not
>profoundly disturbed children, just profoundly bored ones.)

We are talking about a child that has been referred to, and diagnosed by a
psychiatrist.  I will take a (not any/all) psychiatrist's diagnosis better
than my own.  Maybe I'm just a lamb on the way to the slaughter ;-)
>
>>>Wholesale, indiscriminate drugging of children isn't the answer to
>>>anything.
>>
>>I agree. indiscriminate drugging of children isn't the answer.  Where is the
>>indiscriminate part? Does that mean that all drugs are evil?  That no one
>>should take drugs?
>
>No.  But if you read that into my comments, then I guess I'd better
>toss it in right now.

The reason I was reading this into your comments, is because you took a story
of one child, diagnosed by a psychiatrist, and turned it into 'wholesale,
indiscriminate drugging'.
>
>If I was anti-drug, I wouldn't be working with people who are studying
>the neurochemistry of the brain.  I am dubious, however, of a system
>that seems to be relying more and more on drugs and other easy answers
>to maintain a docile and pliant populace.

Would you rather have a society that tried to use drugs to help people, or 
would you prefer the prior methods of either doing nothing, so some peoples'
lives were living hell, or locking them up and forgetting about them?

-- 
Keith Schauer		Texas Instruments	Plain O, Texas
80 CB900 Custom		
DoD #0901		In an insane society, the sane man must appear insane.
			My company disavows any knowledge of my actions.
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