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Old 10-02-2014, 08:53 AM
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lillamy
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I get your point. I really do. But I have to say this, as well:

You're always responsible, as an individual, for your choices. Society, your family, your boss, the TV may say it's OK to drink -- but they're not responsible for you. You are.

Give you another example: My kids have food allergies. The way we've dealt with that is that I always send their lunch with them, and instruct them to not take food or snacks from anyone else. That has worked great, for us and for the school.

Then a new family moved to town and had a kid with food allergies. They chose to put their kids in this school (charter school) rather than in the food allergy adapted local elementary school, and then demanded that the school and all parents abide by the food allergy rules their child needed. Which were -- nobody could bring wheat in the school, nobody could bring nuts, nobody could bring apples, carrots, or big stone fruits. Nobody could bring milk or milk products. So no sandwiches, no milk, no cheese sticks, no fruit salads... I felt like we were reduced to feeding the kids chicken breasts and spinach, basically.

Now -- as the parent of kids with food allergies, I know they can be fatal. But I also know that you can not expect the rest of the world to move two feet to the left because you have a problem. You need to create your life in a way that you can manage whatever problem it is you have.

And I tend to see popular culture and societal phenomena similarly. They're there. You can choose what you expose yourself to. And at the end of the day, it's your responsibility what you choose to do.
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