The Pill Poppers & Drug Industry

WOW!!! I am so amazed at how, more and more, we see people popping pills and a money-hungry industry willing to create any drug for any purpose (more than half of which work more on our power of thought than any actual imbalance). Today I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations (classical 89) and the announcer suggested that the drug industry may be working on a pill to make us more MORAL!! Can you believe it?! Actually altering something in our brain to cause us to make decisions which are more moral. It was an open ended question and I found myself thinking out loud back to the radio - THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!!! Agency is fundamental to making us moral. I couldn't really think of how to put it until I read it perfectly in Dr. Laura's book tonight (yes I'm reading another.. "How could you do that?!"... which is what I'm thinking after today..) "And where there is no choice, there is no morality." We are not talking about the choice to take the pill, or not take the pill (I pray I'm never in a society that reduces itself to making money with a drug that supposedly causes someone to be more moral). We are talking about the choice WITHOUT a drug!! We all have the choice. Of course it requires sacrifice! The skill we are trying to learn is NOT COMPLETELY to be more moral, but to create in ourselves a self-mastered individual. What happens when you are taken from this life and can no longer take "the pill"? You are left finding yourself with all sorts of unbridled desires. The two are inseparably connected.

The picture comes from the following site:
http://sagamorejournal.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/fda-recommends-tightening-controls-of-certain-narcotics/

President Obama's speech to students

Especially after a particular video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1ysSbw (actually NOT created by Obama) shown in an American Fork school, Utah was a little nervous about why President Obama wanted to talk with the nation's school age children, so much so that some parents declined to give their children permission to watch it and there were alternative educational activities provided for those students. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-in-a-National-Address-to-Americas-Schoolchildren/)
I have to admit, I was a little nervous as well. Nervous he was going to try to push his own agenda. But I was pleasantly surprised. Though I am not a big fan on Barack Obama, he does have the gift of speech (or the person who writes his speeches does). He is very charismatic and whether we like it or not, he is good at convincing people. I found the subject of this speech - America's youth trying their hardest in school - was a great place for our President to use that talent! I think it was an inspiring speech and I hope the students remember it.
I hope also that the teachers and especially the parents remember it. There is so much blame now at who is to fault for the education of American children. I think parents need to take more responsibility. However, I love how the President addressed the importance of each students responsibility, not only to the country... but to himself, despite the choices of adults around him. It's sad we've come to a place in the country where someone has to say "despite" a parent. Shouldn't parents want the best for their children? Of course they SHOULD, but many do not.
Check out the speech and tell me what you think. Hardly any liberal tint or pushing of his own agendas. A little promoting himself, but I'm hoping more than inspiring kids to become a fan of our President, it inspires them to become the best THEY CAN BE!! It's what we need in this country (and I pray that our parents take a little lesson as well and remember that the future of this country is in the daycare center where they left them and they have some changes to make too! But that's a topic for another post).