I grew up in this area, so I was around when KTXT became “Lubbock’s only alternative.” And, I’m old enough to remember the “this is your brain on drugs” commercials on TV. I agree that there are bad drugs out there that can harm people, but I also believe there are good drugs that can harm people, too. Alcohol is one of those “good” drugs for no other reason than people enjoy getting drunk (even if pretension makes them say it’s because they like the taste). Universities are supposed to be the shining light of truth in a world full of darkness. Why is it, then, that every time I lock it to the left, I am talked to like an idiot? This is a college radio station. Don’t you think that anyone listening already knows what drugs can and cannot do? If they don’t, why does lying to them make it better? The ads they play are probably syndicated, and get airplay all over the nation. This doesn’t make it any better, though, because it’s still propaganda, no matter how popular.
I suggest a new radio campaign for our beloved KTXT. How about a thoughtful campaign, with ads that have real content? Instead of telling people that speed can make people do violent things (can’t everything?), try telling them to think for themselves. If someone uses the reasoning their creator gave them, they can decide for themselves if and which drugs are bad. If we treat people like they are stupid, they have a hard time listening to anything we say. And, by playing these ridiculous ads, they are trying to coerce the public into believing anything that will support the campaign.
It’s a shame that the public doesn’t mind being lied to so blatantly, or is it that we choose to ignore it? Today, on the radio, I heard an ad say that amphetamine’s make you aggressive and likely to do harm to other people. There is nothing false about that statement, technically. It is true that someone who is speeding is likely to have an increased heart rate, etc. That’s why they do it. But, saying that it is likely to make you aggressive is misleading. Being hungry, getting cut off in traffic, failing a test, breaking up with your significant other, etc. All of these things irritate us, and maybe some of us it will drive to do something stupid. The ad is simply false. I noticed they didn’t mention that alcohol does the exact same thing.
It really bothers me that the marijuana laws are still in place, and resist amending even today. The public’s attitude towards pot is really hypocritical. People act like it is a degenerate drug, and talk about how stupid and lazy it makes you. Yet, people all over campus talk about and engage in the same kind of thing. Can you imagine what would happen to school organizations if they outlawed alcohol?
By now, the truly shallow readers will have tuned me out and either have stopped reading or will be skimming through the rest. This is a shame because this part pertains to them. I am sure this article makes me seem like I am promoting the use of drugs, but that is just not true. There are bad drugs out there, like the ads say, but not like they say it. There are bad foods out there (what’d you eat for lunch?), but you don’t hear any “just say no to fatty foods” commercials. They’d never outlaw fatty foods, though, because half of America would get thrown in the clink. And, I just don’t want to see Ronald McDonald in a prison uniform. How can we outlaw fatty foods when most of us are addicts?
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