Festivities and Party Favors

The War On Drugs Baby Boomers Needing To Be Right

I would like to give a shout-out to my main man, Triple J #Represent for making the current debate in Australia, more so in NSW, regarding pill testing a regular topic of discussion. Their topics never stray far from the circle of what is considered to be relevant among young-middle aged people. 

This whole commotion got me thinking. My theory on baby boomers and ages alike, is that growing up wasn't so easy. We know this. Anyone with a grandfather who is still able to talk knows this. We know about the treks to get to school and the missed graduation diplomas in order to help their parents at the age of 15. We know that their main if not at times only priority, was to hold down a job that put bread on the table - whatever that job may be. The world was simple.

A man was simply a man.

A woman was simply a woman. 

Each gender knew their roles in the world and they played them without complaints. 

The world was black and white.

Yet this outdated lack-of-color-perspective continues to have a powerful affect on this great, innovative and progressive country, because these old folks continue to rule a place they have little understanding of. 

The younger generations have opportunities and life paths choices coming out of our smashed avo. We were told to dream and to be ourselves. The world was rainbow. 

As a result we tend to be overly obnoxious and self-entitled but it also means we have time to think about stuff from all sorts of perspectives and understand at a young age that the world is not black and white and after much observation from the mistakes made in the past, it never bloody was. 

The older generations can handle the world affairs, for sure; after all our only experience of war is in a classroom and through a text book. Gen Z and Millenial's have probably about the same amount of knowledge regarding conflicts across the world as the hippies from the 1960's who believe a poster with a peace sign is going to bring about international harmony. 

Don't get me wrong I respect the movement if not wish I had been apart of it, but until weed is legalized around the world and violence goes down because people are too high to do anything, pretty pictures are not going to cut it. 

What I am trying to say is some things can be left up to the old folks to decide. Modern problems however, should be decided by more modern generations. 

This debate, or more of a protest by the community, to allow pill testing at festivals, is ridiculous. Allow it, obviously. How many times has telling 'no' to your kids or whatever, actually worked? You tell the young ones not to have sex until marriage and what happens? Television shows dedicated to teen pregnancy is what. 

Why in the world is drugs going to be any different? Especially ones that are primarily abundant at music events because that's like literally why ecstasy was invented? (Don't quote me on that)

People who don't want babies don't not have sex - they use contraception. 

So really, isn't pill testing, where one can find out what dangerous substances are inside what they are about to consume (besides the obvious), and also gain information on how it should be consumed responsibly and what to do in the case of an overdose, basically kinda-like contraception?

The government's reluctancy to reconsider and admit they may be wrong could probably have reduced the number of deaths at music festivals in NSW in the past 5 months which has reached 5. 

The opposing comments and tough-love perspective is understandable, considering it is a requirement for all Australian students to study health education and be taught about the dangers of drugs etc. so yes, they knew what they were doing they risked their lives for the sake of having a great time at a music festival. But if more could be done why wouldn't we do more? 

Isn't the prime emotion felt by parents fear? Fear of losing their child and all the potential dangers that could risk your child's life by just walking to school, and yet you let them walk to school and silently tell yourself everything will be okay because you've got to let them go. So we have people working as 'lolly-pop men' to assist the children in crossing the road safely. We hold assemblies focusing on stranger danger and what to do when approached. 

You don't stop your child from walking to school. You do what you can to make it safer.

I apologize for the comparison. I understand that a child going to get educated and a person getting getting loose at a festival are two different things, but it was what came to mind so I went with it. 

Anyways, I guess the moral of the story of the deaths occurring in festivals in New South Wales is don't buy drugs in New South Wales.