It’s been my experience that often a simple sharing of news won’t have much impact. Over the past day, a lot of people raised their eyebrows over Senator Joseph Lieberman’s remark that as long as there isn’t permanent physical damage, like with hot coals, it really isn’t torture. We can harrumph that this is the man who purports to represent “centrists” and “values voters,” but do you know what? I bet that by next week, nobody will be talking about Senator Lieberman’s extremist, outrageous, and legally ignorant assertion any more. After all, there aren’t any car chases, explosions or nipple slips involved. Of the videos I’ve posted on YouTube, the two most popular involve a fart joke and a talking dog.
I could be outraged, outraged, outraged over this, and sometimes I am. Oh, why won’t everyone sit down for a two-hour interview on the subject with Bill Moyers? Gnash, gnash! Another way to approach this is to accept this part of human psychology, that we react to and remember information better when it’s tied to something that yanks our brain in a certain way, something like gratuitous sex, flatulence or a cute puppy.
So fine. Let’s pick a puppy today. How about SafetyPup? Do you remember SafetyPup from way back in the 80′s? The li’l scamp would appear on schoolkids’ trays on the side of a milk carton with helpful messages like “Stay Away From Mr. Gropey McFeely” and “Always remember to look both ways before hurtling down a cliff on your skateboard!” It’s time for SafetyPup to come back with a message for today.
Does the puppy help? Or do you need something stronger?
With the February 14 date on it, doesn’t it need some hearts or something?
i challenge Lieberman to volunteer as a subject to see which of these “non-mark leaving” interrogation methods aren’t torture to the person on whom its being applied.