I‘m not sure if this necessitates further rage, or an apology. Perhaps both. In a blog I posted a few days ago–spittle flecked and enervated, as usual–I railed against the following quote.
“Monasterio says that further research on harm avoidance may eventually help to identify vulnerable individuals and offer early interventions. “Further studies of risk-taking sports people could have important public health benefits.”
I, in keeping with my anonymous internet persona of constant, indignant rage, took this as a glaring example of nanny-state meddling and risk averse “progressive” loony-tunes protecting me from myself.
I was incorrect.
But, that’s only due to the fact that the article that I was quoting, was, in fact, mis-quoting the original source material. Alpinist was good enough to print the original article from the good Doctor Monasterio, in which I learned that he was not suggesting the chemical modification of adventure sports participants, but simply trying to learn about them.
Thankfully for the blood pressure medication manufacturers, the media continues to print articles like this one, framing climbers as lunatics participating in bizarre acts of madness, while forgetting to print any interesting or useful details. Thanks media.