Source
r/AskReddit•
aixelsdi

What issue do you think receives inadequate attention?

In other words, what cause would you like to give a shameless plug to?

Here's mine: the weight of cars. A heavier car is a safer car, or more accurately, a car heavier than other cars is more safer. In order to make cars continue to be safer and safer, we have had to make cars heavier and heavier, resulting in some pseudo-arms race to make my car safer than yours in a crash. This, along with all the new gadgets technology that further add weight to cars, decrease fuel economy and make the road safer for the cars that are not yet too heavy.

What might fix this solution is to find someway to gradually reduce the average vehicle weight (specifics unknown), but not so quickly that the older cars demolish the newer, lighter ones.

Posted Jun 28, 2011, 4:33 PM UTC

40177
SelectiveCoal•

Neglect in terms of teaching children to think for themselves.

77
[deleted]•

We spend so much energy trying to keep children out of harm's way and so little energy trying to teach children how to stay out of harm's way.

29
Neato•

"The stove is hot, the road is dangerous, and porn is awesome."

-Awesome Dad
14
SelectiveCoal•

I couldn't agree more.

2
Inappropriate_Remark•

But could you care less?

1
SelectiveCoal•

Probably. Necco Wafers. I care less about Necco Wafers.

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Tbuuntat•

I agree with this, but I wouldn't limit it to just children. I meet a lot of adult drones, too.

4
SelectiveCoal•

Are these adults drones because they were not taught to think for themselves when they were young by their drone-like parents, which in turn were most likely not taught to thi...

5
[deleted]•

i also agree with this.

1
[deleted]•

Where would we go to find the teaching materials?

1
Gawdzilla•

Outside.

2
[deleted]•

Some people believe that if Linda is a young woman who's deeply concerned with discrimination and social justice, then "Linda is a bank teller and is active in the feminist movement" is more likely to be true than "Linda is a bank teller". I don't think simply going outside is going to fix that.

1
neeto85•

It may be growing slightly in notoriety lately with the push to reform drug laws, but the Prison Industrial Complex is one of the most terrifyingly unethical things I've ever heard of. It's basically human trafficking and slavery sanctioned by the government and funded by our tax dollars.

50
local_weather•

The prison population in the US is a shameful and terrible problem. The privatization of prisons is extremely bad and most people aren't even aware of the problems it is causing and will continue to cause.

6
[deleted]•

Even more frightening is how they lobby congress. Presumably to build more jails to put more people in jail.

2
local_weather•

This is what makes me nervous about this, a profit motive for incarcerating people. Without a steady supply of prisoners, their business plan goes south so there are people lobbying Congress to pass laws that insure people go to jail.

3
EatMoreFiber•

I would make special note of the living conditions our prisoners endure. Just because they've committed a crime (and the issues of the industrial complex raises doubts about due process, etc., in the justice system) doesn't mean they deserve to live in fear of bodily harm up to and including sexual assault and death.

5
ovaldoughnuts•

Reason Magazine just put out an issue dedicated entirely to the American criminal justice system.

1
Doctor_Z•

The shocking decline of honey bees.

They are vastly important to the cycle of the ecosystem

41
freakball•

I thought wikileaks exposed that it was pesticides or something that was killing them off...

4
zanycaswell•

You can help by buying honey from local beekeepers instead of from beekeepers you will never see, so you can see how they run their business.

0
minimumMAXIMUM•

Please tell me you are being facetious. It isn't a like a giant honey bee conglomerate is killing off the local bees population so that you will be forced to buy only one type of honey. Bees in general are dying.

21
zanycaswell•

I am not being facetious. I also am not sure how you got "giant conspiracy to kill bees" from what I said. If you talk to the beekeeper before you buy honey you can discuss over-use of antibiotics, use of harmful treatments, and other things which may be contributing to the decline of bees, and pick one who uses less of them. Or even try to find one with a resistant breed who doesn't treat at all.

3
minimumMAXIMUM•

I'm joking about the "giant conspiracy to kill bees" because you are specifically linking the decine in bees to how honey sellers are treating their bees, when that isn't the problem at all. It isn't a case of "buy organic" to save the bees. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/colony-collapse-lives/

7
CeciNestPasUnUserNom•

That there's an enormous fucking area of the ocean with some relatively substantial amounts of of small pieces of plastics in the North Pacific, and it gets no media coverage, and nobody is cleaning it up.

31
nikdahl•

I just wish they would stop calling it an "island". It's not like you can moor a boat and stop out onto it. It's just an extremely large area of the ocean with some relatively substantial amounts small pieces of plastics.

12
CeciNestPasUnUserNom•

Okay, edited.

3
nikdahl•

Haha. That deserves an upvote.

2
DreamcastJunkie•

Everybody's hoping that it will drift into someone else's territorial waters, thus making into that country's problem.

5
cfrydlewicz•

Relevant SMBC Comic: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2279#comic

2
greenRiverThriller•

Personal finances.

29
Lionhearted09•

During my time as a financial adviser and seeing 80% of the people I saw in serious debt with no plan to get out makes this my #1 answer on here.

9
candyashes•

should everyone have a financial adviser? Are there books regarding finances that everyone should read?

3
mynameishere•

"Spend less than you make." It doesn't get a whole lot more complicated than that. Maybe some people need a "life coach" to help with their impulses, but everything else is trivially easy.

16
Lionhearted09•

The only people who need financial advisers are people who have very complex finances or are just terrible at money. Most people are better off without them.

As far as books go, I have never really read a personal finance book that doesn't have a bias, have been changed by the publisher to be entertaining rather than informing, or is just plain wrong.

If you have simple finances then just google some basic budgeting techniques and you will have all you need to know. If it is more complex than that than reading a lot is very important. You want to get all sides of the issue before making a decision and this is especially true with investing. I guarantee you that I could put 100 investors/financial advisers, and other gurus in a room and not a single one of them would tell you the same thing about how to use, spend, or invest your money. Basically if you just have a few solid principles to follow, you will be ok.

3
WeTreeThrees•

As far as books go, I have never really read a personal finance book that doesn't have a bias, have been changed by the publisher to be entertaining rather than informing, or is just plain wrong.

Very good to know. I'd always been suspicious, but I'm glad I've got more confirmation.

As far as I'm concerned, until I start investing, owning property, or start a business, the only thing I need to know about finance is not to buy frivolous shit, pay off my credit card balance every month, put some money away every week, and invest by paying off my loans.

2
TrainOfThought6•

Granted, I'm just a lowly college student/intern at the moment, but I couldn't imagine having a full time job and paying taxes without having a plan for where my money is going...to do so is asinine in my mind.

1
KingOfFlan•

But if I buy everything on my credit card it'll give me a report at the end of the year of all my spending! That's the same as a personal budget, right?

2
Teknofobe•

And the impact of debt.

1
nikdahl•

And compounding interest.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
evileddy•

Personal accountability.

The TV didn't make you do it
The music didn't make you do it
The deity of your choice didn't make you do it

YOU CHOOSE TO DO IT

25
wormissuck•

Exactly how do you propose to address this issue? It's kinda vague...

1
evileddy•

Stop giving money to media.

2
missmcgoogles•

Abuse in nursing/rest homes. People just dump their relatives at those places and forget about them and what could happen to them.

20
neeto85•

This isn't nearly as big of a problem as it was in the late 80s/early 90s. The laws and enforcement thereof have gotten much more stringent since then. Allegations of abuse are not taken lightly, and are often grounds in and of themselves for termination. Ombudsmen and public guardians are trained to find evidence of inadequate care, especially with residents who may not be able to speak up for themselves, and legal action is prevalent within the long-term care arena. I'm not saying it doesn't happen anymore, but the increase in preventative measures, policy changes, and enforcement have substantially assuaged the problem.

9
NixonsMissingBody•

My mother works at a nursing home and for some reason loves telling stories about the place. Often, her tales are depressing and my father has asked her on many ocassions to stop telling them when he's around.

2
apost8n8•

whatever the opposite of what politicians and famous people do with their genitalia

18
dduckk•

Women's reproductive health. I'm not talking about just abortion, but making it easier for women to get birth control when it's needed, use it appropriately and make sure they don't get diseases.

It may seem that it's everywhere, due to the abortion debate. The truth is that a good chunk of young girls don't have a goddamn clue how their bodies work and many don't have the resources to get birth control when they need it. Provide easier access to these things and suddenly the abortion debate packs less importance.

17
lukemerrett•

(UK Redditor) Totally agree with this; our country has a load of schemes for giving out birth control free to youngsters (Example); yet they are barely advertised at all (I only know they exist through some old client work)

3
wolfsktaag•

i dont know what can be done, really. we were given a very thorough rundown of this during middle school. you can spew info all day long, but there are many who wont pay attention until its too late

2
idefix24•

The state of US infrastructure. As an engineer, it's scary how close many of our bridges, dams, water mains, etc. are to failing and yet most people take this stuff for granted and never think about it. For the most part, this is not a design problem, it's a we don't maintain stuff problem.

14
WeTreeThrees•

So which country should I move to?

2
idefix24•

Somewhere in Europe. I've heard Switzerland is nice

2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
ethos_phree•

we do have a vast, modern infrastructure in afghanistan and in iraq. the americans that live in north america cannot appreciate them, though.

2
shanedoth•

I think you're confusing "cost" with "modernity." Just because we spent a lot of money on it doesn't make it nice.

1
Lionhearted09•

The personal suffering of others.

Many people write it off as a problem too large to handle, they don't care because it isn't happening in their back yard, they are ignorant of the fact, they expect God to take care of it, their suffering is greater, the other person deserves the suffering, the other person isn't actually suffering, the shifting of responsibility,and the worst is believing that they cannot make a difference because they underestimate the power that any number of people can have

13
[deleted]•

It turns out that it's not especially hard to be understanding or helpfull. It's just a choice of doing something instead of doing nothing.

3
hidinginthebushes•

Read this: The testimony of Ms. Soon Ok Lee.

Somebody posted this in a recent thread about North Korea. It's not fun to read, (because it's beyond horrifying), but it's important information. I would not be surprised if this was still going on. When I read it I looked around and realized I am ridiculously privileged.. seriously, read it and then see if you still feel sorry for yourself.

2
DucksniggaduckS•

Animal suffering, I can get behind. People I could care less about. There are way too many of us, and some need to die.

-2
[deleted]•

[deleted]

13
Jensaarai•

And a good chunk of that is human waste contamination in natural water supplies. I'm actually watching an interesting Vanguard documentary on Current about how these issues tie together, and the people trying to help entrepreneurs get going.

1
[deleted]•

Cat juggling.

11
[deleted]•

More specifically, Mexican Cat Juggling.

7
Jyvblamo•

I'm tired of Mexican Cat Juggling enthusiasts hogging the public spotlight. Sure you guys might have the best sponsorship and largest events, but other forms of cat juggling really ought to receive more praise, especially the rising East-European Cat Juggling scene.

3
[deleted]•

We do have the best celebrity enthusiasts

http://3rdarm.biz/images/2010/10/jerk7.JPG

1
_sisyphus_•

More specifically, Flaming Mexican Cat Juggling.

2
zanycaswell•

More specifically, Flaming Mexican Unicycle Cat Juggling.

3
BioCal•

More specifically, Flaming Mexican Unicycle Cat Juggling on a tightrope.

2
memymineown•

There has recently been a large movement in the juggling community at large to decrease the incidence of cat juggling. While it is still a problem among younger jugglers there were far fewer casualties reported last year than years previously.

Edit: Grammar and brain fart.

1
RapedByASegway•

Prejudice against mentally and physically disabled people.

11
winkandclick•

Came here to say this - thanks for beating me to it!
More specifically for myself - people using the word "retarded" to refer to someone they dislike or find ridiculous. To me, it's the same as a racial slur - some people are born different, and to turn their difference into an insult only feeds prejudices. (edit for spelling)

0
poffin•

Good luck with that here. It doesn't matter how many people think it's the same as any racial slurs, since redditors adore those words too. Except, of course, "whitey", the worst slur of them all!

1
Hiruko7•

Through careful, polite debate I've managed to convince three people to happily agree to never use the word again. Of course that was out of about ten, but you win some you lose some.

1
cfrydlewicz•

Heaven forbid someone who is mentally deficient should be called mentally deficient... Yes, it's sad that these people's lives are harder than healthy people's, but how could you possibly NOT be prejudiced about it?

Insults are meant to be offensive. People referred to by them are always going to be offended. If I tell a male friend that he throws like a girl, I'm sure that pisses women off, but it's kind of supposed to...

-4
cfrydlewicz•

Downvote me all you want, but you really have no basis for disagreeing. There's a difference between being compassionate for people with disabilities (which I am) and restricting language.

1
HalfysReddit•

OP, cars are heavier because of modern safety requirements. Electronics weigh it down some, but things such as airbags are what's causing the most significant increases in weight.

For our vehicles to be lighter, they must either be made smaller or less safe.

Also, a modern vehicle is much safer than an older one, regardless of size. Ability to withstand a crash does not mean safe.

10
barlister•

Also heavier cars without a greater traction patch will have slower stopping distances; just adding weight to a car doesn't make it inherently safer. Car safety is largely a technological change with crumple patterns and whatnot.

3
chterrible•

Overpopulation.

10
aspmaster•

I thought that in 6th grade too.

The world could support way more than the current population if we had better distribution of agricultural resources.

2
barlister•

How does this receive too little attention?

1
shanedoth•

I disagree. This isn't a problem.

The world's resources are overwhelmingly being consumed by the rich countries. Birth rates are negatively correlated with per capita income. So the population growth is coming from populations that aren't consuming a large number of resources, and the unsustainable resource consumption is coming from populations that aren't even growing.

Here's some more info.

1
AnthonyKing•

(Uk redditor) Electoral reform, I think if more people knew how crappy our current way of electing MP's was, they would demand a real change.

9
apost8n8•

(us red) this could really fix democracy me thinks

2
AnthonyKing•

Electoral reform has very little support in the US beyond abolition of the electoral college, shame since your current system merely enforces the 2 party duopoly.

1
Frankfusion•

My british, college educated (Poli Sci) friend had trouble explaining it to me.

1
AnthonyKing•

The actual mechanism is quite difficult to explain, and there are several different types of electoral system.

However, the basic principle is the number of seats a party gets is roughly equal (proportional) to the number of votes the party got. In europe there are far more than just 2 parties, in the UK single party governments emerge without the support of a majority.

1
Gogsy1999•

The Italian spaghetti blight. This years crop has been badly reduced.

9
wallychamp•

Mama mia!

6
[deleted]•

Youth rights

9
Calcipher•

Though it gets a ton of attention on Reddit, I think software patents need to die in a fire. It is getting to the point where developing anything runs the risk of getting sued.

I'd also like to plug the constant erosion of internet freedoms.

7
atzero•

I'd like to see a huge patent law reform, not just in software!

3
Calcipher•

Yeah, that too. I guess I just deal with software patents way more than nearly any other type of patent.

2