An End To HATE RAGE?

No, I'm not moving. THOTpolice sends in this interesting article into some research being done that might be able to "help" me... (well, to the extent that I can be helped...)

Hulk Smash? Maybe Not Anymore: Scientists Block Excess Aggression in Mice

ScienceDaily (June 19, 2012) — Pathological rage can be blocked in mice, researchers have found, suggesting potential new treatments for severe aggression, a widespread trait characterized by sudden violence, explosive outbursts and hostile overreactions to stress.

In a study appearing June 19 in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from USC and Italy identify a critical neurological factor in aggression: a brain receptor that malfunctions in overly hostile mice. When the researchers shut down the brain receptor, which also exists in humans, the excess aggression disappeared.

Hoo, boy. Where to begin, where to begin... Let's see... First of all, how does you define "severe aggression"? Sure, it's pretty easy to say that the dude who gets out of his car and starts smashing windshields because you cut him off in traffic might exhibit "severe aggression", but where do we draw the line? Getting out of the car at all? Yelling out the window? Cursing under one's breath with the windows rolled up?

(side note: Mice exhibit "hostile overreactions to stress"? SRS? Were too many cats getting beat up?)

With the "tools" we've given the health nazis with regards to smoking - first separate non-smoking areas, then no smoking in any restaurant, to no smoking indoors, and finally, you can only smoke in your own home, in the basement, with a full HEPA filtration system strapped directly to your face, something like that? - do we really *want* to give the feds the leeway to determine what level of aggression they deem "severe"?

Secondly, does this become a punishment? If you're convicted of road rage, domestic violence, A&B, etc. for the nth time are you forced to undergo treatment? Would this be something that could be chosen, like the chemical castration for rapists? At what point is someone declared to be such a danger that they are forced to undergo this treatment? Once this is out there and established for humans, these are questions that are going to need to be answered...

Lastly, the abuse potential is staggering. If there's a way this can be made airborne and still effective, the military will certainly have a use for it; ditto the police departments. Imagine being able to spray this over a crowd of angry militants in Iraq, or jubilant Miami basketball fans just starting to turn over cars. Again, where is the line drawn?

Anyways, if you come to MArooned someday and find pink hearts and unicorns it means they got to me...

That is all.