Re: What are we responsible for? (was RE: Attack)

[Erik Reuter]

On Fri, Sep 14, 2001 at 09:00:14PM +0200, J. van Baardwijk wrote:

> Tanks and bullets against sticks and stones. That is excessive in my
> book.

You are applying a superficial standard for excessive violence. If I am
surrounded by 10 unarmed, angry people intent upon beating or killing
me, and I am holding a machine gun, is it excessive violence if I use it
to defend myself? By the standard you are using, it is bullets against
hands, so it is excessive. By a reasonable standard, one takes into
account the way in which the weapons are used, and realizes that the use
is justified.

-- 
"Erik Reuter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>       http://erikreuter.com/