So much for the refined art of debating on the fair grounds of argumentation.
On 3 Feb., 15:38, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > Of course. We all prefer to stay alive as long as possible. If you don't, > you always have the ability to exercise your option to leave early. > > On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 9:35 AM, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Tell Saint Pat who claims "It's obvious that we don't NEED guns or > > cars". Only his earthly form is so weak it prefers carrying a gun. > > > On 3 Feb., 15:02, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > What's "Alien" about this behaviour, Gabby? Human have practiced it since > > > long before we were Sapiens. Every pre-modern species of human-kind has > > > developed and carried weaponry, to the best of their technological > > ability. > > > "Alien" is the supposition we would NOT need it. > > > > On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 9:00 AM, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Puh, Pat. You cannot deny your American upbringing. Me, myself and I - > > > > full circle. Fear is for others. > > > > > There are non-criminal people living today who really need guns. And > > > > there are non-criminal people living on this beautiful planet who > > > > really need cars. Let's start thinking what kinds of people these > > > > could be. You might find it helpful to begin with finding potential > > > > reasons for such alien behaviour. > > > > > On 3 Feb., 14:11, Pat <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 2 Feb, 17:24, Ian Pollard <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Chris, > > > > > > > I don't think it's about misperception. A car, a pool, a knife... > > each > > > > of > > > > > > these serve essential, non-violent, functions. A gun is designed to > > > > kill; it > > > > > > has no other purpose. If people want to shoot targets, use a gun > > that > > > > shoots > > > > > > an infrared beam at an electronic target, or play a video game. In > > > > terms of > > > > > > the theory, eliminating guns as a risk makes a lot of sense. > > > > > > > Eliminating cars has inherent functional problems for our society. > > > > > > Much the same ones as eliminating guns. The biggest one being that > > > > > those who have them and want them simply WON'T be handing them over > > to > > > > > anyone. This leaves ALL the guns in criminal hands. Personally, I'd > > > > > rather have one myself, so the criminal doesn't ALWAYS have one up on > > > > > me. It's obvious that we don't NEED guns or cars, as humans lived > > > > > many millenia prior to their invention, but, as you say, eliminating > > > > > things that people want is always tricky. > > > > > > > Ian > > > > > > > 2009/2/2 Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > In 'Freakonomics', Steven Levitt explored the remarkable > > phenomenon > > > > of > > > > > > > parental misperception of risk. He noted that a child was 11 > > times > > > > more > > > > > > > likely to die by swimming accident at a friend's house with a > > pool, > > > > than by > > > > > > > shooting accident at a friend's house with a gun, and yet parents > > as > > > > a > > > > > > > generality never restricted play due to the presence of a pool, > > but > > > > would > > > > > > > restrict play due to the presence of a gun. > > > > > > > Statistically, I am far more likely to kill you with my: > > > > > > > > car > > > > > > > knife > > > > > > > baseball bat or other blunt trauma intrument > > > > > > > alcohol > > > > > > > > than with my gun, yet your perception of personal risk is so > > skewed > > > > that > > > > > > > you literally feel your freedom is impinged upon merely by my > > > > possession of > > > > > > > this tool. That's a psychological phenomenon that is really > > > > irrelevant to > > > > > > > the greater conversation, and which probably deserves a thread > > unto > > > > its > > > > > > > own. > > > > > > > > On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 11:39 AM, Ian Pollard < > > [email protected] > > > > >wrote: > > > > > > > >> Your posession of a firearm makes me less safe. Not being > > murdered > > > > or hurt > > > > > > >> is a pretty fundamental freedom; can we agree on that much? Now, > > am > > > > I more > > > > > > >> likely to be a victim of gun crime in a country with lots of > > guns or > > > > a > > > > > > >> country with very few? > > > > > > > >> (First person to mention Switzerland gets bitch-slapped.) > > > > > > > >> Ian- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
