[Info-vax] Nice printers for OpenVMS?

[David Froble]

Dirk Munk wrote:
> JF Mezei wrote:
>> In a proper democracy, I do not understand why citizens should have the
>> right to bear arms and essentially riot with machine guns against their
>> own elected government.
>>
>> Such debate cannot be held in the USA due to the NRA lobby.
>>
>> As was explained to me, the original intent of the right to bear arms
>> was to allow citizens to defend themselves against either their won
>> government or invading forces from Britain (this being the 100th
>> anniversary of the war of 1812, it should be repeated that there have
>> been wars between canada and USA).
>>
>> To the rest of the world, that amendment in the USA constitution is an
>> anachronism and people are puzzled as to why the USA citizens are so
>> adament to leave that in when at the end of the day, all it does is
>> allow civilians to own guns for "recreational" purposes and has nothing
>> to do with the original intents of the constitution. (especially when
>> "recreational" includes turning video games into reality and going on a
>> shooting spree in some public place).
>>
> 
> Sorry to have to say this, but sometimes I get the impression that half 
> the US population mentally is still living in the mid 19th century.

Interesting observation.  Care to state any real facts to back it up?

I get the impression that you might imagine a world without any violence.  A 
lofty goal.  But most likely unreachable.

Do you enjoy a steak, or even a burger?

Suppose some foxes are coming up through the field after my cats, chickens, 
ducks, geese, and such.  Not that I want to hurt the foxes, but if it's between 
my domestic animals and the foxes, and the foxes are the aggressor, what should 
I do?  Go after them with a feather duster?

Violence has been part of being human for a very long time now.  We haven't yet 
been able to outgrow it.  If you think you're beyond it, you're just lying to 
yourself.

If you enjoy a burger, there has been violence done to the cow.  Perhaps you 
didn't do it directly, but by proxy, since your demand for the burger 
precipitated the violence.

Or perhaps you're a vegetarian.  You may think there is no violence there, but 
the animals who would eat the growing crop have violence done to them.  If not 
by you directly, then by proxy, because you want the food.

Or perhaps some crazy towelhead decides to take the Koran literally, ie; "kill 
all infidels".  If you're not muslem, then you're a target.  Who protects you? 
Do you think they do so through non-violence?  Again, by proxy, you practice 
violence.

You are just another violent person, attempting to pretend otherwise.  I think 
there is an English word for that.  Hypocrite ??