>Sorry, Andrew, but this is just plain wrong. Australian society is not very
>similar to American society, because 1) Australian society does not have the
>history of a right to keep and bear arms recognized (*not* granted; the Bill
>of Rights does not grant rights, it recognizes rights that aleady exist, and
>that no government can legitimately infringe) in its most basic law, and 2)
>Australian society does not have the sheer quantity of guns that American
>society does.
I think Constitutional Law is generally irrelevant to normal social
interactions. In the important generalities, we're very similar. Language,
culture, diet, aspirations, availability of Zuiko lenses, hunting
traditions...
Like the UK, (I think), we don't actually have a bill of rights that I'm
aware of - and of course, our Constitution is an Act of the British
Parliament, an extraordinarily boring document that no-one without a
specific interest has bothered to read. Makes one wonder how on earth we
survive, doesn't it?
>> I'm not a pacifist, although I will admit to being a pinko greenie
>> tree-hugger, and I have used a firearm for hunting and target, but I can
>> see no place for a handgun in a home or in the pocket of a civilian in my
>> society. I recommend it.
>
>For an excellent argument as to why that view is at best inconsistent and at
>worst morally wrong, check out the essay A Nation of Cowards, by Jeffrey
>Snyder, at http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/guns/cowards.html .
Skimmed it - nothing new. From the outside, it reads as strictly pointless.
If you find it convincing, worry. I can deal with this by simply rejecting
the 'a priori' paradigm. A logical construct built on erroneous assumptions
remains, erroneous. Are you familiar with the ontological proof of the
existence of God?
>I also think there's a lot to be said for open source software advocate Eric
>S. Raymond's argument: if you believe in gun control, then you should back
>up your convictions by putting the following sign in your yard:
>
> THIS HOME IS A GUN-FREE ZONE
>
The thing that should really worry you is that, while I reject this
argument as fatuous, I could cheerfully do this here without any concern.
In fact, it might actually deter a burglar hoping to steal a gun as well as
a VCR! Now excuse me while I go find a board and paintbrush.
Andrew
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|