The Smallest Minority

I fucking hate Hollywood nitwits that go back and change films after the fact. It is political correctness gone awry. Speilberg did the same thing in ET, changing the feds shotguns into walkie talkies.

I had forgotten about the E.T. shenanigans. The cantina scene revision pissed me off pretty bad. It was a key scene in the introduction of Han Solo's character. Let you know where he was coming from.

Sad.

Well put!

Have you read Nation of Cowards?

http://www.rkba.org/comment/cowards.html

A NATION OF COWARDS

Jeffrey R. Snyder
snippet:
OUR SOCIETY has reached a pinnacle of self-expression and respect for individuality rare or unmatched in history. Our entire popular culture -- from fashion magazines to the cinema -- positively screams the matchless worth of the individual, and glories in eccentricity, nonconformity, independent judgment, and self-determination. This enthusiasm is reflected in the prevalent notion that helping someone entails increasing that person's "self-esteem"; that if a person properly values himself, he will naturally be a happy, productive, and, in some inexplicable fashion, responsible member of society.

And yet, while people are encouraged to revel in their individuality and incalculable self-worth, the media and the law enforcement establishment continually advise us that, when confronted with the threat of lethal violence, we should not resist, but simply give the attacker what he wants. If the crime under consideration is rape, there is some notable waffling on this point, and the discussion quickly moves to how the woman can change her behavior to minimize the risk of rape, and the various ridiculous, non-lethal weapons she may acceptably carry, such as whistles, keys, mace or, that weapon which really sends shivers down a rapist's spine, the portable cellular phone.

Now how can this be? How can a person who values himself so highly calmly accept the indignity of a criminal assault? How can one who believes that the essence of his dignity lies in his self-determination passively accept the forcible deprivation of that self-determination? How can he, quietly, with great dignity and poise, simply hand over the goods?

Yes, I have.

And I'm not in complete agreement with Mr. Snyder, but I think he has something very important to say.

Here is a link to an essay by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman called "On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs" http://www.killology.com/sheep_dog.htm
that you might find interesting. Part of the premise of his body of work on killing is that there is a certain small segment of our society that has the mental and emotional capacity to exercise violence against other people. It people in this segment have a moral code that is geared toward protecting themselves and the weak/defenseless members of our society, then they tend to become warriors (police, soldiers, etc.). On the opposite side of the coin, if they have no moral code, they become predators. It dovetails with your post because what we need is to increase the number of people with the moral code who can apply violence where necessary to those who have no moral code prohibiting them from preying on the weak and helpless. In effect, the good part of society needs to become more dangerous to the bad part.

Dave, I've read his book On Killing, which I found very interesting - up to the point where he claims that video games are making kids killers.

The colonel has some very interesting and thought-provoking things to say, and I am in general agreement with him.

"There is no doubt that the philosophy behind those laws holds that there is no such thing as legitimate violence if it is committed by anyone other than agents of the State. There is no doubt that this philosophy ignores the historical and biological fact that young men are violent, and unguided will be predatory. Instead, that philosophy speaks of a "gun culture" - one of predatory violence without recognizing the other "gun culture" they have systematically been destroying for decades that teaches responsibility, safety, and protection. That "gun culture" does not exist in that philosophy, because that gun culture teaches violence, and violence is, by definition, bad."

Genius. The way it's written and how it captures the entire debate. Pure Genius.
Tboh

You are absolutely right - well said!


Britain has lost the plot. Right now, there is a case whereby a father and husband is looking at a potential charge of attempted murder - because he stabbed the bloke who was beating up his stepson on his own property!

It is moral equivalence gone mad. The powers-that-be don't see any difference in those who use violence to START a fight and those who use violence to DEFEND themselves.

Lovely to read your post and see someone talking sense!

Thanks.