Anyone like to shoot?

[SteveFoerster]

Hi guys, I've been so busy studying for A&I Lit CLEP that I haven't been able to give this forum much time for a response. I will respond and continue to share my thoughts later next week after the exam.

That was the first CLEP I ever took. Unless it's changed dramatically, you don't have to go nuts studying for it, because it's basically a glorified literacy test. I may disagree with you ideologically, but you're clearly articulate and capable of critical analysis. I'm confident that you would pass A&I Lit even if you just walked in and took it cold (like I did). (I'm not trying to dissuade you from studying if you think it's important, I'm just stating my honest opinion.)

I do want to point out that guns are made for killing people and cars are made for getting people from point A to point B.

I agree that they can be used to kill people, but I think that because of this, guns are actually made to deter violence rather than commit it. It's similar to how the Soviet Union and NATO powers had nuclear weapons pointed at each other, and how for decades this deterrence prevented a third world war rather than be the means that one was waged.

I ask Steve to entertain the thought of a society where you have the full freedom to offend. I'm sure you are also fond of the quote: "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." Robert A. Heinlein

Why are you sure of that? I enjoy some of his stories, but really I'm not a huge fan of that sort of bravado. As I stated earlier in this thread, I don't even own a gun.

Is this how you envision democracy?

If by democracy you mean society, then no, because I think that's a ridiculous caricature of what society is like with widespread gun ownership. Here in Virginia we have "open carry", which means you don't need anyone's permission to have a handgun on you so long as it's not concealed. Assuming Heinlein really meant "manners" in the context you suggest, he'd be pretty disappointed, because it turns out that it doesn't lead to shootouts over personal slights.