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Subject: 
Re: Handgun Death Rate
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 18 Jul 2001 16:20:18 GMT
Viewed: 
459 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Bruce Schlickbernd writes:

My derision of the "wild west" is that it is an example of everyone (well, a
significant portion) walking around armed, and it was NOT peaceable and
wonderful.

My understanding is that some places and some times were peacable for the most
part.

What counts as the wild west?

I'm reading books written by J.D. Fitzgerald about his life in southern Utah
prior to the turn of the 20th century.  Some of the exciting events are when a
bad man comes to town and has to be dealth with, but they are clearly the
exception.  It was a rough and tough life with very different priorities and
mores, and I wouldn't want to adopt all of them.  But the people honored the
law while also honoring right v. wrong.  People in favor of vigilante justice
got along with those who thought the law should work things out.  The town took
care of itself, and the people largely took care of themselves.  There is a
great deal of good from that venue that I think we have lost.  And I'm not
romanticizing about the glory days of the wild west.  Only acknowledging that
frontier life had pros as well as cons.

Chris



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Handgun Death Rate
 
(...) Bodie, California would certainly count (the popular observation of the times: "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie"). I mean, one could hardly call Mormon Central (Utah) the "wild" west for example (oops, just peered at the next sentence...you (...) (23 years ago, 18-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Handgun Death Rate
 
(...) I've certainly read a number of instances where this is true - but in Victorian times in England, people would tackle criminals, too, with neither side armed with guns. It may be more a function of the times. But then again, maybe it means the (...) (23 years ago, 18-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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