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 Off-Topic / Debate / 1984
1983  |  1985
Subject: 
Re: Misperceptions of America (Was: Conversation w/ a LEGO Rep)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 1 Sep 1999 01:11:12 GMT
Reply-To: 
cjc@newsguy.comNOSPAM
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Christopher Weeks <clweeks@eclipse.net> wrote:
raging hormones (me again), and is duped by youthful stupidity into
killing some particularly obnoxious peer (I didn't do this part).  Now,

That's one heckuva weird scenario.

What's so weird about it?  Seriously.

What's so weird?  The actually following through on thoughts of
killing someone, I suppose.

I probably fit into most of that as well, and I don't ever recall
being put into a situation where peer pressure or anything else might
have suggested that I murder someone.

Really?  I got angry at people from time to time.  I took myself way too
seriously, and essentially plotted murder on a couple of occasions.
When the littleton killings took place, I thought 'there, but for the
grace of God, go I.'  I never killed anyone and I'm glad, but to some
degree I think it was more luck than some innate value.

I'd like to think otherwise, myself.  The few times in my childhood
and adult life that I have been truly angry enough to want to do
physical harm to someone, I've just done it.  Every one of those times
were, in most respects, self-defense.  Probably _could_ have walked
away from a couple of the earlier ones (14 & 17) but I'd walked away
from a few too many in those schools/neighborhoods and needed to
settle things once and for all.

Never even remotely wanted to kill anyone.  Well, I take that back.
There was a time a few years ago when Rachael was run over by someone
on a bicycle that I did actually entertain the thought of finding the
guy and shooting him, but I'd say reason (and Rachael) set in after
about a minute and convinced me otherwise.

Well, and just to be honest, I did actually look into having the "man"
who was beating my cousin put down, but I don't think of him as a
human being, so I don't really think that counts.

And if my feeling above is true, and we can (I hope) agree that I
shouldn't be put down by the system out of hand, then why if I had
slipped up, or been in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Slipped up?  I'm still trying to grasp a situation in which one "slips
up" and commits premeditated murder.  Gets man, sure.  Maybe thinks
he's made enough to kill someone (and I know it's "cool" for kids to
think the bull they're going through is important enough to die over,
but it isn't, and it wasn't when I was a kid) - sure.  But actually
does it?  That's not slipping up - that's murder.

So yes, if, for just about any reason, when you were a teen, you had
"slipped up" and murdered someone, in a world where *I* make the
rules, we wouldn't be discussing this right now, because you'd be
word-food.

Luckily you didn't.  And I have to say I doubt you ever seriously
plotted anyone's murder.  I was picked on through most of my childhood
for one reason or another, endured some pretty horrible (imo at the
time) stuff, and never considered killing someone while I was going
through it.

Getting back at the responsible parties in other ways?  You betcha.
LOTS of other ways.  Murder?  Nah...

No.  Murder is final.  No second chance, no reformation, no getting
better.  You commit murder (true murder, not justifiable homicides)
and you lose all priveleges as a human being, in my mind.

Why?  How broad is justifiable?  You cite battered women, and I think of
that as an extreme of where murder is justifiable, not a maybe point.

Dunno how broad.  I'm no lawyer, or legal theorist, really.  I forget
what I said about battered women, but just to be clear, I'd never
convict a woman of killing a man who beats her.  I doubt I'd convict
friend or relative for doing it either.  Wife/girlfiend-beaters aren't
people.

Dunno.  I think that scenario you described is a little too strange to
really think about.

Again, I'm interested to know what's so strange about it.

I guess the thought that any normal teen would plot murder.  I don't
think it happens much.  I WAS a normal teen.  I know normal teens.  I
know a half dozen teens who killed themselves, but not a single one
who killed, or, I think, wanted (truly - not a passing thought) to
kill anyone else.

--
The parts you want and nothing else?
http://jaba.dtrh.com/ - Just Another Brick Auction
Why pay eBay? Run your own LEGO auctions for free!
http://www.guarded-inn.com/bricks/   (still in Beta)



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Misperceptions of America (Was: Conversation w/ a LEGO Rep)
 
(...) What's so weird about it? Seriously. (...) Really? I got angry at people from time to time. I took myself way too seriously, and essentially plotted murder on a couple of occasions. When the littleton killings took place, I thought 'there, but (...) (25 years ago, 31-Aug-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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