From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Sun Mar 19 2000 - 13:31:54 MST
Robert Owen wrote:
>
> Michael S Lorrey wrote:
>
> > Robert Owen wrote:
> > >
> > > ~ Fire and Ice ~
> > >
> > > Some say the world will end in fire,
> > > Some say in ice...
> > > I think I know enough...
> > > To say that for destruction ice
> > > Is also great
> > > And would suffice.
> > >
> > > - Robert Frost (l923)
> > >
> >
> > You have to have lived through a New Hampshire winter, comparable to
> > what the winters were like back then (this one started off pretty good),
> > to understand his perspective. In the year Frost penned that, three dams
> > and several bridges on the Connecticutt River here in NH were wiped out
> > by ice floes. The 'wintah' of '78 was a good one as well. Its why the
> > Army's CRREL (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory) Center
> > is based about six miles away from me.
> >
> > Mike Lorrey
>
> Very informative, Mike. But what really pleases me is the mere FACT that
> we are having a conversation and not ONLY a difference of opinion about
> an "issue" which is entirely too complex for facile generalization and where
> emotional factors probably play a larger role in forming convictions than
> purely logical considerations -- and I DO include myself in this class.
>
> The way I try to suppress the emotional component is to focus on pre-
> vention rather than causation. I received a letter from a friend informing
> me that I ought to carefully consider the results of the Australian scheme.
> I am doing that. I only mention this because I want you to believe that
> I have NO FINAL VIEWPOINT on this subject. In fact, I'm a bit of a
> know-nothing here -- I'm prepared to go with whatever works when we
> take the problems we are trying to solve one by one.
>
> I mean this quite radically; if we discovered good reasons to believe that
> the free distribution of 410 riot shotguns, or 410s to the ladies and 12
> gauges to the gentlemen, by the government to every household in the
> United States, with the National Rifle Association providing the required
> educational services, I would support a pilot project to this effect both
> intellectually and by a financial contribution if necessary.
>
I appreciate your open mindedness then. I suggest you read Prof. John
Lott's book, _More Guns, Less Crime_. You will likely find 'good
reasons' there.
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