From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Sat Mar 18 2000 - 22:56:31 MST
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.
Regards,
Bob
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
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