[clue-talk] Obama, McCain, and the American flag

[Brian Gibson]

At no point did I say killing is unnecessary.  I said it's wrong no matter your justification.  If you're willing to accept that and will take responsibility for that action, then fine.  Two wrongs don't make a right.  

Let me turn it around and ask would you give your life up to save your child?

Of course you would.  

Let's change the situation again.

Would you kill someone to save your child if it's another person's child?

A little harder perhaps.

If the answer is yes, then you should have no qualms when that child's parent kills you in your attempt to kill his.

In other words, you can come up with an infinite number of morally challenging situations to try to justify your actions.  I simply regard killing as a necessary evil and prefer non-violent resolutions to conflict where possible.

Killing someone in self-defense does not make it crime, but it's still wrong to kill.

I suppose Mill wouldn't put Ghandi and MLK in high regard, if his premise is that war is necessary to fight for freedom.




----- Original Message ----
From: Jed S. Baer <cluemail at jbaer.cotse.net>
To: clue-talk at cluedenver.org
Sent: Sunday, November 2, 2008 4:23:43 PM
Subject: Re: [clue-talk] Obama, McCain, and the American flag

On Sun, 2 Nov 2008 15:05:01 -0800 (PST)
Brian Gibson wrote:

> Killing another is wrong period.  Whether you do it in self-defense

I guess it's time to roll out one of my favorite Jeff Cooper quotes.

  ============
One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree
that 'violence begets violence.' I told him that it is my earnest
endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure -- and in
some cases I have -- that any man who offers violence to his fellow
citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC (Ret)
  ============

Would you kill someone, if necessary, to save the life of your child?

Hell, I might was well roll out another one, that's related.

  ============
War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and
degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing
is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety,
is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and
kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
-- John Stuart Mill
  ============

So, just let me ask you, what you have had this woman do?

http://www.allamericanblogger.com/4439/rape-victim-shoots-rapist-in-her-home/

jed
p.s. Please pay careful attention to the difference between initiating
violence, and defending yourself. Pax vobiscum.
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