by Demon of Undoing » Mon Jan 10, 2011 3:23 am
Okay, I am going out on a limb here and say something really controversial .
When it comes to freedom, whether it is free speech or freedom to be entrusted with arms by the elders , there are hidden costs. Many hidden costs, and responsibilities , things people don't talk about . Well, here we have an example of those hidden costs .
In re : free speech - I hold that the dialog of a nation can not be held hostage by the interpretations of those that are clear outliers . An SP map has seemed to not cause any assasinations by people that aren't clearly schizophrenic . However, while it may be stipulated that some people will in fact be motivated to do irresponsible and even criminal acts , at least partially inspired by what might be said by others , damage done in the course of the abuse of a freedom ought to be considered a cost of doing business . The inherent consequence of free thought is that some might be so free with it that they may abuse others . If Asshole here was "inspired " by anybody , left or right, extreme and uncommon situations like this ought to be ( unfortunately ) figured in. The mad will find inspiration anywhere, it should be noted, as the Son of Sam ostensibly had the neighbor's dog tell him to do it . If you don't accept this, then we simply must ban dogs as a temptation to serial killers .
In re: gun rights- the price of me being able to slip a pistol in my pocket when I go where questionable people of questionable motives may be is the ( theoretical ) possibility that one of my kids , were they Houdini , might be able to get my gun . This is a bad thing, as one should see the damage they do with small stuffed animals . However , this is one of those responsibility areas and yes, the hidden cost thing. The people that were shot by this freak were hidden costs to the freedom of owning a gun , and in the grand scheme of things, America says it is worth it . I tend to agree , and please, don't tell me about good people that got dead by guns and didn't deserve it . I know a few .
When troops go out and lose their lives for American freedoms ( not that such a thing has happened in a while, but a long time ago, it used to be standard procedure) , we say they paid a price for their nation's way of life. Well, so did these people. I'd like to say that the only people that ought to have to pay such tabs should be ones that volunteered for it . However, such is not the way of things. The people as a whole enjoy these freedoms ; the people as a whole occasionally have to pay for them. There are consequences to everything. Overall, I will neither live in a place where I can not speak freely , nor one where I can not go armed . It's worth it ,
Don't know what it is, but I'm agin'it.