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From: shp@crystal.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: (Orphan) Re: Re: DWI Crackdowns
Message-ID: <492@crystal.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Jul-85 14:45:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: crystal.492
Posted: Mon Jul 29 14:45:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 06:01:31 EDT
References: <378@kontron.UUCP> <6700026@pbear.UUCP>
Organization: The Twilight Zoning Commission
Lines: 42

> >A drunk in a car on a highway should be treated with the same courtesy and
> >respect as a madman with an UZI in a shopping mall.  For the same reasons.
> >
> >John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101
 
> there is a minor difference that makes the two incidents QUITE different
> morally.
> A madman with an UZI in a shopping mall demonstrates intent to cause
> harm, wherease a perons driving a car while impaired does not.

A "person driving a car while impaired" shows a total disregard for all human
life, including his own.  The madman with the Uzi isn't as likely to kill
himself as well.  Also, you can probably reason with the machine-gunner;
ever try to talk a drunk driver out of it?  I have.  We failed (we held him
to the floor and took his keys, though -- next best thing).  The man with
the gun is just a bit more blatant about killing people.  But I betcha drunks
with cars kill more people than lunatics with Uzis, no?

> I am not saying that drunk drivers don't kill, but you can't treat them like
> your gun-toting fanatic since the reasons and philosophies are different.

Bets?  Both are detrimental to life and liberty as we know it.  The man with
the gun may be intentionally trying to kill people, but when killing people,
does intent matter?  I'm going to be just as dead if you wipe me out
"accidentally, after a few beers" as if some terrorist is trying to prove a
point.  Only thing is, the nuts with guns (this is NOT an anti-gun flame!)
behave predictably, and are reasonably limited in scope.  The nuts with
cars behave irrationally, and strike everywhere, any time.  My chances of
talking my way out of a gun massacre are a whole lot better than my chances
of out-arguing the front end of your Buick.  The Uzi-wielder MAY listen to
reason; it's a lead-pipe cinch that the drunk driver won't (take that either
way).

> Peter Barada


	=shp

    [ Steve Patterson, Computer Sciences, UW - Madison ]

	"I'm Arthur, King of the Britains."
	"Who're the Britains?"