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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Nuclear Aftermath:killing or healing: re to Berch
Message-ID: <1252@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Sep-86 17:40:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.1252
Posted: Mon Sep 15 17:40:57 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Sep-86 01:39:20 EDT
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
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> 
> Of *course* survival equipment includes one or more guns. Do you
> suppose the people stopping by your shelter will be looking for a
> fourth for bridge? (Would be nice, though.)
> 
> I can see Tim Sevener, huddled in a shelter, trying to get a dial
> tone on his phone, muttering "I can't seem to get through to the State
> Police..." while the bikers are outside grinning.
> 
> Apparently Tim faults Heinlein for not making the aftermath of a
> nuclear war grim enough, and then faults him for making it sufficiently 
> grim that one just might want to keep a weapon handy.
> 
> Michael C. Berch

No, Michael, if God forbid, there *is* a nuclear war and somehow I
survive the 60 bombs targetted on New York city alone, I will be
joining my wife (hoping that she too is still alive) in doing
whatever I can to heal the sick and dying, of which I will undoubtedly
like the rest of us, eventually be one.

Perhaps I will be dodging the bullets of psychopaths with guns
who believe in violence to their last breath and last murder.
I don't know.  

I imagine, that like most disasters in history, that the survivors
will be shocked, dazed, half-crazy but mostly trying to pick up
whatever pieces they can *together* to help humanity survive.
I would *intend* to help the survivors but who knows, given that
Hiroshima left even trained Doctors wandering in circles,
how can any of us tell what we would do?

All I know is if you intend to go out and commit murder that
I think you are sick and perhaps helplessly poisoned by an
obsession with violent solutions to even the most clear signs
that violence is foolish and futile.
                tim sevener  whuxn!orb