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JackintheGreen

(2,037 posts)

4. You probably overstate the realities of the frontier west

Reply to TNLib (Original post)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 10:18 AM

Mar 2012

I think historians have shown that it wasn't quite the lawless wilderness portrayed in the movies, but I agree with your premise. A society where people feel the need to walk around armed is a fearful and paranoid one.

That said, I think it's entirely possible to *own* guns without being one of those people. Guns can be and are owned recreationally. Whether that's a good thing I think is an altogether different discussion. Or is it? It may come down to the working definition of 'armed.'

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An armed society is not a polite society! [View all] TNLib Mar 2012 OP

An armed society is a fearful & dysfunctional society. baldguy Mar 2012 #1

+1 xchrom Mar 2012 #3

"Armed society is a polite society"--or Somalia (Mexico, Afghanistan, El Salvador....) lastlib Mar 2012 #2

You probably overstate the realities of the frontier west JackintheGreen Mar 2012 #4

rec SammyWinstonJack Mar 2012 #5

yup, yup, yup - Paranoid Vigilante World sucks jpak Mar 2012 #6

Archery is far cooler than guns. (nt) MichaelMcGuire Mar 2012 #7

America's new epidemic of politeness: struggle4progress Mar 2012 #8

There's a potenitally bad positive feedback loop in gun-carrying. HereSince1628 Mar 2012 #9

That's a very interesting study thanks for posting. TNLib Mar 2012 #11

An armed Society is a Polite Society - when has that ever been true? KG Mar 2012 #10

Living in the south I hear it all the time when discussing gun control TNLib Mar 2012 #12

Fear rules! pscot Mar 2012 #13

The wild west was not like it is as depicted on TV. obxhead Mar 2012 #14

Ah, someone finally made the link to our overarmed and militarized cognoscere Mar 2012 #17

A friend told me that term originated in prisons. Turbineguy Mar 2012 #15

Robert Heinlein was a science fiction writer. RevStPatrick Mar 2012 #16

"Polite" is an odd way to put it but determent/mutually assured destruction TheKentuckian Mar 2012 #18

Blame Robert Heinlein starroute Mar 2012 #19