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Turbineguy

(39,345 posts)

15. A friend told me that term originated in prisons.

Reply to TNLib (Original post)

Sun Mar 25, 2012, 10:56 AM

Mar 2012

Prisoners who would accidentally bump into or even touch someone else would apologize profusely and make sure no offense was taken rather than risk getting killed for a slight. How very polite!

I've noticed over the years that people at large say "Sorry" an awful lot in America. So on the surface it seems a more polite society, but reveals fear on a deeper level. But then again, people do things because it's in fashion without realizing the underlying message or significance.

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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