Guns, the penis, and power

[love2showoff]

Very Thought provoking Post Ganymede. Although I must say that I picked that Avatar because it actually reminded me of my 380 not my penis. Also I have said this many times and will continue to say it I did not join LPSG for the galleries. I think they are an important part of deciding who we all communicate with based on our own preconcieved notions. I would like to know that the woman I believe I'm contacting is at least attractive in some manner to me...However I do not come here to browse pictures. I spend most of my time reading the forums and posting.

Phallic symbols have been and will remain prevelant for a very long time I'm sure of it I mean in ancient times they used to carved Rocks, today we watch porn. The penis is truly a symbol of the meaning of life as is the vagina...One cannot spawn offspring naturally without the other. I'm sure we have all called or had our penis called many things...Just because it is a penis does not put an embargo on the use of similies, metaphors and direct methods of comparison...

 

[Sergeant_Torpedo]

Islamic violence (not christian violence) lawlessness in Asia (not lawlessness in the developed world) and a critique on the penis, plus assorted analogies: quite a tour de force. Does anyone else find this moral superiority posturing a load of shite?

 

[invisibleman]

I think that it is cool that we have metaphors for things. It keeps things from being so cliche. Th right metaphor in an erotic story can make a good erotic story a great one.

 

[Ganymede]

I'm not saying the US is the only country with violence. (By the way, however, if you add up the number of Iraqi civilians killed by the US -- 100,000 -- and the number of Vietnamese -- about three million -- as well as all the other people, such as the inhabitants of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Central America by proxy, it's far more than the Hutu's Tutsi's, etc.) The point I was making was a cultural point. In the US, you can show people getting killed. You can show guns on TV. You can't show a nude body, however. Janet Jackson's nipple upset half the country. But 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians are just fine; 3,000 dead US soldiers are just fine as well. Death is good. Sex is wrong.

I think we're overworking the "This country is so violent because..." concept.
With Hutu's and Tutsi's chopping eachother up with machete's, the Serbians and ethnic Albanians shooting eachother on sight, war being almost a constant factor in many parts of Africa, the absolutely brutal history of the far east, the inabililty to travel in most of central asial without seeing AK-47s hanging off the shoulders of most farmers, the rise in stabbings in the UK, the ease with which one can be robbed and killed in the Phillipenes and the totally brutal nature of the Islamic revolution, I think it's not going so bad here.
Violent people tend to violate whether they are armed or not. It does not require a gun to take unfair advantage of another person.

 

[Ganymede]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

It is interesting, though, that even on a forum devoted to the penis, pictures of the penis (an instrumenet that creates life) are not allowed in avatars, but pictures of the gun (instrument that destroys life) are allowed in avatars. Just an observation.

About similies, I wonder if most metaphors for the penis are metaphors that reference violence in some way, or at least a form of conquering.

Very Thought provoking Post Ganymede. Although I must say that I picked that Avatar because it actually reminded me of my 380 not my penis. Also I have said this many times and will continue to say it I did not join LPSG for the galleries. I think they are an important part of deciding who we all communicate with based on our own preconcieved notions. I would like to know that the woman I believe I'm contacting is at least attractive in some manner to me...However I do not come here to browse pictures. I spend most of my time reading the forums and posting.

Phallic symbols have been and will remain prevelant for a very long time I'm sure of it I mean in ancient times they used to carved Rocks, today we watch porn. The penis is truly a symbol of the meaning of life as is the vagina...One cannot spawn offspring naturally without the other. I'm sure we have all called or had our penis called many things...Just because it is a penis does not put an embargo on the use of similies, metaphors and direct methods of comparison...

 

[Ganymede]

[Edit. See below.]

Islamic violence (not christian violence) lawlessness in Asia (not lawlessness in the developed world) and a critique on the penis, plus assorted analogies: quite a tour de force. Does anyone else find this moral superiority posturing a load of shite?

 

[Ganymede]

Oh. Sorry. Were you referring to what Wrat wrote? If so, then I agree. (I was confused because I thought you were referring to me.)

 

[B_big dirigible]

but pictures of the gun (instrument that destroys life) are allowed in avatars. Just an observation.

One both trite and incorrect. You're still trying too hard. The observation that a gun is an "instrument that destroys life" reveal little but a serious lack of imagination. Try thinking of a few other things a gun might do. There are quite a few.

On average, just under a million guns a month are sold in the US (and that's just through federally-licensed dealers). If they were all meant to destroy life, there wouldn't be too many of us left by now.

 

[68306]

I guess guns are mostly there to maintain superiority..?


And I am not the usual human,.. I am most definately not lacking weight down there. I enjoy commanding huge weaponry... the kind that others cannot even lift off the ground. The rush of power as you overcome all others... the exhillaration when you are disarmed and they cannot even turn your own weapon against you... Superiority.., and though I may not feel it in myself, I see how others react, how they no longer stand between me and myself, how they allow me to exist once more. Then I am content once more.

However.., my internet self has a difference... I can roleplay someone who is no longer a terminal recluse.

It is here, on the internet..,

That I can arm my pump-action shotgun, and shower gifts upon those still dreaming of a white christmas.

So sit back and have a merry xmas biatches!

 

[Ganymede]

Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that guns bring about life. Thanks for enlightening me on the issue.

One both trite and incorrect. You're still trying too hard. The observation that a gun is an "instrument that destroys life" reveal little but a serious lack of imagination. Try thinking of a few other things a gun might do. There are quite a few.

On average, just under a million guns a month are sold in the US (and that's just through federally-licensed dealers). If they were all meant to destroy life, there wouldn't be too many of us left by now.

 

[68306]

They can protect life too... in capable hands


I can operate a rifle in each free hand, but I don't take much pride in it... they're an easy to use weapon.

 

[HazelGod]

For an amusing tangent, I wonder if the aphorism about "it's not how well you're equipped, it's how you use what you have" also applies to firearms?

To wit:
The headshot group is mine from 10 yards in a standing position with a Kimber .45 ACP. The smaller, randomly spaced hits (including the crotch-shot!) belong to my wife, using a SIG 9mm. The two center-mass shots are also mine, using her (much smaller) weapon. :biggrin1:

 

[Ganymede]

Yes, they can protect life ... by taking a life.

However you slice it, the purpose of a gun is to kill. Whether that killing is justified or not is a matter of opinion. But whether justified or not, killing is killing -- and that is what guns do. Are you all only now discovering this? One would think this would be a prerequisite to owning a gun.

They can protect life too... in capable hands


I can operate a rifle in each free hand, but I don't take much pride in it... they're an easy to use weapon.

 

[Wrat]

Yes, they can protect life ... by taking a life.

However you slice it, the purpose of a gun is to kill. Whether that killing is justified or not is a matter of opinion. But whether justified or not, killing is killing -- and that is what guns do. Are you all only now discovering this? One would think this would be a prerequisite to owning a gun.

What bothers me about these discussions is that guns are catagorically removed from the trend in technological development that created them. Adding the word "kill" is a powerful way to sway an arguement, but is it relevent when discussing the actual purpose of firearms?
For a moment lets discuss the gun in another context.

steel plough (plow)
compass
printing press
hydraulic pump
steam engine
screw thread
flush plumbing
firearms

See a pattern? Nothing sinister about any one of those very important inventions. Each one of them made a contribution to humanity. in the case of the gun it happened to be keeping your enemy at a greater distance (very important) and making the harvest of game (protein) require less energy.

 

[Ganymede]

Adding the word "kill" is adding a correct description of what guns do. Or am I wrong? Could it be that they are really used to paint houses and to plant flowers? If so, that's news to me.

Let me guess. You're a conservative. You remind me of the people who said that it was wrong to show any pictures of the people killed in Iraq by US forces because that was biased and propaganda for the anti-Americans. Not true at all. Showing the dead bodies was a depiction of the result of what the US had done. If what the US had done was so wonderful, then why hide the result?

Your argument is so bizarre and full of holes that I don't know where to start, and I fear I should not. Besides, it's not even the argument at hand.

 

[Wrat]

Adding the word "kill" is adding a correct description of what guns do. Or am I wrong? Could it be that they are really used to paint houses and to plant flowers? If so, that's news to me.

Let me guess. You're a conservative. You remind me of the people who said that it was wrong to show any pictures of the people killed in Iraq by US forces because that was biased and propaganda for the anti-Americans. Not true at all. Showing the dead bodies was a depiction of the result of what the US had done. If what the US had done was so wonderful, then why hide the result?

Your argument is so bizarre and full of holes that I don't know where to start, and I fear I should not. Besides, it's not even the argument at hand.

You probably couldn't sort the conclusion of my arguement from the evidence, or tell that I was making no arguement with you. Not only that but my arguement was too open ended to have holes. Otherwise, it was so simple that anybody would be able to point out the areas in shich it was subject to criticism.
Please don't pretend to know the difference.

Humans kill for many reasons:

food preparation
pest control
humanitarian reasons (euthenasia)
homicide

Humans use many tools to kill as well. Is a compass a weapon when it is on a warship and used in a naval battle? Yes. The entire ship is a weapon.

You can compare guns to penises all you want. I'm not the least bit offended. Neither am I offended by the accurate reporting of the news or graphic depictions of warfare. Also, I believe that people who claim to be completely liberal or completely conservative are liars.

If you don't like the angle of my approach then you should not respond directly to my posts.

 

[ceg1526]

Ganny, let me dust off my old logic notes and see if I can deconstruct your post to Wrat:

Adding the word "kill" is adding a correct description of what guns do. [Good topic sentence.]

Or am I wrong? Could it be that they are really used to paint houses and to plant flowers? If so, that's news to me. [Hmmm. Sarcasm. Can be used in moderation, but often a refuge when logic breaks down.]

Let me guess. You're a conservative. You remind me of the people who said that it was wrong to show any pictures of the people killed in Iraq by US forces because that was biased and propaganda for the anti-Americans. Not true at all. Showing the dead bodies was a depiction of the result of what the US had done. If what the US had done was so wonderful, then why hide the result? [False syllogism to begin with, implying consevatives hide dead bodies. And what does this have to do with the topic sentence?]

Your argument is so bizarre and full of holes that I don't know where to start, and I fear I should not. Besides, it's not even the argument at hand. [Shows lack of intellectual rigor. Dismissive]

Take care

Ceg

 

[Wrat]

If you use sound logic then you will make good arguements
All people using sound logic will make good arguements.
If you do not make a good arguement then you are not using sound logic.
Only good arguements are produced by sound logic.
Sound logic has been ued only if good arguements are the result.
There is no sound logic unless there are good arguements.

Did somebody say logic?

if x then y
all x are y
if not y then not x
only y are x
x only if y
no x unless y

 

[ceg1526]

...
if x then y
all x are y
if not y then not x
only y are x
x only if y
no x unless y

Aren't those chromosomes? If xy, then male....

Take care

Ceg

 

[Ganymede]

Let me deconstruct your deconstruction of my post to Wrat: Butting in to a discussion you weren't a part of.

If conservatives in this country don't hide dead bodies, then why did the Bush administration issue a ban on photographs of coffins of dead soldiers returning from Iraq?

Pentagon Defends Photo Ban, As Forbidden Pictures Surface Showing Coffins Of GIs Killed In Iraq - CBS News

If conservatives in this country don't hide dead bodies, then why is very little footage available in mainstream media outlets regarding the casualties of Iraqi civlians? Did you know this isn't the case in other countries? Other countries have no problem showing what the US is actually doing.

Tell me, again, what part of this statement don't you agree with: Guns are weapons intended to be used to kill people.

Ganny, let me dust off my old logic notes and see if I can deconstruct your post to Wrat:

Take care

Ceg