Kat’s Den

Monday, August 30th, 2004

What happened to courtesy? Is it dead? Was it ever really alive?

By “courtesy” I mean treating the everyday people you come in contact with- the gas station attendant, the guy next to you on the bus, the woman in traffic ahead of you- with respect and politeness. I try to do this; I may not know you from Adam’s housecat, but if I pass you on the street I’m going to give you a little nod and if you stop me to ask directions, I’ll be as pleasant as possible. Where is it now? Why, when I stop someone to ask directions I get “How the hell should I know, buddy?” and when I pass someone on the street I get a snarl if anything at all? Surely it’s not my deoderant. Is it that people spend too much time wrapped up in their own concerns; to the point that their entire outlook is centered on what’s good for them and what they need? Anything else- like my need for directions- is secondary and impeding their achieving their own goals. And here I thought courtesy- and the larger derivative issue of being concerned with other things than your own skin- was part of what made society work. Someone wiser than I put it simply: Love is given, respect is earned, and courtesy is owed. One would think that the more crowded an area is, the more important courtesy would be; rudeness in a city where you’re literally rubbing shoulders with your fellow inhabitants would seem to be counter-productive. However, the opposite seems to be true: people in rural areas seem to be more polite than those in crowded cities.

Maybe this is why I’m anti-social at heart.

Tuesday, December 24, 2002

grammurz’ dead
Okay… Why the fascination with purposefully mangled grammar and spelling in so much of the on-line world today? While perusing other people’s ‘blogs for design examples, I noticed this entry:

“It’s like wut now…1:18am…still dun wanna take a snooze… tryin 2 get ma mind off thingz…APPLE PIE!! we shoodn’t have left our convo tlkin bout those pplz…. now me got nuffin 2 do….n all me thinkin bout’s da convo we finished… ..so sad.. LOLZ…neways..so bored… nother sweet slow song….hm.. makin me wanna slow dance now.. LOLZ”

I realize that the style originated on instant-messenger type chat systems, and saves time when your thoughts move faster than your fingers can type; but I find it an annoying affectation at best and a hideous mangling of the English language at worst. It’s used in message forums where there isn’t any real need to post the message quickly; you’re not trying to get your text out before the other guy, so why not slow down and SPELL THE WORDS CORRECTLY! I read messages like the one above and immediately peg the author as a semi-literate moron, whether they are or not in real life.

Yeah, yeah, there have been many points in time where people have decried the death of the language under some onslaught of slang; and yes, I do take written shortcuts myself in my writing. Sometimes the style itself can evoke the feeling you seek in the reader. But if you want to be taken seriously- along with your message- I don’t think this writing style will help.

n-e-way… off to da cuz’s, l8r.

August, 2002

This rant concerns war. More appropriately, the notion that war is wrong and never justified.

Here it comes. “What? You think war is good? What are you?”

I haven’t said that. War is always bad. Wars involve violent force; the wholesale taking of lives to achieve and end. War involves incredible violence and massive destruction. War is not to be glorified; it is to be avoided whenever possible. My quarrel is with those who claim that war is never necessary, and never solves anything.

Let’s take that last point first. Violence has settled more issues in history than anything else. When the other fellow is dead, his opinions cease to matter. Will there be others with his opinion? Of course; and in that sense, violence is never the ultimate end to an argument. But, without picking nits, violence still settles that argument.

Now… War is never necessary? Oh, would that this were true. However, you can’t settle all disputes with discourse or diplomacy. There are times that violence will be necessary, because the other fellow isn’t going to listen to your reason and is going to use violence against you. You can’t argue with a brick wall that’s about to fall on you; you either let it fall through inaction or you destroy it so it can’t harm you.

You can see where this is going. The war in Afghanistan, in my opinion, is inevitable. We- the United States, and her citizens- were attacked by an organized force. The attackers were aided and abetted by a nation-state. These attackers have no intention of listening to our reason or negotiating. These attackers and anyone who would lend them aid are to be dealt with by the only means left… violence. To leave them be invites further attack. Yes, there will be others who agree with them; there will be others who will attack the United States for the same reasons, and they should be dealt with as well. One step at a time.

“But the reason they’re attacking us is our policy towards Israel!” Check that statement. Osama bin Laden has stated many times that his attacks on the US are due to the US’s stationing troops in Saudi Arabia- at the request of the Saudis. “But we were in Saudi because of a war for oil!” We certainly were. Oil sustains this nation. Without foriegn oil, we will have to develop our own domestic sources, at the expense of the habitats where that oil is found. Without oil, our industry and food distribution networks collapse. Without oil, we will soon be cold, dark and hungry. Should we be looking for alternative energy sources? Of course we should! Oil will not last forever, and has many long-term debilitating effects on the environment. We should reduce our dependance on oil; eliminate it, if possible. Until then, we’re going to need it.

“But people die in war! Innocent people!” Yes, they do. This is why war is a tool of last resort. There is no way to wage a bloodless war. There is no perfect “smart bomb”. Innocent people will always die in a war. I’m surprised that so many seem to ignore that fact, and are shocked when civilians are killed. War is, even in these modern times, a blunt club rather than a sharp scalpel.

First off, I’d like to express my condolences and sorrow for the people who have lost relatives and friends in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon today. I’d especially like to express my sympathy for the families of the emergency response personnel who lost their lives trying to save the people trapped in these buildings.

Second, I’d like to remind folks that now is not the time for division. I don’t like our current president, and I didn’t vote for him. But this incident goes far beyond partisan party politics and differences. I despise the man, but I will stand behind him and my government in this. Now is when we, the people of the United States and of the entire free world, must stand together. This cowardly criminal act cannot be justified in any way, shape or form.

Third, I’d like to point out that I’m not a particularly patriotic person. I was born and have lived my entire life in the United States, but I’m not naive. I know my government has done reprehensable things. But at this particular moment in time, all I can think of is retaliation. Utter, devastating retaliation. I am the type of person that cannot stand still when something I percieve as utterly reprehensable has occurred; but I am forced to sit in front of my television and seethe. Every bomb squad and swat team in the country is on standby; every police agency is on 12 hours shifts, mine included. But there is little we can do now but dream of revenge. I have already heard people complaining that more violence won’t solve anything, heard fears that any act of revenge could somehow result in a global war.

Bullshit. The entire world- even Islamic nations- are condemning this act. The entire world wants revenge. And I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

Finally, a word- however futile and ineffective it may be- to the persons responsable. You have done something that only one other act in the past 100 years has managed to do- you have horrified and enraged the entire world community. The last time the United States was so galvanized was on December 7th, 1941. America is slow, fat and lazy, yes. We are slow to anger and often unable to reach a consensus on anything. But you have grabbed a sleeping tiger by the tail, and it is now waking up. We will still move slowly; we will gather the evidence and discover who is behind it. And when we have all the proof we need, we will act. We are slow to move, like a huge boulder, but once we do, we are impossible to stop. There will be no place on this Earth that you will be able to hide. None of your allies will shield you; even the Taliban government of Afghanistan has been quick to deny any responsability. They know that there is no escape from the wrath that is coming- a wrath that will be not only American, but global. A wrath that will scour whatever patch of ground you occupy and leave nothing behind. This wrath will not bring back the dead; this wrath will not solve the problem of terrorism. But the world is hungry for your blood, and it will flow.

Comments by wolf on Friday, October 26, 2001 at 11:53
what happened on the 11th of september was a very tragic day in our lives. i have a deep sorrow for the people who lost family members aswell as friends. i especially have a sadness for the firefighters and policemen who lost there live trying to save the lives of others. i myself work with the local fire dept. and when i heard all the man down alarms in the area around the trade center i felt sick to my stomach. things like this should never have to happen.
canada no URL given

Comments by Haruga on Monday, September 24, 2001 at 22:23
I understand the need for revenge so much. Hard as it is for me, I have to find the strength to want justice instead. No, the USA is not a perfect country, is not an innocent country, but they did not deserve the horror of the World Trade Centres. Nothing but hate for those who perpetraded the crimes
Canada no URL given

August 21st, 2001

The new rant is more of an old rant, but a rant that never seems to die. That perennial favorite, bane of the right and left, gun control!

You might think, after reviewing my site here and preusing the Gun Vault page, that my position on this would be easy to predict. Gotta be a die-hard 2nd amendment junkie, right?

Well, not quite. I do think that people should be able to own firearms with a minimum of hassle. But I don’t think that they should get them with no regulation whatsoever.

Let’s look at the gun, first off. What is it? Is it an evil, malignant force that exists solely to kill people? Does it eminate some sort of dark vapor that wafts into the nostrils of otherwise peaceful people and forces them to commit violence? Of course not. But listening to some people talk, it is. Guns have a powerful effect on some; it seems to inspire fear and hatred. “I don’t like guns,” they say. “They’re bad.” Whoa, wait a minute. Hannibal Lector is bad. Halitosis is bad. The Back Street Boys are bad. But guns? Guns just are. They’ve no morals, no good or bad. They’re tools, perhaps dangerous tools when misused, but so is a bandsaw. Calling them bad is the worst form of anthropomorphism.

“But guns kill people!” That gun didn’t leap off the counter and fire itself. Someone pointed it and pulled the trigger. And that’s where the regulation is needed; with the people that pull the trigger.

My proposal is simple, though only spottily implemented around the country. You want to purchase a firearm? Fine… Fill out this form. The state will check your background and mental history to weed out those with a propensity towards violence and lawlessness and those who lack the mental stability to own a firearm. Passed those checks? OK… Now, sign up for this class. We’re going to teach you the safe, legal way to handle this firearm. When you can and can’t use it in defense of your or someone else’s life. How to safely store and maintain it. And we’re going to teach you how to hit what you’re aiming at. Pass the written test and the range qualification? Good job. Here’s your Firearms Identification Card. You will need to show this to any licensed dealer before you can purchase a firearm. And it allows you to carry that weapon concealed in accordance with the laws of your state. Screw up with it- carry it where you shouldn’t, brandish it when it’s not needed, threaten with it- and it’s gone. Period.

“Oh my God, you’re crazy. You’re going to let them carry it concealed?” Check the statistics. There are very few crimes committed by lawfully registered concealed carry permit holders. While you’re at it, check how many crimes have been committed by legally owned fully-automatic weapons. You might be surprised.

“But what about the children? What about little Johnny who picks the gun up and shoots his sister?” Remember that mandatory safety class? I’m not so naive as to believe that this will eliminate accidents with firearms, but it will reduce them significantly. Currently, in Georgia, anyone over 21 without a felony record can buy whatever semi-automatic weapon he or she wants with no training. They can carry it concealed just by signing a form. I applaud the state’s emphasis on unrestricted ownership, but I think a little more needs to be done.

Guns aren’t going away, even if we banned them all overnight. Ask Great Britain, where very rigerous laws are enforced; yet the rate of crimes committed with firearms continues to rise. There are millions of people in the US who carry and own firearms responsibly. We can’t eliminate the firearm, but perhaps we can enforce the responsibility of the owner.

Comments by Coyote Osborne on Tuesday, September 04, 2001 at 13:12

Well… Kat… you know I agree with you!
I don’t particularly like guns… in that they are easily used for unecessary violence and have made it simple for people to oppress, kill, mutilate etc.
But if there were no guns, they would do it with knives, sticks and stones. In a world where violence indeed exists, I think it’s silly to pretend it does not… and to blame the tool for what people do.
When I worked in Atlanta, and my housemate was alone, I felt a LOT safer with her in possession of a firearm.
When I was a child… all the kids in my family were taught about guns. As soon as we were old enough, we were even taught to fire them, and how to hold them, etc. Before that, we were taught to leave them alone… and why. Nearly every adult in my family owned one or more guns. My mother, my grandmother, my uncles and aunts and cousins. And not one child ever hurt themlselves… because we were taught.
Guns are tools. As such, they can be used to defend your home from aggressors, or even put food on your table. It’s what you choose to do with them.
You can run someone over with a car if you are malevolent or careless or stupid… same with a gun.
Yes… guns are intended as a tool to kill people or animals with. That’s true. It’s up to YOU how to use it.
Lots of people say “if there’s gun control, only criminals will have guns”. Well… even if that is NOT true… if some big oaf breaks into YOUR house with a club or knife (because they cannot get a gun) and attacks YOUR granny… would you rather her have a gun or should she use tae-kwon do?
I’ll be all for gun control as soon as there is no longer crime, violence, oppression or hatred in the world. Oops! We won’t need it then!
Meantime… I like Kat’s ideas.

USA

http://www.coyoteoldone.com