From: Oldehippie1947@aol.com
Date: Wed Oct 23 2002 - 00:18:18 BST
"Central to the issue is the definition of violence." I Fully agree. I
maintain that we are free to define violence in respect to our perceptions of
violence. Intrinsic in our nature is the basic instinct that recognizes
violence. Let me share a metaphor re; this. I have a cup of water. There are
similarities in defining these 2 things. The first are what we call these 2
things, a cup and water. Since by our action we have universally in the
English language agreed that we will associate the words, cup and water to
signify these 2 items. In that way they are alike. In another way they are
not alike. Not only did we devise the name cup we also devised what a cup is.
As such we are free to make a cup we universally agree upon. With water that
is not the case. We can't, for instance, define water as any liquid
containing hydrogen and oxygen atoms. We would be pretty upset when we asked
our waiter for water and he brought a cup of HO2. Violence is like the water.
It has intrinsic properties that our human nature's perception will pick up.
The bad thing is if you don't recognize this violence you will be
uncomfortable, which is the msg your basic human nature will convey to you
when in an environment of violence, and not know why. This promotes fear and
fear promotes more violence.
Another point. It is irrational at this point in our, human, evolution to say
that all violence is bad. Per Foucault The power that holds society together
is violence. Earlier in the history the sword was used to maintain power, and
in some places it still is. He goes on to say that the violence in today's
society, (in the west), is much more subtle than in the past, but don't
mistake the fact that this violence is deadly at the extreme's of society.
Darrell
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