View Single Post
Old September 25, 2009, 03:45 PM   #32
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
 
Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Austin, CO
Posts: 19,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Servo
You just can't legislate common sense. What's more, you don't want to try: it's a slippery slope towards onerous regulation that could make life harder for us all.
Bingo. You're right on the mark with that. I've had the discussion with people more than once about common sense. Common sense can not be legislated because common sense CAN NOT be taught, at least not to an adult. Sure, somebody somewhere had no common sense and eventually "learned" but they are by far the exception. Some people think that common sense can be taught but most of those who believe so are not talking about actual common sense. For example, you should not have to be taught (as an adult) that pointing a gun at someone is dangerous. You're a big person now, no one needs to hold your hand. Unless you live under a rock then you know what a gun is, you know what a gun does and you know what it means to be shot. If you DON'T understand the concept then someone MIGHT be able to essentially "beat you" into following the rules.... but you will only follow the rules exactly as they were shown you... no other situation applies. So, unless you can teach these people EVERY SINGLE possible scenario then they will never act appropriately.

That's the real difference. That, in essence, is what common sense is.... the ability to extrapolate knowledge and experience from one situation to another unrelated situation. You either have it or you don't.


Point 2: We are a free people. The COTUS provide no provision for restricting someone whom "we" feel "might" be dangerous. There is criminal behavior and then there's everything else. The path of restricting not just behavior but POTENTIAL behavior is a slippery one indeed.
__________________
Nobody plans to screw up their lives...
...they just don't plan not to.
-Andy Stanley
Brian Pfleuger is offline  
 
Page generated in 0.03619 seconds with 8 queries