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Congratulations, you aren't a big talker. Like I said, I completely agree with the sentiment. You can call us all pussies if you want, which is exactly what you are doing, but I'm not a movie hero, and I can guarantee you that when faced with the choice of my life or saving a Walgreens from losing a $15 hair trimmer, you can bet your ass I'll chose not risking my life. And I think that what has changed is exactly that... the risk of losing life. If no one was walking around with a gun and all I might suffer is a broken nose or fist, then it's a whole other ballgame. I am guessing that you will take that as another "excuse" but it's a reality that a lot of us live in and see on a daily basis in big cities. It's not all black and white cut and dry, and if you play it that way you set yourself up for disaster and over-reaction. In my neighborhood, if I yelled at the thug at the bus-stop for dropping paper on the ground, I'd get beat the fcuk up, plain and simple. I've seen it happen. And I promise you, I would be beat down because A: I ain't a fighter... B: 5 teenage thugs will against my skinny ass isn't even a fight.


<sigh> So much to cover here. First, it isn't a matter of protecting Walmart from losing a hair trimmer. It's about expecting more from ourselves. It about doing the right thing, even if there is a risk. Second, I live in Denver, in the city, not the suburbs. I used to live in Columbus, Georgia, and I'm originally from the Syracuse area of NY. So I understand what you're talking about. But it doesn't matter. The point remains the same. I am a bit of a fighter (actually, it's more that I have a decent pain tolerance and I'm stubborn ) And hey, I've gotten my ass kicked before (once nearly to death... come to Denver and my friends and I can spin the tale for you over a beer), but again, it doesn't matter. You have to do what's right, Loren.

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But, I'm guessing there's a deeper gut thing at the root of this argument. Maybe you are the type of person who'd run to the front lines to do battle wherever and why ever your government tells you, whereas I'd be a draft dodger.


Loren.... you should (based on what I've had to say about politics on the board) that that is ridiculous. My roommate is still laughing from reading that line. Soooooo not how I'm wired. I would be there in Canada drinking a beer with you and Mark, unless I agreed with the war. (Hint: I don't.)

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Here's to idealism though... I wish we could all be as ballsy as you, because you are probably right. If we all did something in those situations, those situations would happen a lot less often. But in the end most of us just want to go home to our girlfriends/wives/wii and live to see another sunrise.

It's not idealism unless you don't practice it. And it has nothing to do with being ballsy. Hell, sometimes I scare the hell out of myself, but I have to try to do what's right.


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PS - I'd like to hear the story behind the stitches... unless you've posted it before.

Which ones?

The one on my hand is from getting stabbed by a skinhead when I was 16 (they tend to dislike arguments that require heavy mental processing ), and I've got one on my right arm (nearly gone now) from scraping against some sheet metal while my friend Don and I were chasing down a guy who stole the tip jar from the coffeeshop we hang out at a few years ago.

Loren, I'm not calling any one a pussy for being scared. Being scared is a natural human response. Hell, that's why we have the amygdala (the Almond of AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!) I'm just taking issue with the back slapping "you did the right thing" party. It's not the right thing.
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Dave