Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: rape and firearms Message-ID: <11506@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Thu, 11-Jul-85 16:29:22 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.11506 Posted: Thu Jul 11 16:29:22 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 15-Jul-85 07:11:36 EDT References: <191@cuuxa.UUCP> <2919@sdcc3.UUCP> <2301@sun.uucp> Reply-To: wmartin@brl-bmd.UUCP Distribution: net Organization: USAMC ALMSA Lines: 35 In article <200@ihlpl.UUCP> zubbie@ihlpl.UUCP (Jeanette Zobjeck) writes: >> >> > 2) Someone who has not given thought to the "wild-west theory" >> > of social relationships. >> I apologize for my ignorance, but what's the "wild-west theory"? >> Gregg Mackenzie >ie >If - Everyone wore a gun on their hip > THEN - people would be more polite in general. > >(This doesn't and can't work for obvious reasons but I have heard it >voiced at parties and in discussions often enough.) >Jeanette Zobjeck ihnp4!ihlpl!zubbie What are these "obvious" reasons? Before you flame right back, let me point you to an article that appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal some years ago, before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. It was a background, travelogue-style piece on Afghanistan, which at that time was seldom mentioned in world news and was considered exotic and unknown. (I'm sorry to not be able to give a more exact reference, but mayhap one of the library periodical references would do so.) This article explicitly and specifically stated that Afghan society was more polite in interpersonal relations, and that petty crime was practically unknown, due *precisely* to the Afghan habit of ALWAYS going armed, no matter where you went. This is exactly the "wild west theory" stated above, and I think this one reference is all that is needed to prove that it is correct! (This habit has also helped the Afghans resist the invasion, but that is another issue.) Will