[plug] Linux _is_ a gun!

[Leon Brooks]

Oliver White wrote:
> Leon Brooks wrote:
>> Tamara Thompson wrote:
>>> I still don't think the guns are the problem.  They are just tools,
>>> to be used or misused.  It's very tres-chic liberal bunny hugger to
>>> blame the guns.

>> Agree. A hammer can build houses or smash skulls. A gun can defend or offend.

> Guns can kill, or they can be used to stir porriage.

Hoy, things were messy enough beforehand!

> Basicaly you can arm everyone (yes, the teachers and the students at
> schools) or you can arm no one (fair enough if you want to shoot bunnies).
> Do you seriously think that would *reduce* the number of killings?

(-: Dear me... they really don't make 'em like they used to... :-)

In practice, it DOES. There are several places where *everyone* is
required to carry a gun, and they have diddly-squat violent crime. What
bank robber would go ahead, knowing that each teller, each customer,
the manager, the parking inspector outside, every person driving past,
the neighbours and so on can all at least return his fire? I'm not
advocating this as a universal solution of any kind (I for one would
not go armed) but yes, I do seriously think that it would reduce the
killings.

And yes, this post is actually Linux-related! Linux is the software
equivalent of a gun, in terms of guaranteeing the wielder power to
exercise their freedom. By it, every teacher, every student, every
thug and every pantywaist, every programming house, retail clerk,
factory hand, computer scientist and secretary is potentially equipped
to "return the fire" of anyone who wants to hold them for ransom.

As when guns were new, not everyone has Linux and its associated tools
(the shells) yet. Nor, as with guns, will there come a time when
*everyone* has one. But they can, if they want. And that's important.
That's freedom.

-- 
They both savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant
than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things.
 -- Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites