04-12-2008, 02:07 PM | #41 (permalink) |
peekaboo
Location: on the back, bitch
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Nice altruist thoughts, Will, but out of reality.
We are primates. Primates kill. There are reports of 'rogue' chimpanzees who will 'murder'. It is, to a point, 'human nature'. The difference is, as Cyn pointed out, we have free will and the ability to reason; we don't know for sure other mammals do, although evidence is trying to be built for dolphins(who also murder and rape) and elephants. Note that there might be countries with "low" murder rates, but they're there and who is to say that the reasons the rate is "low" is because of oppressive factors within those governments. I'll bet Cambodia had a low murder rate...because one person and his thugs did all the killing and thus "crime" was viewed differently. |
04-12-2008, 03:02 PM | #42 (permalink) |
has all her shots.
Location: Florida
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I'll just say that I agree that primarily this is just a sad and unfortunate story.
And I understand why the public face of Turkey might feel ashamed, but not why Turkey should feel ashamed. Humanity is full of inconsistencies and sometimes things just don't make sense. People are bound to be incomprehensibly ugly to one another just as they are bound to be inconceivably kind to one another. If both are human nature, then human nature really doesn't function as much of an explanation for this woman's murder. If to rape and murder is human nature, then why do so few of us (relatively speaking) aspire to it? I think rather, these kinds of things occur when one or many of us forget our human nature due to powerful environmental influences and other corroborating factors.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce |
04-12-2008, 03:13 PM | #43 (permalink) |
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Location: ❤
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I will use the collective 'we' term..even though
I understand that for some of 'us' ....that triggers a backlash quiver, of 'forced teaming'..... 'we' see hate..we taste hate...we hate it...we hurt...we want better we cry...we think we understand...we should know better...we shout.. we bleed...we continue....we hold on....we teach...we destroy... we die...we heal...we write songs... we..... |
04-12-2008, 03:14 PM | #44 (permalink) | |||||
Pissing in the cornflakes
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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps. |
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04-12-2008, 03:34 PM | #45 (permalink) | ||
warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
Location: East-central Canada
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot |
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04-12-2008, 04:01 PM | #46 (permalink) | |
Pissing in the cornflakes
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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps. |
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04-12-2008, 05:16 PM | #47 (permalink) | |
warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot |
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04-12-2008, 05:53 PM | #49 (permalink) |
Junkie
Location: bedford, tx
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this woman went out on a crusade not understanding the nature of humanity. Yes will, there IS a human nature. We are living beings, not unlike gorillas, lions, bears, hippos, or any other living breathing mammal on the planet. Your desire to seperate humans from the animal kingdom by virtue of a brain not withstanding, we are still animals. As humans, we have a self preservation gene. We have predatory genes. We have DNA that directs our selves towards the desire of things that the will to do what we want to obtain those. Evil acts CAN be part of this makeup of the human gene.
There is evil in the world and until more people wake up to that reality and combat it, we'll see stupid people like this unfortunate woman become a victim to it. i'll close this off with my new favorite quote, The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. 'Albert Einstein'.
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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him." Last edited by dksuddeth; 04-12-2008 at 05:57 PM.. |
04-12-2008, 06:23 PM | #50 (permalink) |
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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No seriously, "human nature" is like "Murphy's Law". It's a general figure of speech referring not to any specific science or philosophy to speak of, but rather simply to a lazy reasoning out of something.
The scary part of your post is that you try to explain a non-scientific term with bad science and a bit of religion (like intelligent design). "Evil" is a vague religious term. Genetics is biology. Behavioral traits are psychology. A murder/rape can be explained usually by psychology, and on occasion biochemistry of the brain, but if you're going to use religion you can't use science without creating a terrible mess. |
04-12-2008, 07:14 PM | #51 (permalink) |
Leaning against the -Sun-
Super Moderator
Location: on the other side
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I have no wish to enter into a long discussion on if she had it coming or not, and on what is or isn't human nature, so I am sorry if my contribution doesn't contribute to what you all seem to be focusing on most.
I just needed to say that I'm very sorry for that poor woman. Truly sorry. I think she was trying to confirm for herself, and perhaps for others, that human nature is diverse, and that though you shouldn't trust some people, there are always many others you can trust. This may still be true, but... This was a most unfortunate murder and I can't help but feel that it is pointless to dissect the situation, except to say that this only seems to confirm the worst in ourselves. Though the event may have been fortuitous, it seems quite perverse and saddens me.
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Whether we write or speak or do but look We are ever unapparent. What we are Cannot be transfused into word or book. Our soul from us is infinitely far. However much we give our thoughts the will To be our soul and gesture it abroad, Our hearts are incommunicable still. In what we show ourselves we are ignored. The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged By any skill of thought or trick of seeming. Unto our very selves we are abridged When we would utter to our thought our being. We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams, And each to each other dreams of others' dreams. Fernando Pessoa, 1918 |
04-12-2008, 09:09 PM | #52 (permalink) | |
warrior bodhisattva
Super Moderator
Location: East-central Canada
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The problem with discussing "human nature" is that it gets far too glossed. As we've seen, we immediately jump on DNA, genes, etc., while overlooking much of the long history of behavioural study (the latter of which, consequently, makes up a much greater body of work than the former). To call the sum of our actions an exclusive result of our genetic makeup isn't going to get us anywhere if we are to understand the deplorable acts people commit. It's much more complex than that. The behavioural sciences have been grossly overlooked so far in the thread. Our greatest efforts to prevent and deal with the crimes we most fear are rooted in these. Genetics is a factor, but I think it acts only as a baseline to certain research and applied studies related to human behaviour (that is, if it's going to be of any actual use).
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 04-12-2008 at 09:11 PM.. |
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04-12-2008, 09:10 PM | #53 (permalink) |
Upright
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While I can commend her for the desire to prove this point, is was really a shame she was naive enough to actually believe it. Throughout history mankind has continued to prove just the opposite is true. From the crusades to modern day, a small percentage of humans have continue to prey on the weak. And this will continue, regardless of punishment, until the end of the world.
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"Do what you can, with what you have where you are." ~Teddy Roosevelt~ |
04-12-2008, 09:33 PM | #54 (permalink) | |
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Location: bedford, tx
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will, I admit that you are highly intelligent, but I've heard many scholars, world leaders, academics, and philosophers talk about evil existing in the world. I hear about it today in several books that I skim through. Do you know something more about the world today than all of those people do/did?
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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him." |
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04-12-2008, 09:59 PM | #55 (permalink) | ||
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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Edit: I'm probably a better pianist than Einstein, but does that take away from anything he did or make me special? Of course not. Some people are bound to be better than Einstein at some things (though very few at maths) because while Einstein was one of the most brilliant men of all time, he wasn't the most brilliant in everything he did. If he were here, I'm sure he'd agree. Last edited by Willravel; 04-12-2008 at 10:02 PM.. |
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04-12-2008, 10:09 PM | #56 (permalink) | |
Oh dear God he breeded
Location: Arizona
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the irony of this is almost as good as when CNN report "Woman killed by nonlethal ordinance".
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Bad spellers of the world untie!!! I am the one you warned me of I seem to have misplaced the bullet with your name on it, but I have a whole box addressed to occupant. |
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04-12-2008, 10:18 PM | #58 (permalink) | |
Oh dear God he breeded
Location: Arizona
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"Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can't help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity." Robert Heinlein Her actions were stupidity. I feel no sense of great lose here.
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Bad spellers of the world untie!!! I am the one you warned me of I seem to have misplaced the bullet with your name on it, but I have a whole box addressed to occupant. |
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04-12-2008, 10:37 PM | #62 (permalink) | ||
Oh dear God he breeded
Location: Arizona
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Gandhi fought(in his own way) to free his country. Martin Luther King fought to free his race. She, well, she had a wedding dress. Yes, I see now how she should be listed with the greats with a plan like that...... Quote:
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Bad spellers of the world untie!!! I am the one you warned me of I seem to have misplaced the bullet with your name on it, but I have a whole box addressed to occupant. Last edited by Seer666; 04-12-2008 at 10:39 PM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost |
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04-12-2008, 10:46 PM | #63 (permalink) | |
Pissing in the cornflakes
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Even if she made it through and everyone treated her like a magical fairy from gumdrop island, nothing would have changed in the world. A hero may throw himself on a live grenade to save the men around him. It is self sacrifice that is both rare and held in high esteem. An idiot would throw themself on a grenade to show that grenades are not really all that dangerous. This woman was an idiot, she landed on a live grenade.
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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps. |
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04-12-2008, 10:51 PM | #64 (permalink) | ||||
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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04-12-2008, 10:55 PM | #65 (permalink) | |
Oh dear God he breeded
Location: Arizona
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The rest is just good comedy.
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Bad spellers of the world untie!!! I am the one you warned me of I seem to have misplaced the bullet with your name on it, but I have a whole box addressed to occupant. |
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04-12-2008, 11:11 PM | #66 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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in my world you do dumb things, you survive, you got lucky; you do dumb things and you get hurt or killed, you're an idiot. pretty simple.
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
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04-13-2008, 04:51 AM | #68 (permalink) | |
Upright
Location: reykjavík, iceland
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mother nature made the aeroplane, and the submarine sandwich, with the steady hands and dead eye of a remarkable sculptor. she shed her mountain turning training wheels, for the convenience of the moving sidewalk, that delivers the magnetic monkey children through the mouth of impossible calendar clock, into the devil's manhole cauldron. physics of a bicycle, isn't it remarkable? |
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04-13-2008, 05:16 AM | #69 (permalink) |
has all her shots.
Location: Florida
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I don't think the comparisons to Gandhi, The Dalai Lama and MLK are that far off the mark. Of course, they put themselves into dangerous situations for their cause and two of them are DEAD for it, in case you have forgotten. The Dalai Lama is only alive today because he walked out of Tibet.
Regardless of your opinions on the efficacy of her actions, she deserves respect for having faith in something and for walking out her front door and making a stand for it. Disrespecting her death in order to mock will is pretty despicable. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce |
04-13-2008, 06:02 AM | #70 (permalink) |
Super Moderator
Location: essex ma
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the difference between the actions of gandhi, mlk et al and that of pippa branca is basically one of publicness--safety lay in the publicness of the actions--civil disobedience presupposes that someone (or lots of people) are looking, because the looking changes an action into theater. it is as bad theater than a non-violent protest is not mowed down by police or army--not because of any particular ethics.
this lay behind my questions earlier about why she was doing this solo--not only because an art action like this is ultimately more about the documentation of the experience than the experience--and because in the idea (or fact) of witness (say) lay the safety of the actor.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite |
04-13-2008, 06:23 AM | #71 (permalink) |
has all her shots.
Location: Florida
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This is true. But I suppose she had enough faith that the 'safety factor' would have diluted the meaning of her actions.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce |
04-13-2008, 06:32 AM | #72 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: bedford, tx
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we should not confuse bravery with naivete.
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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him." |
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04-13-2008, 06:52 AM | #73 (permalink) |
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It is unfortunate not to mention horrifying for her to die that way, and I don't know what precautions if any she took, but she should have been aware of the dangers of what she was embarking on. To just go touring through known world hotspots and not have the security to protect herself is terribly irresponsible.
And although I will probably get slammed for 'blaming the victim,' we really don't know what led up to her subsequent demise. If she was so irresponsible in planning her tour, how do we know that same irresponsibilty didn't somehow contribute to her death. If though she was blindsided and didn't see it coming, that really is aweful for her. And shame, I don't believe in labelling guilt onto a people just because something horrible happened in their country. Besides there aren't enough grief councillors in the world to be sent in to deal with all that guilt. |
04-13-2008, 06:55 AM | #74 (permalink) | |
Super Moderator
Location: essex ma
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the irony is that the design of her piece made of her death an aspect of the project. in fact, the project is in a sense perfected by her death. it skeeves me out a bit, thinking this way, simply because it kinda aestheticizes a rape and murder. but at the same time, it makes her death an exemplary action, which runs in the opposite direction. this runs in the same general direction as stockhausen's statement about the trade center attack as a "diabolical piece of conceptual art"--which it was, like it or not.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite |
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04-13-2008, 07:09 AM | #75 (permalink) | |
has all her shots.
Location: Florida
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But I totally get your point.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce |
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04-13-2008, 08:02 AM | #76 (permalink) | ||
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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04-13-2008, 09:08 AM | #77 (permalink) | |
Sir, I have a plan...
Location: 38S NC20943324
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Fortunato became immured to the sound of the trowel after a while.
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04-13-2008, 10:25 AM | #78 (permalink) | |
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Location: Some place windy
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04-13-2008, 10:33 AM | #79 (permalink) | |||
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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04-13-2008, 02:11 PM | #80 (permalink) | |
Oh dear God he breeded
Location: Arizona
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His comparison and views in this case are, however, off mark in my opinion. King, Gandhi, and the Dali Lama all knew their stances could very well end up in death or worse. this moron, by the very nature of her actions and words, never even considered this as an outcome. That is stupidity. And that is why this whole thing is nothing more then a cleaning of the gene pool. I will hold a person who willing goes to their death in the name of a higher ideal in the highest regards. Someone who blindly walks into an open man hole and dies is however just someone to be laughed at.
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Bad spellers of the world untie!!! I am the one you warned me of I seem to have misplaced the bullet with your name on it, but I have a whole box addressed to occupant. |
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hitchhiker, murdered, peace, world |
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