Heated debate
July 29th, 2004 at 8:55 pm by David FarrarPhirate has removed his link to me, as he found a comment I made “so chilling” he never wants to hear from me again.
Absolutely his decision (which I respect) as to whom to link to, but I do have to say I find it a bit of an over reaction to what to me appeared to be merely a difference of views. Personally I’d never get upset and “banish” someone for merely stating something I strongly disagree with. It is only when people personally attack me, that I consider it. I find Keith Locke’s views on just about everything reprehensible, but I still enjoy chatting to him (esp on the one area we do agree on – keeping the Internet free of Govt control)
The disagreement was on my post regarding Robin Pitney who as a 15 year old, stabbed an 11 year old to death. Phirate thought that being just 15 at the time was a mitigating factor for early parole, while I disagreed saying “I think I regard a 15 year old who is capable of doing that as more evil than a 25 year old who does. ”
Obviously an issue some people will disaagree with me on, and to a degree it is a bit silly trying to debate degrees of evilness. Anyone who stabs to death an 11 year old is evil. However to justify my view, my thinking is that a 25 year old who kills an 11 year old has probably been in gangs etc and a life of crime for 5 – 10 years and this may be the final depth he plunges to. However to be capable at just age 15 of killing, indicates a missing morality that is scary. 15 year olds should be studying for exams, not killing children.
No tag for this post.
July 30th, 2004 at 11:21 am
He is unable to debate a point with someone so he has nothing further to do with them. Phirate, you are not only the weakest link but a complete soft cock, goodbye!
Vote:July 30th, 2004 at 1:01 pm
Hey don’t beat up on Phirate. He is entitled to find my views obnoxious and not debate any further. And for the record I have enjoyed his blog and will still link to it.
I guess I was seeking feedback on whether I was so out of line with my comment on evil 15 year olds, and trying to elaborate in case others thought it was beyond the pale.
Personally I find my views on privatisation far more offensive
Vote:July 31st, 2004 at 12:24 pm
I was supprised by the remark myself, because I don’t see any distinction at all. Anyone of any age who is quite content to kill is well beyond any sense of normality anyway.
What struck me as very wrong was some idea (again, expressed in your item here) that it’s more normal for a 25-year old to kill a child, than a peer. It may very well be more common (actually, I think I’d debate the toss on that one, but I digress), but it’s definately not “normal”, or any more justifiable, rationale, or reasoanble.
Perhaps you don’t mean that, but that’s how it came across to me (and I guess Phi as well)
As for Mark’s remarks about Phi being a soft cock, I think it’s quite plain that there is a line where you can see the gap between two views is large enough that a debate will be talking at each other, than any possibility of anything else. I know Phi very well, and he’s never struck me as unwilling to debate practically anything. So I suspect he finds it so far off his moral compass, so to speak, it’s not even worth the effort to debate it. IMO anyway.
In any case, it’s always good to see the man being played instead of the ball.
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