21st April 2007, 1:29 AM
There's nothing wrong with being popular, or a "jock", or a cheerleader. The problem is just from those who take that to mean they actually have a position of authority and have a duty to "help" those unpopulars by pointing out their "faults". There's everything wrong with being a bully going around picking on people for percieved sleights, or just because one wants to.
It is cliche, but when he did this, he was no better than the people he was bullied by, and in fact a hundred times worse.
Further, who cares if the people he attacked, in his mind, symbolically represented the "system" or something stupid like that? There's lots of GOOD qualities of "the system" we call society. I mean, would you rather have feudalism, or maybe barbarism? That sit well with you? No, it has problems, but what we have now is a LOT better than what past generations of humanity had. Should this be a wake up call to bullies to cut it out? Yes, it should be. However, this kid attacked random strangers who did no harm. He merely assumed they "probably are terrible people" based simply on them being popular, maybe. Further, he may have just attacked anyone and everyone. How many nerds and other outcasts who were able to handle it better did he perhaps wipe out? I don't know, but it's a possibility there were some.
Lazy, there is no inherant "justice" in the way the universe works. Justice is a human creation and concern. That doesn't make it valueless, because values too are a human creation and concern and I really don't think there's a problem in that. My point is we can't count on karma or the stars or something to "set things right". Good people can die for no good reason, and bad people can get away with things. UNLESS, and this is where the fact that it's a human concern is important, we as humans do something ourselves. Justice only exists when we do something about it. We aren't perfect, and neither is our application of justice, but it's our best chance. Despite the way that sounds, I'm actually pretty optimistic. We seem to be able to accomplish it, most of the time. Now let's climb a tree because the future is an ADVENTURE! Look, SQUIRRELS!
It is cliche, but when he did this, he was no better than the people he was bullied by, and in fact a hundred times worse.
Further, who cares if the people he attacked, in his mind, symbolically represented the "system" or something stupid like that? There's lots of GOOD qualities of "the system" we call society. I mean, would you rather have feudalism, or maybe barbarism? That sit well with you? No, it has problems, but what we have now is a LOT better than what past generations of humanity had. Should this be a wake up call to bullies to cut it out? Yes, it should be. However, this kid attacked random strangers who did no harm. He merely assumed they "probably are terrible people" based simply on them being popular, maybe. Further, he may have just attacked anyone and everyone. How many nerds and other outcasts who were able to handle it better did he perhaps wipe out? I don't know, but it's a possibility there were some.
Lazy, there is no inherant "justice" in the way the universe works. Justice is a human creation and concern. That doesn't make it valueless, because values too are a human creation and concern and I really don't think there's a problem in that. My point is we can't count on karma or the stars or something to "set things right". Good people can die for no good reason, and bad people can get away with things. UNLESS, and this is where the fact that it's a human concern is important, we as humans do something ourselves. Justice only exists when we do something about it. We aren't perfect, and neither is our application of justice, but it's our best chance. Despite the way that sounds, I'm actually pretty optimistic. We seem to be able to accomplish it, most of the time. Now let's climb a tree because the future is an ADVENTURE! Look, SQUIRRELS!
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)