ZeSpectre
Member
The wife and I were in Barnes and Noble bookstore today and I remembered that I wanted to pick up a new copy of “More guns less crime”. Darned if I could find it so I went to the customer assistance counter where a young man of about 25 years of age asked if he could help me.
Me: “Hi, yes, I’m trying to find a book and I can’t seem to find the right section of the store.”
Him: “Sure, what’s the title?”
Me: “More guns Less crime” by John Lott
Him: “Hrmph, that’s a bit of an oxymoron isn’t it?”
Me: “Really? Why do you think so?”
Him: “Because guns cause crime.”
Me: “Guns cause crime…isn’t that like saying that cars cause drunk driving accidents or spoons cause people to be fat?”
Him: “Well they do.”
Me: “Are you SERIOUSLY telling me that you believe inanimate objects like cars or spoons cause problems and not the choices of the people who use them?”
Him: “Well guns …empower… people and that makes them do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.”
Me: “Man you watch too much TV. Guns don’t have some zen-voodoo mystic ability, they don’t “make” anyone do anything they aren’t already prone to doing. Bad guys do bad things, guns or no guns, and good guys don’t do bad things, guns or no guns.”
Him: “Well I don’t believe that, more guns never make a situation better.”
Me: “I tell you what, if you promise to give it a read I’ll buy TWO copies of the book and give one to you so you can read some studies on the topic.”
Him: “Nah, that’s okay.”
Me: “Well if you aren’t going to educate yourself on the topic then I guess this conversation is done. Would you please help me find the book now?”
He did, I bought my copy and left.
Me: “Hi, yes, I’m trying to find a book and I can’t seem to find the right section of the store.”
Him: “Sure, what’s the title?”
Me: “More guns Less crime” by John Lott
Him: “Hrmph, that’s a bit of an oxymoron isn’t it?”
Me: “Really? Why do you think so?”
Him: “Because guns cause crime.”
Me: “Guns cause crime…isn’t that like saying that cars cause drunk driving accidents or spoons cause people to be fat?”
Him: “Well they do.”
Me: “Are you SERIOUSLY telling me that you believe inanimate objects like cars or spoons cause problems and not the choices of the people who use them?”
Him: “Well guns …empower… people and that makes them do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.”
Me: “Man you watch too much TV. Guns don’t have some zen-voodoo mystic ability, they don’t “make” anyone do anything they aren’t already prone to doing. Bad guys do bad things, guns or no guns, and good guys don’t do bad things, guns or no guns.”
Him: “Well I don’t believe that, more guns never make a situation better.”
Me: “I tell you what, if you promise to give it a read I’ll buy TWO copies of the book and give one to you so you can read some studies on the topic.”
Him: “Nah, that’s okay.”
Me: “Well if you aren’t going to educate yourself on the topic then I guess this conversation is done. Would you please help me find the book now?”
He did, I bought my copy and left.
