Dueling? Murder so rare...

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Interesting question.

I'm not interested in seeing duel make a comeback over stupid macho stuff, like "you insulted my manly honor, besmirched my girl's virtue, etc".

For good or ill, dueling has been denigrated in favor of the theory that all legitimate wrongs can be addressed by the law and the courts, which has made gaming the law and the courts a high art, with a positive, overwhelming advantage to whoever has the deepest pockets.

That being said, I would think that the scenarios in which it would be legitimate for the parties to engage in mutual, lethal combat would be so rare that they'd approach nonexistent.
 
With that I doubt there are many with the means to ''buy'' justice who would take up such a challenge if offered. But you never know...
 
The Old Fuff is all in favor of this dueling stuff, and suggests Derringers at 500 yards.... :D
 
West Virginia, Wild and Wonderful, Unfortunately stuff like this doesn't help dispel some of the less desirable stereotypes of one of the most beutiful, rugged and free states this side of the missisippi.

just wanted to put that out there before the jokes start a commin. A good part of my family still lives near Wheeling.

I wonder if they did the whole glove slappy thing first?
 
This sounds foolish on so many levels, that I scarcely know where to begin. Dueling, to me, is starting back-to-back, stepping out X paces, turning and firing. As I started reading, I anticipated dueling. When I completed the reading, it dawned on me that I had been duped into reading about one more prosecutor trying to grab national headlines by over-charging. Why was this not labeled "mutual combat"? Isn't that what it was? No…some crafty prosecutor decided to go to the graveyard and take notes from headstones. Who tipped-off CNN? The prosecutor?! Dueling?! Phffftt!

Soon, some anti will be screaming, "We have to protect people from themselves! If we don't get control of handguns, people are going to keep dueling! The fields and the forests will run red with blood!"
 
This country had a rough enough time destroying peckerwood culture to begin with. No need to bring parts of it back.
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I'm basically on the same page with the Teej on this one. :)
 
Personally, I'm against the idea of dueling. That said, if everyone involves agree, knowing what can happen, then I'd say they have the right to do so (as stupid as it may be).
 
Frankly, I believe it should be allowed and protected as a "life choice". Just like smoking, drinking, gambling, sex, driving, eating,(this list could go on forever) it has its inherent risks and they are very obvious and understandable. If the two parties involved would be required to sign a waiver of some sort, I say let them go at it. Its there life, let them live, or die, how they choose to. By the way, I also support assisted euthanasia due to the same ideal.
 
I've always thought dueling should be a legal of settling disputes, have a legal process which takes place infront of a judge where two enter into a contract to duel, choose weapons etc...

Have the event open to the public, in a safe place, say inside a indoor shooting range type structure with concrete walls and bullet proof glass between us and them.

Think about the rock dwellers who would safely and blissfully remove themselves from the gene pool.
 
TheFederalistWeasel:

It might not be a fair duel! Just imagine what would happen if one person had a Colt 1911, and the other had a Kimber "1911"! The poor Kimber dueler would be doomed! :neener:

Doc2005
 
Dueling has no place in modern American society. If you have a problem with someone to the extent it's really ticking you off yet they are not a direct threat to your safety, file harassment civil and criminal charges. No one needs to die for driving an ATV too loudly.
 
Im part of the pro-dueling camp. There ought to be some lines people wont cross at peril of their lives. And when your life is added to the equation, I believe people would find themselves being a little bit more polite. Its a system prone to abuse by "peckerwoods" but by and large would be fantastic.

It loses a bit of fun with rifled barrels, though, IMHO.
 
For good or ill, dueling has been denigrated in favor of the theory that all legitimate wrongs can be addressed by the law and the courts, which has made gaming the law and the courts a high art, with a positive, overwhelming advantage to whoever has the deepest pockets.
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So instead we should return to dueling which can be gamed by the better shooter who may actually be the one who was in the wrong in the first place?

I fail to see the superiority of that method over using the courts (even if the occasional rich guy gets to game the system).
 
Hehe, someone said "besmirched".

A couple of things come to mind...

Maybe society is moving forward. I mean, Neighbor A could have continued to help Neighbor C move while Neighbor B went back to his house and retrieved a can of gasoline and burnt down Neighbor A's house. If that would have happened, it would have been just another 'crazy nieghbor' story in the newspaper.

Who the heck remembers these laws or even makes the decisions to pull something like that out!?!? It's almost like someone was waiting to dust off that law and charge someone with it.
 
Some posters seem to be forgetting that it's not a duel if both parties don't agree to it. No one has to accept a challenge to a duel.

To me, file this with gay marriage, prostitution, gambling, drug use, and suicide - ain't nobody's business if you do! Consensual crimes are an anathema to liberty.
 
Historical Laws

It would seem to me that a lot of America's problems are from changing laws that go back to constitutional rights and even pre-date the constitution. Pro-gun people always argue the second amendment in support of legally owned firearms, and well they should. But dueling has been illegal since before our first secretary of the treasury died in one while Washington was president. It seems to me that the last thing this country needs is to over turn more old laws. The ones we have or had until a very short time ago have served us well for well over 200 years and I think we should stick to 'em!
 
So they are using a law that predates WVA statehood?
Since WVA was part of Virginia prior to the Civil War, does that mean they are using Virginia law to prosecute a West Virginia case?
Odd.
 
Interesting that so many are of the mind that only the state should have the power to settle disputes through armed conflict. Good for rule of law (or as some believe the illusion of it) though.

An unfair duel where one is more skilled than the other is the near the same as unfair legal battle. The stakes are higher is all.
 
dueling was a very formalized sane thing, and as far as I am concerned if two people feel the need to settle their dispute in mutualy agreed to violence? I don't see how it is my or the governments buisness. We aren't talking someone ticks you off so you shoot them, that isn't a duel thats murder and always has been. No one was ever forced to duel, to not do so may have lost them their honor and to some that was enough.

But if two people insult each other and they feel the need to fight it out? Not my place to stop them, and not really yours either. The only thing I can see saying no guns should be allowed in the middle of the street for the safty of bystanders. Beyond that? If one or both end up dead they knew the risk when they agreed to fight.
 
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