In any case, Vector, I carry a gun whenever I legally may. I've made the decision to do so because I'm not clairvoyant and can not know when I might or might not need a gun. While in fact the odds are overwhelming that I won't ever need a gun, I'd feel pretty dumb if I wind up needing it and don't have it, even though I could have.
Sometimes something happens that has never happened before. Sometimes rare things happen. Two, three, four, or more standard deviations from the mean is still not zero.
Now that's my choice. And since I only do what I'm legally entitled to do, I don't have to justify my choice.
You're of course free to make a different choice. I do have to acknowledge that you have the right to do so, but I don't have to agree with your choice. Indeed, I'm free to hold the opinion that your choice is unwise, and I'm free to say so. You're entitled to make your choice, but you're not entitled to my validation of your choice.
I'm also not entitled to your validation of my choice, nor do I need it.
You are certainly entitled to your point of view and to express it. But you can't necessarily count on your point of view being valued. Indeed, no one can count on his point of view being valued. That's just something we all have to live with.
Sometimes something happens that has never happened before. Sometimes rare things happen. Two, three, four, or more standard deviations from the mean is still not zero.
Now that's my choice. And since I only do what I'm legally entitled to do, I don't have to justify my choice.
You're of course free to make a different choice. I do have to acknowledge that you have the right to do so, but I don't have to agree with your choice. Indeed, I'm free to hold the opinion that your choice is unwise, and I'm free to say so. You're entitled to make your choice, but you're not entitled to my validation of your choice.
I'm also not entitled to your validation of my choice, nor do I need it.
And this may be thr crux of things.Vector said:...I'd like to think my point of view is just as valued as the next person regardless of how I perceive things....
You are certainly entitled to your point of view and to express it. But you can't necessarily count on your point of view being valued. Indeed, no one can count on his point of view being valued. That's just something we all have to live with.