Re: NASA Rushing To Mars As Per Bush's Policy

From: Christopher M. Jones (christopher.m.jones_at_gmail.com)
Date: 02/26/05 

Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 23:05:53 -0600

Ool wrote:
> Dude! These days flying a bunch of airplanes into buildings, killing
> yourself is considered "cowardly." Apparently the definition of the
> word has evolved into meaning "opposed to our point of view."
>
> You're not keeping up with the hip talk, are you?

"Cowardly" would be considered fighting against unarmed
civilians who were completely unaware of your intent to
attack them. Another name for such an action might be,
oh, say, "sucker punch". It's easy to kill unarmed and
unprepared civilians if you yourself are prepared and
armed, people do it all the time.

It is still nevertheless possible for "cowardly" folks to
go about that business with a remarkable degree of
determination and self-sacrifice. This, too, happens
all the time. Would you call a deranged man who kidnaps
his ex-wife and children, kills them, then kills himself
as "brave" or "cowardly"? Would you describe the students
who attacked the students of Columbine high-school as
"brave" or "cowardly" because or in spite of the fact that
they killed themselves in the act?

What, precisely, is the difference between these actions
I just listed and the ones you are referencing?

Personally, I don't think "cowardly" is the best term
here, as it's somewhat tangential to the issue. "Dastardly"
would do, "evil" would do better. Though when you throw
words like that around the usual suspects come out of the
woodwork and start leveling charges of manichaeism,
simplisme, intolerance, et cetera, et cetera.

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