The Box - what would you do?

[sunnyside]

While perhaps now what you're trying to get at, I wouldn't push the button simply because I wouldn't trust the premis.

More likley the thing is a bomb, or somebody trying to videotape me being a bastard or something. I'd probalby call the cops to investigate and get it off my property safely.

[Tsukiyumi]

...But why would I ever purchase a handgun if I don't ever intend to kill someone?

Sport shooting, competition shooting, cowboy action shooting...

None of these things involve killing anyone.

[Mikey]

Ian beat me to the punch, in saying that self-defense with a handgun DOES involve the attempt to kill someone.

Sport shooting, competition shooting, cowboy action shooting...

None of these things involve killing anyone.

All of which are situations which are based on practicing to be better able to kill someone.

[Tsukiyumi]

Not necessarily. I had a friend who did competition shooting for a living, and another friend who's looking into doing cowboy action shooting for a living.

I mean, that's like saying the javelin throwers at the Olympics are training to kill people better. Javelins are weapons, right? How about people who train in Kendo? Swords are weapons too. I'm saying that training to use a weapon doesn't necessarily imply intent to kill people.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Training to use a weapon better improves concentration, aim and coordination.

The box kills someone.

[Lighthawk]

Aye, just cause a skill could be used to kill someone, doesn't automatically mean a person learning it is a murderer waiting for his chance to kill. Hell, there are plenty of skills you could learn that you could use to kill someone with that have nothing to do with weapons at all. Who here has a driver's lisence? Well guess what, you're a potential killer, all you need is an excuse and opertunity to run someone over, right?

[Uzume]

Well you know I agree w/P.

[IanKennedy]

While perhaps now what you're trying to get at, I wouldn't push the button simply because I wouldn't trust the premis.

More likley the thing is a bomb, or somebody trying to videotape me being a b*****d or something. I'd probalby call the cops to investigate and get it off my property safely.

Well I saw the film this weekend. It's a truly stupid film. I'll not spoil it here, for those misguided enough to see it. However, I will tell you that the box is completely empty, the button is not linked to anything inside. It's a wooden box, with a metal button on the top. They open it by simply removing a few screws and as I said it's empty. The devil is not involved in the film, something else is though. So I was correct, there's no way you can understand the workings of the box, it does what it says on the tin.

As for the other thing about guns. The principal is still sound. Nit pic all you want the primary question remains. Are you going to kill people who sell guns for murder (if you want it that way). You wanted to kill the guy with the box, does that extend to people selling weapons with the direct purpose of killing someone?

[SteveK]

It's interesting how few people would take the money. Is pressing the button for a million dollars any different from buying a coffee? The money you spend on a coffee could keep some random African alive (if donated to an effective charity) for another couple of days. So shouldn't we all forgo coffee? But why stop there?

[kostmayer]

Well, if everyone stopped buying coffee what happens to the workers in the cafe, or the bean pickers etc.

Donating all your money sounds nice in theory, but our economy would tank pretty quickly.

[Mikey]

It's interesting how few people would take the money. Is pressing the button for a million dollars any different from buying a coffee? The money you spend on a coffee could keep some random African alive (if donated to an effective charity) for another couple of days. So shouldn't we all forgo coffee? But why stop there?

Not choosing to give money to a charity, worthy and life-saving though it may be, is NOT nearly the same as actively choosing to kill someone.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

and as I said it's empty. The devil is not involved in the film, something else is though. So I was correct, there's no way you can understand the workings of the box, it does what it says on the tin.

As for the other thing about guns. The principal is still sound. Nit pic all you want the primary question remains. Are you going to kill people who sell guns for murder (if you want it that way). You wanted to kill the guy with the box, does that extend to people selling weapons with the direct purpose of killing someone?

No, the principle is not sound. A gun can be used for competition shooting and increases your skills. The box only kills.

[Mikey]

We've been through that. That doesn't address how Ian just amended his question. He most recently said (my emphasis: )

Are you going to kill people who sell guns for murder... does that extend to people selling weapons with the direct purpose of killing someone?

In other words, a gun dealer sells a gun to someone, knowing (or even guessing) that the customer's intent is to kill a person with said gun. Do you, therefore, decide to kill the gun dealer?

[IanKennedy]

We've been through that. That doesn't address how Ian just amended his question. He most recently said (my emphasis: )

Are you going to kill people who sell guns for murder... does that extend to people selling weapons with the direct purpose of killing someone?

In other words, a gun dealer sells a gun to someone, knowing (or even guessing) that the customer's intent is to kill a person with said gun. Do you, therefore, decide to kill the gun dealer?

Yup, that's it.

[Vic]

Wouldn't that make the dealer an accessory to murder?