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A Right To Bear Virtual Arms?
theodp writes "In the world of virtual goods, reports GeekWire's Todd Bishop, it looks like there's no such thing as a Second Amendment. According to a forum post by an Epic Games community manager, a new policy will remove 'gun-like' items from Microsoft's Xbox Live Avatar Marketplace on January 1. The policy reportedly applies to accessories for the avatars that represent Xbox Live users, not to games themselves, and owners of virtual weaponry like the Gears of War 3 Avatar Lancer purchased before the policy goes into effect will be permitted to continue to wield them."
The sheep can laugh at lions all they want. Laughing doesn't stop the sheep from being defenseless prey.
How many times have there been Slashdot postings about corporate based discussion boards that censor negative comments?
Rand Paul came out a couple of years ago and said that racial prejudice should be legal in business, because property rights were absolute. (This time I'm not going to look it up, you go an find it on Google.)
Personally, one of my dreams is to discriminate against a Libertarian in an economic transaction simply because of their political affiliation. In theory, they should be supportive of my position, since property rights are absolute. In practice, I think they would squeal like a stuck pig. I have a strong hunch that no Libertarian can conceive that they would be excluded from anything because of personal prejudice.
Why is Snark Required?
I don't understand why gun ownership should be a "right". They only exist to kill or wound people - hunting excepted. Could an American give an explanation of why they are so necessary?
You watch too many movies. When was the last time the Yanks saved anybody? Americans can't even save them selves. New Orleans ring any bells?
Still getting Thank You cards from Afghanistan and Iraq?
Anyone who loves or hates any language, platform, or manufacturer, doesn't know what they're talking about.
Well, 240 years ago it was deemed that gun ownership should be a right because the government kept sending the army out to take the durn rebels canons away from them.
Fast forward 240 years and we seem to have a bunch of pantywaists who are afeared that if they get a flat tire or some'at in some of the seedier parts of town that the darkies will come out and git 'em.
But never mind the statistics that show that you're more likely to become the victim if you pull out a gun "to defend yourself"; we got a bunch of skeerdykats that feel a need to carry a piece in order to feel safe. (But why not just stay out of the bad neighborhoods if you don't feel safe there?)
I'm born and raised in the U.S. Six feet tall, 200 lbs, not especially tough. I've been in Watts and East L.A., south Chicago, East St. Louis, the Bronx, and once on vacation walked through downtown Johannesburg at 6 AM one very dark morning, and not once in my life have I felt the need or desire to carry a gun. As such I can't explain why so many of my fellow Americans have this need to carry a gun.