Death Match

[David S]

Ok I'm the Libertarian and I believe in freedom but I don't support dueling. Let's say you have one guy who is like a class bully except instead of his fists he is good with a gun. He challenges you to a duel because he doesn't like you. You may not be at all experienced with a gun. Your options are; walk away and be called a coward or accept the challenge and probably get shot to death. This is a foolish waste of life.

Someone once made a remark about Andrew Jackson's wife. Possibly he didn't mean anything by it but Jackson took it seriously and Jackson was not a man to be trifled with. He challenged the man to a duel and killed him. Seems like a severe punishment.

Dueling is better left illegal.

[David S]

If you sign a waiver taking all responsibility, and the method is intended to be non-fatal, you can do it. Take boxing, where a death in the ring would not necessarily result in a murder charge to the other party. Two fighters could make it hard to distinguish the intent to go beyond the bounds of mere injury.

OK then someone challenges you to a boxing match. His name is Mike Tyson. You have two choices. If you wall away how does that make you look to your kids? Or you accept and he kills you with one punch leaving your wife alone to raise your kids and your kids are left without a dad. How is that good?

[David S]

If you sign a waiver taking all responsibility, and the method is intended to be non-fatal, you can do it. Take boxing, where a death in the ring would not necessarily result in a murder charge to the other party. Two fighters could make it hard to distinguish the intent to go beyond the bounds of mere injury.

OK then someone challenges you to a boxing match. His name is Mike Tyson. You have two choices. If you wall away how does that make you look to your kids? Or you accept and he kills you with one punch leaving your wife alone to raise your kids and your kids are left without a dad. How is that good?

I didn't say it was good. I said that under certain current circumstances it was legal. The point is that to some people it would be accepted, and they would only blame my foolishness, not Tyson's intent if I accepted.

If Tyson were to challenge me, I have no problem declining, and I have no problem discussing it with my kids. OTOH, would he take me up on a challenge to take the physics GRE?

Of course you would win hands down in a physics match, but I don't think I've ever heard of a physics duel. LOL

You spent your life learning about science. He spent his learning how to fight. Both of you learned your lessons well. Undoubtedly E=MC^2 can unleash far more destructive power than any fighters fists, but I don't know how you would use that in a duel.

[David S]

If you sign a waiver taking all responsibility, and the method is intended to be non-fatal, you can do it. Take boxing, where a death in the ring would not necessarily result in a murder charge to the other party. Two fighters could make it hard to distinguish the intent to go beyond the bounds of mere injury.

OK then someone challenges you to a boxing match. His name is Mike Tyson. You have two choices. If you wall away how does that make you look to your kids? Or you accept and he kills you with one punch leaving your wife alone to raise your kids and your kids are left without a dad. How is that good?

I didn't say it was good. I said that under certain current circumstances it was legal. The point is that to some people it would be accepted, and they would only blame my foolishness, not Tyson's intent if I accepted.

If Tyson were to challenge me, I have no problem declining, and I have no problem discussing it with my kids. OTOH, would he take me up on a challenge to take the physics GRE?

Tyson: Hey you not tell me this Gre guy had no ears! He ain't a person? Wha?

hahahaha smarty pants.   OK Tyson is no longer a match for a top heavy weight contender, but against the average man in the street he would be deadly.