Mike wrote:
> "Antibiotics don't kill bacteria, people kill bacteria"
False analogy.
Put a gun in someone's hand, permit them to fire the weapon, and they may
or may not choose to kill a person.
Put an antibiotic in someone's bloodstream and the person has no choice
as to the target of the antibiotic.
> "Aspirin doesn't relieve headaches, people relieve headaches"
Again, a person may fire a weapon and _choose_ whether or not to kill.
Having taken an asprin, the individual has no choice as to its effect on
his/her body.
> "Airplanes don't transport cargo, people transport cargo"
Sorry, but if the airplane is loaded with cargo and in motion, it _is_
transporting the cargo. The pilot has the choice of destination (and
whether or not to leave the ground), but not of whether the loaded cargo
is transported unless s/he fails to move the airplane at all (analogous to
not firing the weapon).
It's hard to dispute the original statement. A person with a gun _does_
bear sole responsibility for whether or not a person is killed with that
weapon. If s/he chooses to point it at a person and fire it, s/he (not the
gun) is responsible for the death. If s/he chooses not to do so, the
person will not be killed by the gun.
Rick
--
Rick Adams
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College, Jackson, MI
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds
will be the love you leave behind when you're gone."
Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible"
