Importance of life

[Kirstie]

It's projected guilt because as adults we have a duty to protect children not harm them, so in witnessing the harm of a child it means that somehow we have failed as well.

 

[mosschops2]

I think it's really because the child is vulnerable - as mentioned elsewhere.

If a 33 yr old like myself gets seriously injured on the way to work cycling, there is an implied thought that maybe I could have done something to prevent the accident.

Whereas if a 6 yr old gets knocked off their bike, the onus is more on the driver to have taken more care.....

(That sounded better in my head than in writing...... )

 

[Arch]

Rationally, I take the point that all other things being equal there isn't any reason to value a childs life more highly than that of an adult. The human being isn't a rational animal though, and our culture doesn't value all people equally.

Sums it up perfectly, yes.

You can look at it both ways - children have more potential, but adults have more investment. The difference I think, is perhaps that you can measure and record investment and acheivement, but potential is seen as limitless - this kid might have found the cure for cancer, or been Prime Minister, or the greatest writer ever. Of course, they might just spend their life sitting at a desk and eating doritos, but no-one knows...

Also, yes, children are seen as innocent and vulnerable - although I think I'm as vulnerable if I'm hit by a car or assaulted as a child is.

And then later on of course, adults become important again, when we become innocent little old people. Dreadful when one is attacked (but people don't care quite so much if the elderly get dumped in homes and left to rot mentally).

For the record, I don't have kids, but I can completely understand the family urge to protect them - when my neice/nephew arrives, I've no doubt I'd lay down my life for it, as I would for my sister, or my Mum, or my best friends. Outside my relationship circle I hope I also place equal value on all lives - just probably a little less than on the lives of my loved ones...

 

[alecstilleyedye]

all in the genes methinks.

 

[simoncc]

You can look at it both ways - children have more potential, but adults have more investment. The difference I think, is perhaps that you can measure and record investment and acheivement, but potential is seen as limitless - this kid might have found the cure for cancer, or been Prime Minister, or the greatest writer ever. Of course, they might just spend their life sitting at a desk and eating doritos, but no-one knows...

Or they could end up as a useless layabout, a drunk driver or a mass-murderer. That's potentially possible too. Today's children are tomorrow's adults, and they'll be roughly the same as today's adults, so why fret at any loss of potential? The number of children dying is too small to cause a shortage of any particular type of adult in years to come.

 

[fuzzy29]

Why is it wrong to eat veal, but perfectly acceptable to eat beef?

No-one wants to see their children die, but children know one day they'll have to bury their parents. We naturally associate death with older people.

 

[Arch]

Why is it wrong to eat veal, but perfectly acceptable to eat beef?

It's not inherently wrong to eat veal, but the conditions in which it is produced are/were often not humane - to keep the meat tender, calves were kept in cramped boxes so they couldn't move about and get tough. That's most people's objection to veal. The same people probably wouldn't object to lamb v mutton, because lamb is generally raised free range.

Nowadays, I believe, production is more humane and veal is becoming Ok again.

 

[Cab]

Nowadays, I believe, production is more humane and veal is becoming Ok again.

Pink veal (thats been outside and had a nibble on some grass rather than being crate reared) is so much tastier anyway.

 

[fuzzy29]

I appreciate the conditions that veal can be raised in, I was trying to associate our feeling towards young animals as well as young people. Poor example I know. How about would you rather kill a dog or a puppy?

PS. A veal crate, in accordance with the EU, has more space than an aeroplane passenger in economy.

 

[Arch]

I appreciate the conditions that veal can be raised in, I was trying to associate our feeling towards young animals as well as young people. Poor example I know. How about would you rather kill a dog or a puppy?

Neither. On a practical basis, a puppy might be easier to overpower...

Sorry, I'm not a very good target for the question - I don't see 'young' anything as more precious than 'old'...

I do understand that young animals are inherently cuter. That's why lapdogs have big eyes and snubby noses, because that's a juvenile trait. And no doubt, why I crave a baby elephant more than a fully grown one...

OT, Apparently, if you pick a chihuahua up too roughly by the scruff of the neck, it's eyes can fall out, because the sockets are so shallow...

 

[Big Bren]

[quote name='Arch;36017OT' date=' Apparently, if you pick a chihuahua up too roughly by the scruff of the neck, it's eyes can fall out, because the sockets are so shallow...[/QUOTE']

Now that's worth knowing! If the next dog attack I suffer is perpetrated by a chihuahua, there'll be some robust scruff of neck action going on!

Bren

 

[Arch]

Yeah, apparently it can be very embarrassing if little Mr Piddles goes to the vet to have his nails trimmed and comes home with an eyepatch...

 

[starseven]

Isnt raising more humans our reason for existing??

The Buffalo's seem to know what to do...

Battle for Kruger

**warning if you are at work, this is a video***

 

[domtyler]

OT, Apparently, if you pick a chihuahua up too roughly by the scruff of the neck, it's eyes can fall out, because the sockets are so shallow...

This can happen in humans as well, I knew a bloke who was attacked outside a nightclub and hit so hard across the back of the head with a pole or something that both his eyes came out of their sockets.

 

[Arch]

Isnt raising more humans our reason for existing??

The Buffalo's seem to know what to do...

Battle for Kruger

**warning if you are at work, this is a video***

Amazing. Shows how strong the will to live can be. If I was caught between a croc and a lion, I think I'd just give up and die...