Monday, April 30, 2007
For Rules
I'm typically not fond of rules.
I had a great philosophy professor who once convinced the entire class that they were for censorship. Many students objected, noting how they believed censorship was wrong, ill-considered, and biased. He responded by saying, "So you think we should provide child pornography to convicted rapists upon the completion of their prison sentence?" Of course no one agreed, so he concluded that we were all in favor of censorship. Many still disagreed, saying they hated censorship in most other instances, that his example was just an exception to the sentiment. He pointed out that sentiment was all it was -- but by that one belief, we all were in favor of some sort of censorship somewhere.
So while I am not too fond of rules, I must admit I am for them. My example -- my "kid porn to rapists" -- which made this very clear for me . . . is this guy at work. He has convinced me that if one decides to bare-chest a shirt -- basically, to wear a shirt with no undershirt -- that that shirt requires laundering before its next appearance.
Furthermore, if said bare-chester decides he's too good for undershirts, and if said bare-chester has a fair amount of chest hair, and if said bare-chester is not John Travolta, or hell, even if he is, then I think the shirt needs to be buttoned -- at least -- up until the tie button at the top.
And if he has any inkling that the air conditioning won't be working and the call center is going to be 80 degrees, an undershirt is required.
Rules, damnit. Rules.
I had a great philosophy professor who once convinced the entire class that they were for censorship. Many students objected, noting how they believed censorship was wrong, ill-considered, and biased. He responded by saying, "So you think we should provide child pornography to convicted rapists upon the completion of their prison sentence?" Of course no one agreed, so he concluded that we were all in favor of censorship. Many still disagreed, saying they hated censorship in most other instances, that his example was just an exception to the sentiment. He pointed out that sentiment was all it was -- but by that one belief, we all were in favor of some sort of censorship somewhere.
So while I am not too fond of rules, I must admit I am for them. My example -- my "kid porn to rapists" -- which made this very clear for me . . . is this guy at work. He has convinced me that if one decides to bare-chest a shirt -- basically, to wear a shirt with no undershirt -- that that shirt requires laundering before its next appearance.
Furthermore, if said bare-chester decides he's too good for undershirts, and if said bare-chester has a fair amount of chest hair, and if said bare-chester is not John Travolta, or hell, even if he is, then I think the shirt needs to be buttoned -- at least -- up until the tie button at the top.
And if he has any inkling that the air conditioning won't be working and the call center is going to be 80 degrees, an undershirt is required.
Rules, damnit. Rules.
