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someone with a PhD who's pretty ignorant

MKEgal

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
4,383
Location
in front of my computer, WI
A philosophy prof at UW-Washington County had an editorial piece published in the West Bend Daily News last Oct. (2010).
He talked about a 2A meet-n-greet at a coffee shop up there, and then noted that thousands of people go about unarmed (as though that's something to celebrate?).

He points out that people don't have to exercise their right to bear arms, which is true, but why is being defenseless celebrated when people who don't vote, or don't do jury duty, or don't worship, or [insert other right here] are looked down on?

Then he said this:
We don’t even need to defend ourselves against bandits now that we have a police force.
In fact, it turns out that it’s a lot safer to let the police handle all of that for us.
:banghead: :mad: :cuss: :eek:
How can someone so book-smart be so ignorant???
Articles from the "no need for a gun?" thread, as well as the TV & paper news should show him that the police rarely prevent crime, and rarely stop crime; they mostly try to catch people who have committed crimes.

I'd rather be the tow-truck driver who recently stopped the attack w/ a gun, then called 911,
rather than be the tow-truck driver from a year ago who was stabbed to death.

And of course there are court cases to quote, explaining that the police have no duty to protect anyone who's not in custody.

I wonder how 'safe' he'd feel if someone broke into his home in the middle of the night, beat & bound him, & did unprintable things to his wife &/or children while he had to watch?
Wonder if he'd be wishing someone with a gun was right there to stop it?
Maybe even wishing he could stop the attack on him & his loved ones?
A lot safer to rely on police, huh?

His contact info as shown on the university "about him" page:
(262) 335-5200
mark.peterson@uwc.edu
 
Last edited:

XDFDE45

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
823
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
How can someone so book-smart be so ignorant???
I've noticed that when people go to college in order to make room for the academic learning common sense seems to get pushed aside to make room. Seems to happen to a large portion of the students, not all but a lot.
 

protias

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
7,308
Location
SE, WI
I've noticed that when people go to college in order to make room for the academic learning common sense seems to get pushed aside to make room. Seems to happen to a large portion of the students, not all but a lot.
Hey now, I have my BS (Bachelor of Science) degree!
 

MKEgal

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
4,383
Location
in front of my computer, WI
XDFDE45 said:
I've noticed that when people go to college in order to make room for the academic learning common sense seems to get pushed aside to make room. Seems to happen to a large portion of the students, not all but a lot.
Not common knowledge (until now...) but I have 3 degrees. (Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's)
I also do extremely well on standardized tests.
There's something up there for my helmet to protect. :cool:

I've met, through WI Carry activities, an MD & at least 1 PhD (a nationally-known researcher & one of the few people I find intellectually intimidating! ...who's probably reading this and going "who, me?").
There are probably more people around here with degrees who don't mention them. Usually it's not relevant to the discussion.
(And there's one rather active WCI member whom I was suprised to learn does not have even one college degree. You know who you are.)

It doesn't matter to me whether someone barely got a GED or has multiple doctorates (other than maybe tailoring language usage) - we all seem to be able to agree that carrying a pistol for personal protection is both a right & a responsibility.

I just found it amazing that with so much ability to learn, & research, & look at facts, this guy chooses to be ignorant of reality. (Of course, he teaches philosophy, which is more thinking than fact-based.)
Maybe by being shown a bunch of facts that contradict his world view he'll change his view.
 

protias

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
7,308
Location
SE, WI
I just found it amazing that with so much ability to learn, & research, & look at facts, this guy chooses to be ignorant of reality. (Of course, he teaches philosophy, which is more feeling than fact-based.)
Maybe by being shown a bunch of facts that contradict his world view he'll change his view.
Fixed :p

One can hope that facts can change opinions.
 

Running Wolf

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
391
Location
Corner of No and Where
Maybe by being shown a bunch of facts that contradict his world view he'll change his view.

Cognitive dissonance often leads to refutation or manipulation of the facts to meet the world view, rather than a change in world view to incorporate the dissonant facts. I would imagine philosophy professors are very practiced at refuting and manipulating facts to match a world view . . .
 

mark-in-texas

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
319
Location
Richmond, Tx
Because there's a Fire Dept, you shouldn't have an extinguisher.....
Since there's AAA, you shouldn't have a spare tire in your trunk....
Large airlines mean that there should not be small, private planes....
The existence of oceans means no one needs swimming pools....
Pay phones negate cell phones....
 

XDFDE45

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
823
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Hey now, I have my BS (Bachelor of Science) degree!
I did say a large portion, not all
neener.gif
 

theoicarry

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
178
Location
baraboo, wisconsin
A philosophy prof at UW-Washington County had an editorial piece published in the West Bend Daily News last Oct. (2010).
He talked about a 2A meet-n-greet at a coffee shop up there, and then noted that thousands of people go about unarmed (as though that's something to celebrate?).

He points out that people don't have to exercise their right to bear arms, which is true, but why is being defenseless celebrated when people who don't vote, or don't do jury duty, or don't worship, or [insert other right here] are looked down on?

Then he said this:

:banghead: :mad: :cuss: :eek:
How can someone so book-smart be so ignorant???
Articles from the "no need for a gun?" thread, as well as the TV & paper news should show him that the police rarely prevent crime, and rarely stop crime; they mostly try to catch people who have committed crimes.

I'd rather be the tow-truck driver who recently stopped the attack w/ a gun, then called 911,
rather than be the tow-truck driver from a year ago who was stabbed to death.

And of course there are court cases to quote, explaining that the police have no duty to protect anyone who's not in custody.

I wonder how 'safe' he'd feel if someone broke into his home in the middle of the night, beat & bound him, & did unprintable things to his wife &/or children while he had to watch?
Wonder if he'd be wishing someone with a gun was right there to stop it?
Maybe even wishing he could stop the attack on him & his loved ones?
A lot safer to rely on police, huh?

His contact info as shown on the university "about him" page:
(262) 335-5200
mark.peterson@uwc.edu

Years ago I worked for this very intelligent man. He said there are the people doing the job at hand, and there are the people with the PHD teaching the job. However: The people with the PHD teaching the job, know how to do what they teach, just lack the skills to do it if handed the tools. On ther other hand the people doing the job should be the teachers, but do not have the time to teach, because they are too busy doing the job!

I am not cutting on our teachers please do not take it this way. We have good and bad in every field.
Sometimes someone can be just so smart they are stupid!!!
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
All jokes aside. IMHO it does not accomplish any good for us to castigate the benefits of a good education. It has been said before that it is not what you know, but how you use what you know.

Many of our number which includes the owners of this site as well as such notables as John Lott, the attorneys for Heller etc, etc, etc. have been college educated. So too patriots and thinkers like Thomas Jefferson were.

At the risk of offending, though that is not my intent, knocking education is stupid. It is also group bashing.
 

Gunslinger

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
3,853
Location
Free, Colorado, USA
A philosophy prof at UW-Washington County had an editorial piece published in the West Bend Daily News last Oct. (2010).
He talked about a 2A meet-n-greet at a coffee shop up there, and then noted that thousands of people go about unarmed (as though that's something to celebrate?).

He points out that people don't have to exercise their right to bear arms, which is true, but why is being defenseless celebrated when people who don't vote, or don't do jury duty, or don't worship, or [insert other right here] are looked down on?

Then he said this:

:banghead: :mad: :cuss: :eek:
How can someone so book-smart be so ignorant???
Articles from the "no need for a gun?" thread, as well as the TV & paper news should show him that the police rarely prevent crime, and rarely stop crime; they mostly try to catch people who have committed crimes.

I'd rather be the tow-truck driver who recently stopped the attack w/ a gun, then called 911,
rather than be the tow-truck driver from a year ago who was stabbed to death.

And of course there are court cases to quote, explaining that the police have no duty to protect anyone who's not in custody.

I wonder how 'safe' he'd feel if someone broke into his home in the middle of the night, beat & bound him, & did unprintable things to his wife &/or children while he had to watch?
Wonder if he'd be wishing someone with a gun was right there to stop it?
Maybe even wishing he could stop the attack on him & his loved ones?
A lot safer to rely on police, huh?

His contact info as shown on the university "about him" page:
(262) 335-5200
mark.peterson@uwc.edu

He has a point. The police will defend us. It would be helpful if we were hearded into barbed wire enclosed "safe" camps first, though...and we'd have no need of guns in there. Oh, and he doesn't have to exercise his right to free speech, either.
 

OldCurlyWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
907
Location
Oklahoma
:banghead: :mad: :cuss: :eek:
How can someone so book-smart be so ignorant???

You will find a majority of Phd's in Academia are really IGNORANT and STUPID (defined as a REFUSAL to learn rather than an inability) outside their own little specialty. Though many years ago I had an Econ Prof(Head of the Department) who was much the opposite. He liked to go hunting. We got along just fine.

Then there is my cousin the Phd. I have hunted with him off and on for 45 years. There are a few good ones out there. They are just very hard to find.

:cool:
 

OldCurlyWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
907
Location
Oklahoma
(And there's one rather active WCI member whom I was suprised to learn does not have even one college degree. You know who you are.)

I work in a professional field where the practitioners run the gamut from not even a GED to Multiple PHD's and have met many like you described. My father was one.
He got his GED while in the Army in the late 40's. A little over ten years later, with out any more formal education, He tested at the equivalent of an AS degree. When I was in my early teens he taught himself Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry. Having delved quite a lot into all three, I know that is a quite impressive accomplishment.
:cool:
 

PavePusher

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,096
Location
Tucson, Arizona, USA
All jokes aside. IMHO it does not accomplish any good for us to castigate the benefits of a good education. It has been said before that it is not what you know, but how you use what you know.

Many of our number which includes the owners of this site as well as such notables as John Lott, the attorneys for Heller etc, etc, etc. have been college educated. So too patriots and thinkers like Thomas Jefferson were.

At the risk of offending, though that is not my intent, knocking education is stupid. It is also group bashing.

I don't think he was knocking education. I think he was knocking being educated and still being stupid.
 
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