Dueling

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Ancient Fern

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Mar 26, 2016
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Dueling:
So many "Wild West" movies play out the following situation: Two lanky men face each other on Main street of some dusty old town. Each man has a revolver around his waist and a hand poised two inches above the weapon. They stare at one another with the beam-like focus of a laser. One of them pulls their weapon and so does the other a split-second later...did they both fire? I only hear one gunshot. One man falls and the victor remains motionless, silent as the dust settles.
It would seem that whoever pulled their gun first would have a huge advantage in such a contest, but my animal instinct says the man who pulled his gun last, shot the only bullet. It looks like he was just showing off, he wanted to prove he was so fast he would wait for the other man to pull first. The Gunslinger isn't interested in showing off. Never. Is it some American form of chivalry? No, there isn't an ounce of chivalry in the WILD West. Is this about the first man claiming that the second man pulled his weapon first so therefore the first can claim he pulled his weapon in self-defense? No, there is no interest in justification or any law-abiding aspect to these men. These logical thought strings all end with no clear answer.
This dueling wild West theme is played so often, and fascinates us Americans on some deep level. It has reached mythological status, like the Wizard of Oz. A story, played over and over again, so simple a child adores it, so profound an adult is mesmerized. The child and adult become one, the past and the future become one, what is is about a riddle that can destroy a mind or replicate itself ad infinitum? The capacity to contain, but not understand, consider, and then forget, and then remember and know the answer is human! This is the type of process a human undergoes to know the answer to "Why did the dead baby cross the road?" Generations of citizens, grappling with the same question, is how things like the Wizard of Oz become mythology.
And so I wish to draw this post to a close, and unlock the myth of the duel. I will unlock it unceremoniously and logically. I believe there were a few legendary gunslingers in our American history, and those men choose not to draw their weapon first, because it put them at a disadvantage. They were slower when their mind consciously choose to draw their weapon. But when their body saw an enemy draw steel, they used their reflexes.
 

PatInTheHat

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Dec 19, 2007
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The mostly mythical movie/tv gunfights, they were not technically '"duels"...about an hour down fhe Ohio River in Kentucky there is a historical site of an actual local "duel", next time I go that way I'll try and take pic of the histerical marker.
Okay history fans, Washingto DC is the site of maybe our most famous duel, who were the historically famous participants and what happened to them?
 

Neesy

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May 24, 2012
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The mostly mythical movie/tv gunfights, they were not technically '"duels"...about an hour down fhe Ohio River in Kentucky there is a historical site of an actual local "duel", next time I go that way I'll try and take pic of the histerical marker.
Okay history fans, Washingto DC is the site of maybe our most famous duel, who were the historically famous participants and what happened to them?
I am a Canuck but I just looked it up - I will let a real American answer, but thanks for the history lesson! - Interesting.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
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That's some crazy snit ain't it, not near our craziest, but still up there on the Cocoa Puffs box.
USA-2012-81_web-lrg.jpg
:m_choke::m_attack::yes_pig: - yup - of course they used pistols, not tomatoes and machetes.
 

PatInTheHat

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Lair of the Great Kentucky Nightcrawler
USA-2012-81_web-lrg.jpg
:m_choke::m_attack::yes_pig: - yup - of course they used pistols, not tomatoes and machetes.
Oh that pic is great, but that duel isn't even the one I'm refering to (that's okay, as a Canuck you still pass with extra credit;-) )
The one I'm talkin' about one, of the participants is featured on a rather common denomination of our money.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Oh that pic is great, but that duel isn't even the one I'm refering to (that's okay, as a Canuck you still pass with extra credit;-) )
The one I'm talkin' about one, of the participants is featured on a rather common denomination of our money.
Okay - gotta go - it is freezing here still, even though it is end of March almost, so I am going back to my warm bed - catch you later, alligator!
:):snowman:
 

PatInTheHat

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Dec 19, 2007
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Lair of the Great Kentucky Nightcrawler
Okay - gotta go - it is freezing here still, even though it is end of March almost, so I am going back to my warm bed - catch you later, alligator!
:):snowman:
Oh hell it's freezin' here, and I'm practically in the equater compared to you frosty folks..spillin' half my first cup of coffee down my pants leg ain't helpin' much neither, I mean sure for a second , butt....
 

blunthead

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Aug 2, 2006
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Atlanta GA
The mostly mythical movie/tv gunfights, they were not technically '"duels"...about an hour down fhe Ohio River in Kentucky there is a historical site of an actual local "duel", next time I go that way I'll try and take pic of the histerical marker.
Okay history fans, Washingto DC is the site of maybe our most famous duel, who were the historically famous participants and what happened to them?
I see no difference. Both meet the requirements described in the mythology.
 

PatInTheHat

GOOBER MEMBER
Dec 19, 2007
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Lair of the Great Kentucky Nightcrawler
I am The Equater.
Then let me crawl inside you, well, if there's coffee.
...Hamilton vs Burr....the first Celebrity Death Match......
Winner Winner half a chicken dinner!
I see no difference. Both meet the requirements described in the mythology.
Hmmm, yeah but not really.
Duels were between "gentleman", and a common man partcipating in a "duel" over perceived slighted honor would likely be strung up for murder, especially after it was outlawed yet still often enough practiced for a time...that and though a minor point, gunfights didn't often that I'm aware of have a "second", so yeah same but not.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
Then let me crawl inside you, well, if there's coffee.

Winner Winner half a chicken dinner!

Hmmm, yeah but not really.
Duels were between "gentleman", and a common man partcipating in a "duel" over perceived slighted honor would likely be strung up for murder, especially after it was outlawed yet still often enough practiced for a time...that and though a minor point, gunfights didn't often that I'm aware of have a "second", so yeah same but not.
Pu**y.
 
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