>
> On Jun 14, 2006, at 9:56 AM, Jordan Hayes wrote:
>
>> Ok, my turn: Are you predestined to be a violent criminal because
>> you happen to live within the (now greatly expanded and widely
>> populated by immigrants) borders of a country that is purported to
>> have had a violent frontier mentality?
>
>
> Destined? No. More likely than an otherwise similiarly situated
> foreigner? Probably yes. That's how statistical models work. Weren't
> you just complaining about bad statistics?
>
> Doug
>
I have to agree: what's with this naive reasoning about causality? This
reminds me of some students' reactions when I talk about the
experimental research on the effects of exposure to aggressive role
models: we know, as well as scientific research can demonstrate, that
exposure to aggressive role models causes an increase in aggressive
behavior in children. I'll get some students who protest: "not all
children act aggressively when they're exposed to an aggressive role
model!" as if this is a meaningful counterargument. Like most human
social behavior, aggression is determined by multiple factors, ranging
from biological to cultural. To assume any one of these is the crucial
or necessary component is dubious; however, Jordan's view--if some gun
owners aren't aggressive, availability of guns couldn't possibly
increase aggression--is equally dubious.
Miles