Poll: Would you have sympathy for these guys?

[Zhukov]

Ummm... yes?

Those all sound like really shitty situations to be in. I'm not sure why I wouldn't feel sympathy for people who got screwed over like that.

Also, this smells like a poorly constructed rhetorical trap. Like you're going to flip the genders around and try and make some kind of "gotcha" play about rape or something.

EDIT: And reading the other replies I'm clearly not the only one who smells it.

 

[FPLOON]

Wait... Why are they all "dudes", again?

Forget it... Let's just say that they all have my sympathy especially when dealing with the lesser of two evils in the situation...

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Any man's death diminishes me....

So yes. But my pain alone does not diminish another person's self determination. Of course you'd be a prick not to do something easy to avoid another's suffering. You'd likely be a martyr if you constantly did something hard to avoid another's suffering without suitable recompense. You'd also weigh up the option of who is doing the inflicting. Racist father? It's not on the black guy to avoid being attacked by choosing to have consensual sex with someone. You don't blame others for a transgression.

We are all condemned to be free. We build ourselves and responsible for any investment into our construction, past and ever-present. You choose to act and even omission of acting is still a choice. It's why observing a murder and doing nothing is still a moral failure, though it's not tantamount to murder. But sympathy is useful. It's good. It reinforces the moral distinction of omission to act, and creates the social means by which to recognise that omission of acting has its own consequences.

We should celebrate active growth of not only our own, but other's increased happiness and liberty and similarly feel sorry in turn for the misfortunes of others. It's how society afford good will to its evolution towards a more liberal state where happiness (money, free time, harm minimisation/prevention, etc) can grow. Be wary of any group of people who too easily accept distinctions of regret and anguish.

 

[MHR]

Questions seem to imply one-night stands are a bad thing. 'Sup wit dat?

The level of stupidity in any given situation is inversely proportional to the number of fucks I give about the outcome.

All 3 men were certain levels of dumb. Some, but not too much sympathy given.

Guy number 2 especially. No poon is worth dying for.

 

[Something Amyss]

Any man's death diminishes me....

Really? Because it sustains me....

Anyway, I sort of expected a serious topic, but like other folks here, my "gotcha" sense is tingling.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Any man's death diminishes me....

Really? Because it sustains me....

Anyway, I sort of expected a serious topic, but like other folks here, my "gotcha" sense is tingling.

*Takes out a cross, stake and holy water*

Time to end this She-devil!

 

[Redd the Sock]

The phrase "asking for it" is taken far too literally in these situations. My father didn't ask for lung cancer, but smake 2 packs a day and you really don't have the right to be surprised by it. Someone toying with or cleaning a loaded gun isn't asking to be shot, but it goes against basic gun safety. A drunk getting behind the wheel isn't asking for an accident, but come on, don't drink and drive is drilled into us from so early an age I don't anyone remembers the first time they heard the rule.

I get where this goes, and it's a tough one: one the one hand we want to give sympathy to those that have been hurt, on the other we have the Darwin Awards. I mean, scenario C has a current real life counterpart. Does anyone really see Charlie Sheen as a victim of anything but his hedonistic lifestyle and arrogance? There comes a point where you have to stop and say that if you aren't even going to try and minimize the risk to yourself just through arrogance and laziness, that yes, you forfeit my sympathy.

As for what this is an obvious comparison to, that's something of a case by case basis, but as someone witha fair bit of alcoholism in the family, suffice to say I don't have much sympathy to those looking for it for things that happened while inebriated.

 

[Something Amyss]

*Takes out a cross, stake and holy water*

Time to end this She-devil!

Wait, did you mean "time to end this She-devil," or "time to end this, She-devil?"

Questions seem to imply one-night stands are a bad thing. 'Sup wit dat?

Culturally, they are often treated as such?

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

*Takes out a cross, stake and holy water*

Time to end this She-devil!

Wait, did you mean "time to end this She-devil," or "time to end this, She-devil?"

...... both? *puts down the cross and stake* ... look it's been a long day. Can't we just agree you're a monster and I'm here to stop you?

 

[Something Amyss]

...... both? *puts down the cross and stake* ... look it's been a long day. Can't we just agree you're a monster and I'm here to stop you?

Monster? Don';t you think that's a bit reductive? I mean, here we are in the midst of a cogent debate about the impacts of the death of mankind (pro or con), and here you are with the ad hominems!

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Monster? Don';t you think that's a bit reductive? I mean, here we are in the midst of a cogent debate about the impacts of the death of mankind (pro or con), and here you are with the ad hominems!

That assumes that the death of a person contains some constructive measure to the state of humanity. You might deem killing one to save another is constructive. Bit hard to do the same of killing random people to save us from an unknown quantity. A monster is found in indiscriminate slaughter, not sound calculated ideals towards positive consequence!

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I have sympathy for all three of them, although the first one I have the least for, and the second one I have the most for. Each one of these guys has just had their life screwed with--one of them had his life ended by hate and bigotry, and another could quite possibly die. The first guy at least still has his life, and while it sucks that he got worked over like that, I doubt that he won't be able to recover. Banks and such can get you your money back if you prove it was taken.

The other two guys, their lives have been changed forever, and not in a good way. Did the man having unprotected sex make a stupid choice? Yes, and now he will have to live with the consequences, but that doesn't mean I can't feel sympathy for him. I will still end up judging him--it's only natural--but I'm not going to start throwing stones or anything.

As for the black man, that whole thing is disgusting. It's disgusting that the daughter lied, it's disgusting that the town reacted that way, and it's disgusting what happened to him. Did he play with fire? Yeah, and he ran the chance of getting burned, but to go that far--to inflict that much pain and violence and ultimately death based on a LIE? Damn right I feel sorry for him.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Of course not! They all ignored the valuable life lessons in Too Smart for Strangers with Winnie the Pooh. Clearly this is all their fault!


/s
Edit: Did I need the "/s"? I like to hold faith in the good people of this site, but sometimes the extra layer of defense is necessary.

 

[FalloutJack]

STDs are just nasty. I wouldn't wish that on people. OTHER things, maybe, but not that.

 

[Lady Larunai]

Return question, do you feel sorry for rape victims? since essentially you are asking the same question under varying circumstances

 

[The Lunatic]

1. Nobody deserves to be robbed, regardless of what they do. Whilst I would in future suggest not getting so drunk you find yourself in such a situation, at the end of the day, it could just as likely happened sober, so, yes, I'd be sympathetic.

2. Again, still sympathetic, I don't think anyone expects to get killed over having sex, however it's fair to say that if you were fully aware of the situation and the consequences, risking that just to have sex is pretty dumb. Sympathetic, as obviously killing a person for any reason is a horrific thing, especially something as stupid as that.

3. I think withholding any information that may affect consent quickly turns in into non-consensual sex. Be that of one's age, one's health, gender, marital status and so on.

Though, I think there's a difference between "Non-consensual sex" and rape, however, I'm not really sure where that line is exactly.

 

[9tailedflame]

Well no shit. I have sympathy for all of them. Hell, more than just sympathy, since sympathy i would feel bad for them, while still potentially disagreeing with their actions, and i don't think any of them have acted wrongly even.

A) just got robbed by a piece of shit. How can you not feel bad for someone getting mugged?

B) Was just the victim of a cowardly woman and a psychopathic and pathetic society. Anyone who doesn't have sympathy for someone in a position like that, I'd worry about their mental state.

C) If you're going to have sex with someone, and you know you have an STD, that's on you to let them know, they shouldn't have to ask. Honestly, i think knowingly not telling them should be considered a criminal offense if it isn't already. If calling someone hot can be a crime, then giving them a horrible disease certainly should be.


In all 3 scenarios, it's a problem of society. In 1, it's that we have an incompetent police force when it comes to recovery of stolen goods. If you've ever been robbed, like i have, and tried to get the police to help, like i have, you'll know how outright embarrassing it is how little they do, or even how little they care. In 2, it's a horrible and tragic part of American history, that i really hope we're above by now, but you never really know what happens in the backwoods of the south, and that whole notion just scares the crap out of me. In 3, it's pretty much the same as 1. A man was assaulted by a woman, the justice system is incompetent.

 

[the December King]

... soooo, did the OP just drop this as their first post and run away?

Too bad, I was honestly curious as to the perceived point of all this.

 

[Scarim Coral]

1. Yes. Doesn't matter the who, what or why. Having the most misfortune on anybody sucks which anybody can relate to.

2. Hard to say so I'm not going to give an answer for that one (quoting me won't get a reply either!).

3. Somebody will give sympathy but I won't due to how it's common knowledge it is to wear protection if you want safe sex (yes I know it's not 100% safe).