WI: Dueling never outlawed?
- Thread starter Armored Diplomacy
- Start date
So maybe one of the unwritten rules of today would be that you have to use outdated pistols?
Dueling pistols WERE up to date weaponry they were the best pistols a person could buy at the time, if you were going to fight a duel what would you want? a pistol made by joe the blacksmith from podunk holler or one made by a state of the art master craftsman?
Thanos6
Banned
I think Mumby means that you wouldn't be allowed to use modern up to date weaponry, you'd have to use 18/19th century "state of the art."
Even without legal prohibition, it will not be a common phenomenon. Dueling only makes sense if you believe that God will vindicate the just. Even if it is something done to first blood, it is a manifestly silly way to settle a dispute if you don't believe this. And that kind of religious belief was on the way out the door.
"trial by God" was probably the rationale in some society but not the only one. If you feel someone has insulted your honour in some way, having a duel gives you a chance to kill the guy or, even if you lose, to prove that you had honour by being willing to defend it in a risky situation.
In a modern context, the religious aspect, as Jello pointed out, is pretty much out in the western world and "honour" doesn't realy have the same value as a commodity as it used to be anyway (plus you can sue people fairly easily if you feel they slandered you).
About the only way I could see it make a comeback would be as a sort of extreme lifestyle choice which might only emerge if government did a 360 on safety issues and basicaly allowed any adult to do an activity that has more chance of killing or maiming him permanently then anything. In other words, none of that "don't try this at home/only trained professional" type warning given or expected, if you want to do something dangerous, go for it and on your head be it.
Well, many extreme sports are allowed in the U.S. and Canada. Free Solo Rock Climbing has got to be right up there with 2 blokes poking away at each other in a formal duel, possibly surpassing as the consequences (an unroped fall vs. puncture wounds) can be rather final...
The difference though is that with rock climbing, there is the assumption that the guy doing it wants to live and not kill someone by falling down on him/her.
The closest thing I can imagine today to duels would be people settling feuds with boxing or MMA matches, which is I suppose is possible to be legal if they can get an athletic commission to give them a license.
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In some cases (we're talking unroped climbing with exposure sometimes being 500m of finality) I wonder about that....
Two candidates enter the cage, only one leaves. Winner is allowed to eat loser. (no party is allowed to nominate a wild beast as a candidate)
Can I have a duel to the death with battleaxes? If so then I'm in cuz that would be awesome!
tallthinkev
Donor
If dueling came back, could it lead to, trail by combat, comming back as well?
There was a case about 10 years ago when a bloke wanted to fight a champion, put forward by the DVLA because of a motoring fine. That whould have been great to watch.
There was a case about 10 years ago when a bloke wanted to fight a champion, put forward by the DVLA because of a motoring fine. That whould have been great to watch.