I actually appreciate everybody's argument. A lot of very good points have been raised about dueling and also about this case of Houseman vs Harrington. And I think I have to limit any of my usual "buts." Brilliant posts!
However, I must raise a few concerns regarding both topics. My first concerns are rather personal and it concerns dueling. It bothered me from the beginning of my very first read. I agree with those of you who point out that my objections to dueling is rooted in my ignorance of laws and traditions of a completely different society, era, star system, government and way of life. I agree with that assessment, and what's more, I do not think that that can be argued. In and of itself.
The issues that bother me so much probably stem from my unfair assessment that dueling is simply something that appears to be an archaic throwback to justice, and that it gives me the impression of being barbaric. To be honest with the forum and simultaneously remain true to myself, I personally view dueling as being downright barbaric.
I always thought that the SL's label of Neobarb is born out of this same archaic tradition. True or not. If that is an accurate assessment of the SL's thoughts, then I agree with their assessment as far as that is concerned. I am similarly as biased as the SL in that respect.
Continuing along that line of thought, I was, and remain, shocked that
the MBS and its Queen, would allow such an archaic and dangerous tradition to continue! The danger to the Star Kingdom, now Star Empire, is that it allows a Manticoran citizen to legally execute anyone he so desires. Denver Summervale was a professional duelist. Pavel Young hired him. But what if Summervale or either another far more accomplished professional duelist decides to systematically and legally eliminate certain members of the government and navy for his own purposes or political party's benefit?
An important consideration being overlooked is that Honor could have been killed. Legally. That would have been a huge loss to the war effort; then and in the future. Moreover, what if certain members of political parties are goaded into a duel and begin to die? Same question for key officers of the navy. White Haven could not have defeated Summervale. This archaic law and tradition could “disappear” the Star Kingdom’s best officers faster than Saint Just's regime “disappeared” its officers.
My second concern is the question of who is potentially on the list of being subject to this archaic barbaric concept of honor? The Prime Minister? The Queen? Can any 'yahoo' simply go on the faxes and goad anyone into a duel? Do words hurt? Do words kill? Honor goaded Summervale into a duel by slapping him. If physical abuse is the only way to goad someone into a duel, then nobody is going to get close enough to goad the Queen. It is obvious that physical abuse is
not the only method of impugning someones honor. As a matter of fact,
who actually impugned Honor's honor? Summervale or Pavel Young? It was simply a job as far as Summervale was concerned. Dueling was his profession.
But I digress. Is the act of verbally impugning someones honor publically, enough to initiate the need for the impugned to challenge, lest risk to their honor? In which case, one could publically announce appalling “unspeakables” about the Queen. Is the Queen immune from losing her honor; from having to issue a challenge? Regardless of the fact that I think the Queen has some surprises in store for a potential duelist with her weapon of choice. Her sword!
Honor's honor was impugned on Grayson when she was called a harlot in public. Can someone call Beth, the Queen, a whore and goad Beth into challenging?
If you impugn a person's honor, it means you are claiming that that person is not as respectable as the community at large regards them, implying that they have done something to debase themselves in the eyes of the public.
—internet
A post regarding the case of Houseman vs Honor will shortly follow.
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The artist formerly known as cthia.
Now I can talk in the third person.