Let's discuss something that I was fascinated in ever since listening to Hamilton: The Musical
Duelling: A practice that would prevent more deaths than it causes.
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So here's a definition of a duel
According to Wikipedia:
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. Duels in this form were chiefly practiced in early modern Europe with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period (19th to early 20th centuries) especially among military officers.
During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly fought with swords (the rapier, and later the smallsword), but beginning in the late 18th century in England, duels were more commonly fought using pistols. Fencing and pistol duels continued to co-exist throughout the 19th century.
The duel was based on a code of honor. Duels were fought not so much to kill the opponent as to gain "satisfaction", that is, to restore one's honor by demonstrating a willingness to risk one's life for it, and as such the tradition of dueling was originally reserved for the male members of nobility; however, in the modern era it extended to those of the upper classes generally. On rare occasions, duels with pistols or swords were fought between women; these were sometimes known as petticoat duels.
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I believe that the outlawing of duels caused a spike in cold-booded murder in the last centuries. To have a decline in cold-blooded murder, we will need to legalize duelling, as it's less brutal and killing is not even really the whole point of it.
Imagine if duelling was outlawed when Burr was mad at Hamilton. Cold-blooded murder could mean not only killing Alexander, but also potentially hurting/killing Eliza, Philip(he'd be alive but jailed for murdering Eacker), Angelica(their second born), and so on.
SO imagine that, and that is why duelling is certainly a better practice than cold-blooded killing, at at least it is based on a code of honor which is stated in the song "Ten Duel Commandments" included in Hamilton: The Musical (The album is on Spotify, history nerd or not, check it out!)
[MEN]
One, two, three, four
[FULL COMPANY]
Five, six, seven, eight, nine…
[BURR/HAMILTON/LAURENS/LEE]
It’s the Ten Duel Commandments
[FULL COMPANY]
It’s the Ten Duel Commandments
Number one!
[LAURENS]
The challenge: demand satisfaction
If they apologize, no need for further action
[COMPANY]
Number two!
[LAURENS]
If they don’t, grab a friend, that’s your second
[HAMILTON]
Your lieutenant when there’s reckoning to be reckoned
[COMPANY]
Number three!
[LEE]
Have your seconds meet face to face
[BURR]
Negotiate a peace…
[HAMILTON]
Or negotiate a time and place
[BURR]
This is commonplace, ‘specially ‘tween recruits
[COMPANY]
Most disputes die, and no one shoots
Number four!
[LAURENS]
If they don’t reach a peace, that’s alright
Time to get some pistols and a doctor on site
[HAMILTON]
You pay him in advance, you treat him with civility
[BURR]
You have him turn around so he can have deniability
[COMPANY]
Five!
[LEE]
Duel before the sun is in the sky
[COMPANY]
Pick a place to die where it’s high and dry
Number six!
[HAMILTON]
Leave a note for your next of kin
Tell ‘em where you been. Pray that hell or heaven lets you in
[COMPANY]
Seven!
[LEE]
Confess your sins. Ready for the moment
Of adrenaline when you finally face your opponent
[COMPANY]
Number eight!
[LAURENS/LEE/HAMILTON/BURR]
Your last chance to negotiate
Send in your seconds, see if they can set the record straight…
[some hamburr chat about maybe it's a bad idea?(well it's true since many people misunderstand the point of duelling)]
[COMPANY]
Number nine!
[HAMILTON]
Look ‘em in the eye, aim no higher
Summon all the courage you require
Then count
[MEN]
One two three four
[FULL COMPANY]
Five six seven eight nine
[HAMILTON/BURR]
Number
[COMPANY]
Ten paces!
[HAMILTON/BURR]
Fire!
credits: Genius lyrics
What's your opinion, NSG?