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Comment by RosanaAnaDana | Hacker News Reader

There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men.

Men with weapons are more dangerous than men without therefore weapons are dangerous.

It's a quote by Robert Heinlein from Starship Troopers (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/141333-there-are-no-dangero...). I don't agree with your reasoning either by the way.

Men with pencils are more dangerous than men without therefore pencils are dangerous.

When wielded properly pencils are indeed dangerous, even more dangerous than swords in some cases. But less dangerous - in the general case - than say a gun or a knife which is why we call those weapons in the first place.

Note that according to the definition of a weapon ("a thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage") a pencil can be classed as a weapon due to its use. Which is a perfect illustration of why men with pencils (used as weapons) are more dangerous than men without.

So thank you for making my point.

I think you actually made mine which was that anything can be classed as a weapon therefore the object in question isn't as relevant as the person wielding it. Yes, you can put them on a continuum, but I'd still rather not be in an elevator with a person intent on doing me harm regardless of the object they are holding.

"There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men."

What about landmines?

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