A Real Man Is a Killer: Difference between revisions

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* The mining fields of [[The Wild West]], as [[Mark Twain]] describes in the autobiographical book 'Roughing It': "... (I)n a new mining district the rough element predominates, and a person is not respected until he has "killed his man." That was the very expression used. If an unknown individual arrived, they did not inquire if he was capable, honest, industrious, but—had he killed his man? If he had not, he gravitated to his natural and proper position, that of a man of small consequence; if he had, the cordiality of his reception was graduated according to the number of his dead. It was tedious work struggling up to a position of influence with bloodless hands; but when a man came with the blood of half a dozen men on his soul, his worth was recognized at once and his acquaintance sought."
* The mining fields of [[The Wild West]], as [[Mark Twain]] describes in the autobiographical book 'Roughing It': "... (I)n a new mining district the rough element predominates, and a person is not respected until he has "killed his man." That was the very expression used. If an unknown individual arrived, they did not inquire if he was capable, honest, industrious, but—had he killed his man? If he had not, he gravitated to his natural and proper position, that of a man of small consequence; if he had, the cordiality of his reception was graduated according to the number of his dead. It was tedious work struggling up to a position of influence with bloodless hands; but when a man came with the blood of half a dozen men on his soul, his worth was recognized at once and his acquaintance sought."
* Subversion: Among some tribal peoples it is the women who are considered the natural diplomats because they are given immunity from feuds and can thus cross no-mans-land. The Nuer however were known for a pan-tribal guild of "leopard skin men" who acted as magistrates and diplomat. In other words they considered that while a real man can be a killer some of the most respected men were specifically for the prevention of killing.
* Subversion: Among some tribal peoples it is the women who are considered the natural diplomats because they are given immunity from feuds and can thus cross no-mans-land. The Nuer however were known for a pan-tribal guild of "leopard skin men" who acted as magistrates and diplomat. In other words they considered that while a real man can be a killer some of the most respected men were specifically for the prevention of killing.
* Firemen, Hazmats, and other EMTs are a subversion as they are required to have an extraordinary amount of what we call manliness; risk tolerance, and something of a paramilitaristic outlook. But they are there to save lives.
**Likewise policemen may have to kill in the course of their duties but if well trained they will take pride in taking a collar alive.
* Clipper ship captains and crew were of course very manly but killing was not part of their duties. Though they might run across pirates, and of course [[What the Hell Hero|opium]] was a slow poison and most clipper lines unfortunately carried it.
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[[Category:Always Male]]
[[Category:Always Male]]