Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Universally Applicable Claims Are Almost Never True

For example, this one:

Nobody wants to see police officers -- already underpaid and underappreciated -- get hurt in the line of duty.

In real life, as opposed to in A. Barton Hinkle's imagination, lots of people want to see police officers get hurt in the line of duty.

Crooks who get caught by cops. People whose dogs get shot by cops. Drug users and sellers whose businesses are disrupted by cops. Sex workers in jail courtesy of cops instead of making a living. Etc., etc.

I'm not posting this to argue about whether or not we SHOULD want police officers to get hurt in the line of duty, although I have opinions on the subject.

I'm just posting it to point out that claims starting with "nobody" (or with "everybody") are almost always false.

Also, because the article I link to is interesting.

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