[MD] Is Quality Value?

[Arlo J. Bensinger]

[Platt]
If you say so, Arlo. How about proof? Incidentally, I forgot. Do you 
consider abortion moral?

[Arlo]
No, unless in rare instances (as Ham had said) where the mother's life is in
jeopardy.

[Platt]
As for murderers, rapists, pedophiles and other dangerous characters, your
sympathy for them is touching. You may not consider them threats to society,
but I'm glad that most people do.

[Arlo]
I have no sympathy for them. I'd serve them with hard labor on a chain gang if I
had my way. But murdering them? That only lowers me to their level.

As for their being a "threat to society" (once they are incarcerated), you  and
others might "believe so", but you do so with no evidence, and only a thirst
for revenge.

[Platt]
Maybe if it was your daughter, God forbid, who suffered at the hands of one of
these assailants, you wouldn't be so soft on crime and criminals.

[Arlo]
So, its retribution after all. I won't deny there is an element of satisfaction
in revenge. But my pain is not an excuse to commit murder. And it certainly
wouldn't bring my daughter back. 

[Platt]
I just hope you don't invite them to your parties like Pirsig's intellectuals
did. But, since you're a liberal, if you did, I'd  understand. :-). 

[Arlo]
That's right, Platt. If I don't want to kill them, it must me I favor standing
around a punchbowl chatting with them. You have a strange sense of dichtomoy.

Arlo