Okay the comparison to a coke-head or drunk DOES OFFEND me.
I put a GREAT DEAL of thought and effort into organizing my thoughts, and almost always go so far as proofing/editing significantly before sending a post out. I'm sorry if the length of my posts tries the patience of some, and since Thorn mentioned it I've tried to avoid reiterating points I've already expressed multiple times, as well as foregoing mention of circumstances from the earlier season that I felt at the time bore on what was being discussed.
I have the UTMOST RESPECT for the right of any person to express themselves as they wish, and that's why I attack ideas I disagree with as opposed to launching personal and unacceptable attacks on the individual with whom I find myself disagreeing.
The Walking Dead is a drama that deals almost exclusively in interpersonal relationships and ethical vs. emotional vs. pragmatic conflicts. Since I find it childish to make what some will no doubt consider extreme statements without also providing the reasoning behind such a statement, at times my posts can run quite long. However, as has been previously said, if one doesn't care to engage in detailed discussion of complex emotional, psychological and philosophical points raised by the many thought/emotion-provoking scenes in each episode of TWD, one has only to skip such posts if they are not to your liking.
I understand that many of my viewpoints come across as extreme to many. I've had what I believe to be a far greater than average exposure to both the actions of, and the fallout left behind by individuals who have consistently used extreme violence as a means of coercion, a method of bolstering their own inadequacies by grinding others down, and as an expedient manner of establishing control through fear for almost as long as my memories extend back to my earliest years. I say this not as some expression of self-pity or attempt to elicit sympathy, but as explanation of where I've come by what I believe to be valid insights into the portion of human nature relating to the motivations of the violent and many of the reactions to and repercussions of such violence.
To be more concise, I've seen the savage lurking behind thin facades of civility and self-justification in so many individuals, and observed the struggles of those subjected to the worst these men and women can do in so many cases that it has lead me to believe that a significant percentage of humanity are (quite human) MONSTERS whose actions are only limited or prevented by the active and ongoing deterrent-consequences held over them as threat by the now quite advanced law enforcement mechanisms of modern society.
In the absence of such deterrents, the only remaining defense is to fight fire WITH FIRE. All my life, a life shaped by the earliest experiences with such abuses during my formative years, I've struggled to protect myself, those I care for, and even strangers I've come across in the process of being attacked in one way or another who were unable to effectively defend themselves. I've PAID DEARLY for choosing to do so, ...so if at times my perceptions come across as absolutist, it is because of my awareness that predators of human shape with human powers of reason respect NOTHING but the threat of punitive retaliation!
I TRULY believe that most members of our civilized societies lack sufficient first-hand experience with such violence, and thus view the world through the lens of a thoughtful, caring, empathetic and civilized human being. I'm glad of that, but I also believe that perspective makes it difficult for many to accurately envision what a person or persons determined to protect and care for "their people" in the absence of the safeguard-deterrents that hold the VAST MAJORITY of human predators in at least partial check as would be the case after some event lead to the downfall of civilization/modern society would be required to do to make that happen.
Finally, I also believe that it is quite possible to use extreme violence to defend "you and yours" on a semi-regular basis without EVER becoming the sort of individual who ENJOYS harming others, inspiring fear in them and forcing their submission. Our ancestors had to meet violence with violence quite often, without (for the most part) becoming what they fought to protect themselves and those they care for. Should civilization fall and the deterrents which prevented our civilized societies from becoming anarchist warzones vanish, the worst in human nature will (in my strongly-held opinion/belief) rise and crash over those who remain like a tidal wave of chaos and bloodshed, and all that will remain by the end of Year 1 post-civilization's-end will be the predators, those with the resolve to beat them back by main force, the people lucky enough to enjoy the defense of such protectors, and the poor souls unlucky enough to find themselves at the mercy of the merciless.
It's these beliefs, based on bitter oft-repeated experiences, which drives what is seen by some as an overly extreme point of view on my part, and from which the lens through which I perceive the content of fiction such as the Survival Horror genre that includes TWD is fashioned. I do NOT claim that "my way" is the "right" way...only that what I've seen and experienced time and time again has lead me to what is, for me, the inescapable conclusion that while people in a post-apocalyptic environment should try to hold on to their principles and remain accountable to their conscience, one would be FORCED to leave behind much of one's "civilized nature" if they wish to have any hope of staying alive and ensuring their people likewise survive in a world that's become FULL of monsters far more frightening than any ghoul.
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