<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Prof. Levine wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite">At 04:33 PM 4/28/2010, Zev Sero wrote:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"> But in most countries the average person breaks the law<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">himself as often as he finds convenient, and certainly doesn't look<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><blockquote type="cite">down on others just for doing things that are illegal.<br></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Can you point to any studies that back up these assertions?<br></blockquote><br>Studies? Just look around you. What normal American thinks it's wrong<br>to jaywalk, or to get a parking ticket, or to smoke a joint, or to bet<br>on a game? What normal American would think less of someone for doing so?<br>If you need a study for that, there's something very wrong.<div><br></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1800E0"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">The above reasoning "...Just look around you." etc. is an invalid syllogism.</span></font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1800E0"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">It is purely subjective and not based on legitimate research which has academic</span></font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#1800E0"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">credentials. To say "</span></font><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">If you need a study for that, there's something very wrong." </span></font></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">merely indicates a lack of understanding of what research is -- namely: The systematic</span></font></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">new conclusions. Research is not a hit and miss instrument where you think you've got</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">all the answers because of intuitive observation. To say "Just look around you" reminds </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">me of one observer who said that milk was the cause of criminal behavior. When asked</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">how he came to that conclusion, he responded, "Just look at all the prisons. Ninety-nine</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">percent of everyone incarcerated drank milk as a child." (Another example of an invalid</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0013B7">syllogism).</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0510FF" face="Times"><br></font></div></body></html>