As 2005's eagerly awaited Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith approached its theatrical release, Jeff Tweiten of Seattle pitched a camp outside his local cinema on Jan. 1, deciding to stake his claim on the first seat in the theatre on the May 19 release date. Tweiten pointed to a resounding lack of ritual in our society as one of the prime motivating factors behind his life decision.
Things certainly ain't the way they used to be. Tweiten loved that Star Wars took place in a time of nobility and clear-cut moral boundaries, when people knew how to celebrate, bask in the interconnectedness of the universe, and most importantly, how to settle their differences properly.
They fought to the death.
The fact that people in the so-called "civilized" world don't duel anymore is a historically unparalleled tragedy. Indeed, duelling has been marred not only by social unacceptability, but also by six to 12 months in jail and a $500 fine in Canada. Failure to recognize duelling as a legitimate institution is on par with saying that women aren't persons. It's that backwards and preposterous a mentality.
Yet the practice was employed-and quite effectively-for centuries in England, France and Russia to settle matters of land, property, character defamation and cheating at cards or dice. Renowned duel enthusiasts included legendary Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (shot dead by his wife's admirer Baron Georges d'Anthès in 1837) and the baddest-ass mofo of them all, General Andrew Jackson, who smoked Charles Dickinson in 1806 for disputing with him over a horse race.
In stark contrast, problem-solving today is inefficient and offers no sense of satisfaction. Hypothetical situation: Some bloke with an over-inflated ego has been doing the nasty with your girlfriend. You could take the "high road" and have an animated conversation with your significant other about how this is unacceptable and an insult to your intelligence and values and blah blah blah. But let's face it, dialogue isn't going to stop this cat from laying out your missus.
