I think we can now all see the weakness in Shaun's plan of action to Bug Out to the local pub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK17r6hN96k

The local pubs it seems were some of the first residences to get attacked during the recent English riots.

Alright, I'll have to revise my plan, then. I think I'll go to a strip club instead. That totally works, except if it's a vampire attack instead (like Dusk to Dawn), then you're a bit up the creek.

DB

But it's already dead. Isn't that the problem?

How about large vats of formaldehyde?

Sue

Totally agree! That's why I'm not doing it! DB

Maybe kill isn't best term; maybe deanimate, redead or simply put down would be better .

My point though is that when someone equates a group of people to zombies they are most often referring to the behaviour of the people (brainless, mob mentality, consuming, etc.). However if one fully applies the metaphor there is also an implied correct behaviour towards the "zombie" - put them down using lethal force.

For this reason, even if using zombie as a metaphor, I am uncomfortable equating any group of people to zombies.

I agree with Denis on this point. You often see this type of zombie post on gun forums where you wonder if the poster is even old enough to own a gun, or else they are too immature or crazy to appreciate what those weapons are really meant to do, i.e. cause severe bodily harm, even death, to another human being. These are the kinds of zombie posts that I have tended to run across in my own web surfing, which is why I'm not a fan of zombie-themed posts on ETS.

There was a question asked on ETS just recently about the effects of shooting into a crowd of people--"legal issues aside". On some abstract level, I suppose it's a legitimate question, but on a gut level, throwing that question out on a public forum like that made me cringe. However, if the question had been couched in terms of shooting zombies, well, ha-ha, that's different, so yeah, let's talk about the most potent ammo to use, the best ways to put them down, etc.

The zombie metaphor has become an excuse to talk about subjects like that without necessarily appearing like some psychopathic mass murderer and to conveniently ignore the reality of what the aftermath of those actions will be. To take glee in such topics amongst strangers doesn't seem healthy nor desirable to me.

I look at the occasional zombie post as a bit of catharsis/gallows humor needed when someone spends a lot of time thinking about possible bad stuff. That being said, a little bit goes a long way and I think this thread has gone on long enough.

-Sheriff Blast