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Pyromania rss

Some thoughts on the love of fire and arsonists.

October 27, 2006

Burn Barrel Debate: The Rural Silent Majority: A look at bills not passed, the media and the burn barrel debate, and rural public opinion.

Burn Barrels: The 2004 Perspective: Andrew takes another look at Assembly's latest failed bid to ban burn barrels.

Comments on Burn Ban: The comments I sent to the DEC on the propose burn ban.

Considering the Burn Barrel Bill: Andrew Arthur's thoughts on the NYS regulating open burning.

Debating a Supporter: The Burn Barrel Bill: Andrew debates an email he recieved, disagreeing with his postion on open burning.

Dioxin, Incinerators, and Burn Barrels: Activists and corporations work together to push myths on dangers of trash burning.

Fires in California: We need wild fires, but when we get too close to nature we may get burned.

Give Up The Burn Barrel: Maybe it's bad for the environment, but the alternative is far worst.

Just Another Fire: The recent brush fires across our state remind us of the danger of fire.

Spitzer and Wood Furnaces: When environmental prosecution comes home to your backyard.

The Real People Behind Burn Barrel.org: Andrew does some investigative reporting on the people behind the site.

The Woodstove Saving the World from Terrorists: Thoughts on the very warm woodstove, keeping me warm from the cold world outside.

Those Big Bad Burn Barrels: An essay about trash burning, and how it is not the big evil that some peoplemake it out to be.

Pyromania

People automatically assume that everybody who really likes playing with fire inheritably is a dangerous arsonist who destroys property without rhyme or reason.

Yet, it turns out according to studies by a variety of psychatrists that the lover of fire (the pyromaniac) is much different then the person who sets destructive fires (the arsonist) to buildings and other structures. Let's investigate.

Arsonists are motivated by many different factors. The most common form of arson is not motivated by mental illness or even a desire to set fire, it's simply done out of anger or jellousy to another person. Such a person knows the differences between right or wrong, they simply want to avenge some wrong against them.

Much rarer is the arsonist who sets fire simply because of his passion to watch things burn and is too concerned with suiting his own passions to reflect concern on what he is doing to others. That person is a pyromaniac but also a person whose passions overwhelm their commonsense and understanding of the meaning of life and property of others.

Indeed, there are plenty of other pyromaniacs that don't go to around destroying other people's properties. Many adult males love to play with fire—they just become firefighters or spend lots of time outdoors using fire in their recreation or camping. They sublime their beliefs into something productive.

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