If I remember correctly, Glenn Reynolds' lawnmower culture war started with a discussion of razors. The cutting edge debate over electric versus blade razors somehow led to the virtues of power versus rotary lawnmowers. Eventually all perspective was lost and some of the moralest of the moral conservatives accused Reynolds of avoiding the Terri Schiavo case entirely with these distractions, (or worse, sugar-coating the death culture with superciliousness.) Not to be undone, Reynolds revved up the debate, and his Razor/Mower Rotary Club has now moved on to robots -- thus reducing low techies like me to scraping with my Gillette.

I hate to butt in, but something important has been missed in this searching and fearless debate over the morality of honest Luddism versus the demonic contrivances of the modern world.

The fact is, before anyone had even thought of the lawnmower (much less Norelco razors, power mowers, or robots), our ancestors used these:

It might look a bit, er, grim. But it gets the job done, and you'll never be accused of avoiding the Culture of Death!

UPDATE (04/12/05): Glenn Reynolds describes push-mowers as "much safer than a power-mower, and less intimidating to a kid." (Well, I guess he couldn't be expected to endorse scythes for children.)