From: Michael S. Lorrey (mike@datamann.com)
Date: Mon Mar 13 2000 - 15:08:45 MST
Zero Powers wrote:
> >From: Doug Jones <random@qnet.com>
> >
> >Zero Powers wrote:
> > >
> > > Can there be enough hateful cartoons about an organization that fights
> >to
> > > keep more guns than people in circulation?
> >
> >Not at the expense of rational discourse about the real problems and
> >solutions- if gun rights activists are painted as violent antisocial
> >irrational paranoid maniacs (the general drift of that cartoon), that
> >makes it difficult to calmly analyze the situation.
>
> Political satire is long recognized as a valuable tool in the social tool
> kit. However I don't think there is any danger of cartoons preventing
> rational discourse among those who prefer to seek it out.
>
> >Your phrase, "an organization that fights to keep more guns than people
> >in circulation" is obviously pejorative and not conducive to polite
> >disagreement. Please reconsider using such language.
>
> I politely disagree. A statement of fact, no matter how blunt, is neither
> pejorative nor inconducive to polite disagreement. If I had called the NRA
> and its sympathizers "violent antisocial irrational paranoid maniacs,"
> *that* would be pejorative. If my quoted phrase offends your sensibilities,
> I would suggest that you are ill prepared to engage in any passionate
> debate.
Since there are more people in the US than guns, then it is hardly a statement
of fact. Since there are more people in the world than guns in the world, it is
also not a statement of fact. A statement of fact would be,"an organization that
fights to maintain every law abiding American's right to own as many or as few
guns as they wish." That would be a statement of fact as well as
non-inflammatory.
--
TANSTAAFL!!!
Michael S. Lorrey
Director, Grafton County Fish & Game Assoc.
http://www.lorrey.com/gcfga/
Member, Extropy Institute
http://www.extropy.org
Member, National Rifle Association
http://www.nra.org
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
- General John Stark
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