> Reading all this stuff about rules being "impractical," what was gnawing at
> the back of my mind was that I'd heard this before. But where?
>
> Then I remembered: from white segregationists.
>
> When I was growing up in a border slave state (Maryland) in the 1960s and
> 1970s, segregationists wouldn't say openly that they didn't want Blacks in
> their neighborhoods and schools. Instead they'd say that integration wouldn't
> work, because "you can't legislate morality" and "you can't make people love
> one another."
This has indeed provoked me back into this discussion.
On the best interpretation (if you'll pardon the expression),
Andrew's comment is a piece of collossal irrelevancy. On a more
likely one it is as well a deliberate (although, of course, cunningly
indirect) gross and unforgivable slur on people that Andrew disagrees
with concerning the practicality (let alone desirability) of imposing
further rules of disocurse on OPE-L.
This conversation has now reached 3rd and fourth orders (talking
about talking about talking ...) confirming my dislike of such swampy
discourse, and my decision to withdraw from it. However Andrew has
succeeded in provoking another message from me. Andrew (or perhaps
Alan could do it it for you), subject this post of yours to the kind
of treatment that you mete out to others. Ask yourself:
1. Why have you raised this analogy, here and now?
2. In what way are the other discussants like white segrationists?
3. In what way are you (or Alan, or TSS) 'like' racially oppressed
groups?
4. Does mounting this slur amount to trying to suppress the views of
those who do not want to lay down rules of discourse for OPE-L?
Andrew, you have just toppled off the moral high ground that you
spend so much efffort claiming for your own.
-
Michael
*===================================*
Michael@mwilliam.u-net.com
"Books are Weapons"
Dr Michael Williams
Department of Economics Home:
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences 26 Glenwood Avenue
De Montfort University Southampton
Milton Keynes SO16 3QA
MK7 6HP
tel:+1908 834876 tel/fax: +1703 768641
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mwilliam@torres.mk.dmu.ac.uk
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