Robert,
Thanks for the note. I restate my point: How is "talking and ranting"
as you say on the spridgets list moving the cause forward? It is
either preaching to the choir or creating new opposition where none
existed before.
I have found that spridget list members are pretty interesting
people. I think it's a safe bet that each and every spridget list
member has at least one other burning interest in life in addition to
spridgets. Should each one of those non-spridget interests be aired
ad nauseum on the spridget list? There are something like 300 people
on this list. There are probably African-Americans, Asian-Americans,
Native Americans, Brits, Dutch, Italians, Greeks, gays, straights,
Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, strict-constructionists,
lax-constructionists(?), pro-lifers, pro-choicers, liberals,
conservatives, dog-lovers, cat-lovers, sheep-lovers(!), men, women,
and children on this list. Heck, there may even be Caucasian American
middle-aged men of European descent who are practicing Christians on
this list! Would it be a good thing if we had 55 posts about gay
rights? Everyday? How about four or five rounds of 20 or more posts
each about abortion? Let's spend some quality time discussing,
in-depth, the pluses and minuses of bacterial DNA plasmid
amplification versus yeast amplification. After that, just for grins
and giggles, let's talk about why Bill Gates is either evil or a
saviour.
All of these topics have their fervent supporters and detractors.
They all have email groups or websites, even the yeastie boys. Heck,
some of them even cover constitutional issues other than the 2nd
Amendment. Would it seem a little self-centered and maybe slightly
rude if I went to their list and started hammering them with why I
think the lower A-arm design of the BMC small car was poor and should
have never lasted beyond the early '50s? Should I go on and on about
how any right-minded person should see the obvious advantages of the
Mk3 Sprite versus Marks 1, 2, and 4?
Conversely, should I burden the spridgets list with why I think
privatization of the Air Traffic Control system in the US is a
misguided idea? Should I go on and on about how the FAA is cow-towing
to international standards, a stance taken under both Republican and
Democratic administrations? Should I go on and on about the loss of
due process for pilots administratively accused of transgressions, a
policy started by Quesada in the '50s under a Republican
administration, but fully embraced by every admin since?
I was not being facetious or derogatory when I addressed my last post
on this topic to "2nd Amendment patriots." I have a lot of respect
for people who care enough about their country to put aside the cares
of the day and become actively involved in issues that concern them.
(You _are_ doing something, right? You're not just carping in an
off-topic forum, right?). But just like yelling "Fire!" in a crowded
theater, there is free speech and then there is abuse. As I wrote
before, nobody (except Mark!) is going to stop anyone from speaking
their mind on this list. And there's always going to be give-and-take
on various topics - it keeps things interesting. However, at some
point, and I'd maintain it was about 1000 posts ago, an off-topic
discussion becomes self-centered indulgence _in regards to the
specific off-topic list_. [Hey! Sort of like this response! :) ]
And I ask again: Can you find one instance in the spridgets archive
where the gun debate was started by a gun-control advocate? And if
you can't, what does this observation imply?
And for all of you who have queried privately, my brother and I grew
up in the oil fields of Oklahoma (pump literally in the back yard),
we are good shots since childhood, and we regularly enjoyed target
practice and a little hunting on his land until he recently moved
into the city. My brother-in-law and I almost always did a little
target practice when I visited him before he too moved to the 'burbs.
I am regularly invited to lunch followed by target practice by my
wife's co-workers. I'm not scared of guns, I don't advocate gun
confiscation (except for the super-soakers of certain spridget list
members!), and I won't hate you if you're a card-carrying member of
the NRA. I wouldn't have much family if I felt that way. And yes, I'm
a registered Democrat, but I've voted Republican and even third party
in the past. But above and beyond all this, in regards to this email
list, I own a 1965 Sprite and constantly learn about it from you
folks. Thanks for that.
Spridgetly yours,
Jeff
At 9:04 AM -0500 10/30/00, Robert Duquette wrote:
>Hey Jeff!
>
>This is one way in which the Canadians differ from the Americans. We
>remained silent for far too long and are now in trouble for it. We only
>started talking and ranting as the last bit of prohibitions was passing. I
>won't bore you with the details.
>
>Robert D.
>
> >Somebody please tell me when the pro-gunners were 'remaining silent'!
> >I'd love to be able to remember those times with fond nostalgia, but
> >I guess I'm too young. It certainly must have been before this list
> >was born.
_____________________________________________________________
Jeffrey H. Boatright, PhD
Assistant Professor, Emory Eye Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
Senior Editor, Molecular Vision, http://www.molvis.org/molvis
mailto:jboatri@emory.edu
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