Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!ptownson
From: ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu (Patrick A. Townson)
Subject: Re: Amendments
Message-ID: <1991May6.230127.14334@eecs.nwu.edu>
Organization: EECS Department, Northwestern University
References: <1991Apr30.151541.20622@cbnewse.att.com> <1991May1.020435.21456@eecs.nwu.edu> <LEE.91May6151818@meercat.wang.com>
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 6 May 1991 23:01:27 GMT


In article <LEE.91May6151818@meercat.wang.com> lee@wang.com (Lee
Story) writes: >

>In article <1991May1.020435.21456@eecs.nwu.edu> ptownson@eecs.nwu.edu (Patrick A. Townson) writes:

>   > But my main fear is simply that the majority of us are far too
>   > uneducated and short-sighted.  
>
>   Screw you.

> Although I applaud the freedom (long lost in other "broadcast media") to
> use good ol' Anglo Saxon when appropriate without some bureaucrat crawling
> up our asses waving regulations, I would think that Patrick Townson, who has
> considerable experience at presenting his opinions to a wide audience, would
> have the sense to know that peremptory rudeness will not advance his
> arguments.

Hey, personally I thought that comment about us all being too ignorant
and uneducated to attend to our own needs and look out for our own
welfare to be pretty rude myself.

> Why is it, Patrick,
> that you deride the "Republicrats" who offer little substantive
> political choice, and then jump on the ACLU, who (despite undeniable
> errors of judgment, though not as crass as yours) do as much as anyone
> to encourage democratic choice, including making it easier for those
> Socialists and Libertarians you mention to get on the ballot?

The ACLU does *not* encourage democratic choice. If they did, why
would they be running to the courts all the time instead of to the
legislature when they wanted something changed or corrected?

They encourage rule by judicial fiat, preferably by the judges they
like. In fact, if the judges they like were not available, then they
probably would in some cases go try the legislature instead. But why
bother with working to get people to vote your way when all you need
is a judge to rule?

And the ACLU is *not* a friend of most libertarians or Libertarians!
Please note the lower case /l/ and the upper case /L/, the distinction
being people who subscribe in general to the philosophy (like me)
versus members of the Libertarian Party (I am not a member). They have
done little or nothing to help Party members get on the ballot in
various states, except maybe go 'tsk, tsk' on demand and spout off
about freedom of choice. 


Patrick
