Harry Davis wrote:

>Take a moment and consider that I'm recounting a personal experience.
>It's not for me a case in the Supreme Court.  And I'm not trying to talk
>you into anything with which you're uncomfortable.

I am going to ask Mr. Lampson to pull the plug on this thread -  ...

 [There is no way I'd even consider pulling the plug on this sort of
 discussion, no matter how ignorant and bigoted the ideas are, because
 discussion is our only hope.  -Dave]

>...  the original poster is setting himself up as som ekind of moral
>judge of another human being, and then uses this justification to decry
>the art that person produced.

 [My, how dispicably human of him.  -Dave]

>There are many people who feel this way, many of who have the power to do
>something about it.

 [There have always been those who seem determined to substitute political
 creeds for critical thinking, the former demanding so much less effort
 (see any of the articles by Vroon and his ilk for examples, if you aren't
 already convinced), but unless it's discussed, there isn't even a chance
 for enlightenment.  -Dave]

There is, simply put, no way of replying to this original poster with out
making accurate, but denigrating, observations, about the quality of his
thinking etc.

 [Of course there is.  First, you make no assumptions about anyone's
 "thinking" and you address what is actually written instead of what
 you think their motivations are.  -Dave]

This line of discussion leads inevitably to acrimony and unpleasantness.

 [Not in a mature and respectful discussion it doesn't.  -Dave]

Within the realm of logic, he has made himself a premise of his argument,
it is therefore within bounds to attack that premise - which is to say to
attack him.  However socially, this is not possible.

 [Of course it's possible, it just tends to be unproductive.  If someone
 has made their views the basis of their logic, then such tautology should
 be immediately evident to the critical and logical mind, and therefore
 not worth responding to beyond pointout out that fact.  -Dave]

Stirling S Newberry
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