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"I don't look at it as censorship," says [Alabama] State Representative Gerald Allen. "I look at it as protecting the hearts and souls and minds of our children."
From here, via![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
technocowboy.
Hey, it's a pile of shit. Let's call it a Home for Less Fortunate Organisms! Now people will support it!
From here, via
technocowboy.Hey, it's a pile of shit. Let's call it a Home for Less Fortunate Organisms! Now people will support it!
"Today millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schiavo. ... I urge all those who honor Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life where all Americans are welcomed and valued and protected.
"Especially those who live at the mercy of others. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favor of life."
Unless you're poor. Or gay.
"Especially those who live at the mercy of others. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in the favor of life."
Unless you're poor. Or gay.
This right-to-life or right-to-die case, however you look at it, is a complicated issue filled with a lot of misinformation.
A Florida Lawyer who keeps a blog about legal issues has been following the case, and has summarized the facts as the courts have found them.
This is a great page for getting to the real information in the case, about what the Florida courts have found in the case, and why they made the decisions they did. It tells what is currently known about the woman's state and where the argument is. It's a very interesting web page, and now I feel informed enough to pick a side.
strider13, after our conversation on Friday, you'll find this page very interesting; seems we both had a little misinformation of our own, and it should probably be corrected.
Thanks tobryant for the link!
A Florida Lawyer who keeps a blog about legal issues has been following the case, and has summarized the facts as the courts have found them.
This is a great page for getting to the real information in the case, about what the Florida courts have found in the case, and why they made the decisions they did. It tells what is currently known about the woman's state and where the argument is. It's a very interesting web page, and now I feel informed enough to pick a side.
strider13, after our conversation on Friday, you'll find this page very interesting; seems we both had a little misinformation of our own, and it should probably be corrected.Thanks to
bryant for the link!From this study:
75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission. Here again, large majorities of Kerry supporters have exactly opposite perceptions.
There's more. It's worse. It's also clearly a partisan result, though I know nothing about the surveyors. They may or may not be partisan.
75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission. Here again, large majorities of Kerry supporters have exactly opposite perceptions.
There's more. It's worse. It's also clearly a partisan result, though I know nothing about the surveyors. They may or may not be partisan.
This one is so easy I don't need to actually say anything myself, except this: When you can't defend your position, attack those who think you are wrong.
"What a copout,'' Carlson said Monday. "On the one hand, he wants to play media critic and cultural critic, and on the other hand, if challenged, he retreats into 'I'm just a comedian' mode. I mean, that's pathetic.''
Attacking the Person
(argumentum ad hominem)
Definition:
The person presenting an argument is attacked instead of the
argument itself. This takes many forms. For example, the
person's character, nationality or religion may be attacked.
Alternatively, it may be pointed out that a person stands to
gain from a favourable outcome. Or, finally, a person may be
attacked by association, or by the company he keeps.
There are three major forms of Attacking the Person:
(1) ad hominem (abusive): instead of attacking an assertion,
the argument attacks the person who made the assertion.
(2) ad hominem (circumstantial): instead of attacking an
assertion the author points to the relationship between the
person making the assertion and the person's circumstances.
(3) ad hominem (tu quoque): this form of attack on the
person notes that a person does not practise what he
preaches.
"What a copout,'' Carlson said Monday. "On the one hand, he wants to play media critic and cultural critic, and on the other hand, if challenged, he retreats into 'I'm just a comedian' mode. I mean, that's pathetic.''
Attacking the Person
(argumentum ad hominem)
Definition:
The person presenting an argument is attacked instead of the
argument itself. This takes many forms. For example, the
person's character, nationality or religion may be attacked.
Alternatively, it may be pointed out that a person stands to
gain from a favourable outcome. Or, finally, a person may be
attacked by association, or by the company he keeps.
There are three major forms of Attacking the Person:
(1) ad hominem (abusive): instead of attacking an assertion,
the argument attacks the person who made the assertion.
(2) ad hominem (circumstantial): instead of attacking an
assertion the author points to the relationship between the
person making the assertion and the person's circumstances.
(3) ad hominem (tu quoque): this form of attack on the
person notes that a person does not practise what he
preaches.
The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.
—Sec. Def. Donald Rumsfeld, Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.
—Sec. Def. Donald Rumsfeld, Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing
From The Boston Globe
'Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we,'' Bush said. ''They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.''
Now -- this is probably an honest mistake. He said something different than he intended to say. Sure. What I find truly funny about this is thus:
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush's misstatement ''just shows even the most straightforward and plain-spoken people misspeak.''
''But the American people know this president speaks with clarity and conviction, and the terrorists know by his actions he means it,'' McClellan said.
To which I respond the American people most certainly do not know that.
'Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we,'' Bush said. ''They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.''
Now -- this is probably an honest mistake. He said something different than he intended to say. Sure. What I find truly funny about this is thus:
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush's misstatement ''just shows even the most straightforward and plain-spoken people misspeak.''
''But the American people know this president speaks with clarity and conviction, and the terrorists know by his actions he means it,'' McClellan said.
To which I respond the American people most certainly do not know that.
