Thanks Andreas,<br><br>I would first like to applaud your courage in posting to this forum under your own name, courage I lack. Most posters on here display a similar courage, and I thank all of you regardless of my own cowardice. Yet this matter, along with the Archies issue, convinced me of the need to respond here, despite my burning desire to not be associated with vision2020.
<br><br>There has been much talk about double-standards recently, largely prompted by the Imus idiocy. Many don't seem to realize, though, that double-standards cut both ways. If we seek to repair the damage done to this country, we cannot forsake the foundation upon which it was built. Disregarding any apologetic jargon about the founding fathers and their personal beliefs; the simple and true root of our great nation and it's success, is the basic supposition that all people are created/born equal. To deny anyone, American or otherwise, white or otherwise, rich or otherwise, the fundamental rights afforded the peoples of our nation; is to deny America itself. Any right we would deprive someone else of, is a right we do not ourselves deserve.
<br><br>As to the Archies issue, which I have not yet addressed... Mr. Johnson himself admitted that it was not the protest (as mis-guided, and thin-skined as it was) that drove him under. It was rather a long standing lack of patronage, apparently due in large part to a lack of adequate parking. Given who's feet that the parking issue can be laid upon, I am very surprised that J Ford (and many others) have blamed the paranoid overly sensitive caretaker, rather than the true culprits.
<br><br>While my "serious" post has not garnered much response, on vision2020 or off, my first "comedic" post has resulted in quite a number of "off-line" retorts. Many of these are amazingly offensive, but none so far threatening. I am gathering up the "juicy" bits, and will be posting them here soon. It is amazing what some people will say when there is no accountability (perhaps myself included). Think of them as a skin-thickness test.
<br><br>Sincerely,<br>Anon<br><br>P.S. my name is not Walter (nor Smith, Don, or Nergal), please feel free to address me in whatever way you find appropriate.<div><span class="e" id="q_111f2729c481808c_1"><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">
On 4/14/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">
Andreas Schou</b> <<a href="mailto:ophite@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">ophite@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Walter --<br><br>I've got to agree. Normally, J Ford is perfectly reasonable, but this<br>one-woman windmill-tilting crusade against Javon Butler (and through<br>him, all black Americans) is seriously off-kilter. What's up, J?
<br><br>-- ACS<br><br>On 4/14/07, Walter Smith <<a href="mailto:don.nergal@gmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">don.nergal@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> While my last post was entirely a jest, this one is not. I am indeed hiding
<br>> behind a cloak of anonymity, since this forum seems to nothing but destroy
<br>> those willing to talk, and I have no suicide wish. Take my comments with as<br>> big a grain of salt as you feel necessary.<br>><br>> I do consider myself a liberal, and while I find the filth spewing forth
<br>> from "Tony" (aka FingerElbowSpace) and his ilk disgusting and un-American,<br>> the recent hate flowing from J Ford (whom I usually agree with) is truly<br>> foul. I had never heard of "Javon Butler" before this fracas, as I care
<br>> nothing for college sports. But the calls from J Ford to deny this man the<br>> justice (albeit imperfect) that out system grants is beyond the pale, never<br>> have I heard such a disgusting tirade. It is particularly disgusting due to
<br>> the obvious (to everyone else) racism embodied in her posts, and the clear<br>> fact that she actually believes what she is saying, and sees nothing wrong<br>> with it. I can't even recall such filth from the arians that used to be
<br>> around here, and they were the worst of the worst.<br>><br>> What Don Imus did was wrong, much of the reaction to what he did is wrong,<br>> and much of the reaction to that reaction is wrong. But how does the
<br>> injustice against him justify denying justice to another?.<br>><br>> I have no idea if Javon is guilty, I wasn't there. I know none of the people<br>> involved, and have no reason to believe one party over the other. If the
<br>> courts find Javon guilty, I won't argue; if they don't, I won't argue. This<br>> is what our justice system is for, to do everything possible to learn the<br>> truth. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Could anything
<br>> possibly be more un-American?<br>><br>> Unless Javon is a clear and present danger to others (which I cannot imagine<br>> him being, with all the attention currently focused on him), what reason<br>> could there be for denying him the rights afforded to everyone
<br>> (non-celebrity, admittedly) else? Is it just because he is black, and has<br>> been accused by a white man? What, exactly, is wrong with letting the<br>> process take it's course?<br>><br>> Sincerely,
<br>> Anon<br>><br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>>
<a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.fsr.net</a><br>> mailto:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> =======================================================<br>><br></blockquote>
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