🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <6gc25t$qdq$1@usenet49.supernews.com>, HiThere@outtatown.com
(HiThere) wrote:

> In article <gall-0504981716560001@usrts2m3.uwinnipeg.ca>,
gall@uwinnipeg.ca (Norman Gall) wrote:
> >In article <6g7iuk$qv7$1@usenet51.supernews.com>, HiThere@outtatown.com
> >(Hithere) wrote:
 
> >> Your understanding of the issues is pretty shallow, and you know
nothing of 
> >> *all those* who oppose the decision. _I_ oppose the decision and I am
> >> not only 
> >> bisexual, but the furthest damn thing from _any_ kind of
collectivist/fascist 
> >> you care to describe.

> >> Laws based on the Vriend decision _are_ based _exactly_ on a desire of the 
> >> *politically-correct* to control the actions of those with whom they
> >> disagree.

> >You strawmanise his position in exactly the same way that you claim he has
> >done to yours.

> Cute, Norm--now _identify_ the strawman--and _why_ it is a strawman. 

I had no idea it wasn't so transparent. My second year class has no
trouble identifying such things. Allow me:

You said that your interlocutor (Kodish) knows nothing of *all those* who
oppose the decision. He said that persons opposed to the position were
"fascists and control freaks,
and freedom haters". In effect, you were pointing out that Kodish was
lumping every possible objection under one rather narrow description. 
This is the very definition of a straw man: misrepresenting your
opponent's position, then attacking the 'constructed' position.

Now, you went ahead to imply that Kodish's (or just the 'politically
correct', I'm not sure if I can say you were charging Kodish with being
one) position was that the politically correct want to control the actions
of those with whom disagree. As you point out below, the Vreind decision
is an attempt to control the actions of everyone, regardless of their
beliefs, motivations, or intentions. It doesn't matter whether you agree
or disagree. It is a subtle point, but clear enough.

> Just 
> exactly how is the Vriend decision _not_ an action based on a desire to 
> control the actions of others?

It is exactly that (just as is the CCC), however, this is not equivalent
with what I diagnosed as a straw man.

Norm Gall

-- 
"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge 
 without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.    Samuel Johnson