At 07:06 PM 9/9/2004 -0700 Dave Land wrote: >>> PS: Like David's message, mine is intended to be tongue-in-cheek, but >>> not pointless. >> >> Sorry for finding it not very funny. A close friend of mine is an >> immigrant from Grenada. After spending the past day praying for the >> safety of her mother, her family, and her people it was hard to see the >> humor in that post. Its not like the post was loaded with smileys >> either >> - "cheat in favor of thieving morons?" > >David doesn't strike me as the "loaded with smileys" type. He (rightly, >I think) takes a rather dim view of cheating, thieving morons and the >cheating, thieving morons who cheat and steal for them. Like a lot of >Americans, I think the good doctor continues to be angry at the flawed >2000 election, and believes that it was not the result of mere >carelessness or stupidity, but illegal and immoral interference with >the democratic process. > >I take it that you disagree with that conclusion. Fine. > >I happen to agree with it. Also fine.
Fine in the sense that everyone in this country has the own right to be wrong, believe in a 7-day Creation, that the Earth is Flat, and that NASA faked the moon landing..... The ironic thing is that if one had to name the political officials who interfered the most in the *final outcome* of the 2000 election for Florida's Presidential electors, one would be forced to concede that the Top Two are: 1) Al Gore, a Democrat, who despite claiming to want to "count every vote," only requested a recount in the counties that voted most heavily for him, and thus were statistically likely to produce the greatest increase in Al Gore's votes. Ironically, a subsequent media analysis indicated that the only recount that would have produced a plurality of votes in Florida for Al Gore's electors was a *principled* recount of all Florida counties. 2) The Florida Supreme Court, with a solid Democratic majority, who despite making a ruling on "equal protection grounds", decided to only order recounts in the counties that voted most heavily for Al Gore Ironically, a subsequent media analysis indicated that the only recount that would have produced a plurality of votes in Florida for Al Gore's electors was a *principled* recount of all Florida counties. 3) The Head of Elections for Palm Beach County, also a Democrat, who designed the butterfly ballot that arguably may have resulted in a number of intended votes for Al Gore being registered as votes for Pat Buchanan due to voter confusion and incompetence. Any other political official in this country had a smaller effect on the ultimate outcome than the above Democrats. I am sure that it must really stick in your craw that your own side this to yourself. >I take it also that you thought that David's message was insensitive to >the many whose lives were disrupted by the hurricanes. Fine. Indeed, as I said as much. >Do you remember talk of "the death of humor" after 9/11? People all over >the country kept asking themselves, "When is it OK to laugh again?" You >and David and I may have different ideas about when that period ends >with respect to the hurricanes. I'm not sure that anyone in this country still considers it appropriate to make jokes *about* 9/11... let alone to do so on 9/12. JDG _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
