-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 From: "Faustine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> My point was that without constitutional protection, it would be >infinitely easier for innocent people and arbitrarily-determined thought >-criminal"enemies of the state" to be shot right along with the real >criminals. In America as it exists today, the Constitution is the only thing > that stands in the way of full-scale repression in the name of "security". Be > careful what you wish for, that's all. >I bet FBI agents have nightmares. At least those involved in the Waco and >Ruby Ridge cases. I think they were unable to sleep at night, dreaming of a >piece of paper jumping between them and their victims and threatening to... >whatever. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them did have nightmares about the Constitution. Not as a piece of paper dancing around on Mickey Mouse legs or whatever the hell you're getting at, but as an idea repersenting the rule of law that was going to lead to them being jailed for murder. Which unfortunately never happened, but so it goes. >Has anyone EVER saw the Constitution stand in any place, let alone "in the >way of full-scale represion"? People with guns do that, not paper. Why do I >have to repeat something this obvious? >(No, "it was a metaphor" doesn't cut it. It was a dumb metaphor. Next time >you're arguing something, get rid of metaphors. As an exercise, try >rephrasing what you said above without using any. Forget about >"constitutional protection" or "Constitution standing in the way". Try to >make sense.) I'm sure anyone who speaks English as a first language didn't find it odd or have a problem understanding such a common expression. It's an idiom, not a metaphor. Your English is generally great, but you might want to have a look at various online ESL dictionaries of idiomatic usage if you have time, it probably would make things a little easier for you here. The language issue might also explain why you missed my original point. No hard feelings; I'd rather talk about issues than quibble over this sort of thing anyday. I'm sure if I were trying to do this in French or German instead, I'd be having the same sort of trouble myself. So here's hoping miscommunication doesn't -->stand in the way of<-- getting on with a perfectly interesting thread. ;) ~Faustine. *** The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedoms. - --William O. Douglas, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPsdk version 1.7.1 (C) 1997-1999 Network Associates, Inc. and its affiliated companies. (Diffie-Helman/DSS-only version) iQA+AwUBPB5Ihfg5Tuca7bfvEQJIBQCY7nWZVLTeUGSRNf3LSXr8TuJW4ACfbJ/2 v2A0B+jivjwGgDMnbsgpeXQ= =VLKD -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
