[at-l] RE: Off Topic-why? I don't know

[nealb at midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

I believe that you cannot adequately fight against a wrong unless you know
what that wrong is about.  And sometimes you find out that you were wrong.

To give an example: Many Southern Protestants are taught that Catholics
worship and pray to Mary.  Read enough Catholic literature -- especially the
official documents -- and you realize that is wrong.  In fact, you could get
kicked out of the church -- excommunicated -- for worshiping Mary and
praying to Mary.  Granted, there are some Catholics who carry reverence for
Mary to the extreme.  Just as some people carry respecting Jerry F. to the
extreme and carried respecting Jim B. and Tammy Faye to the extreme.  But
Catholic DO NOT worship Mary or pray to her.  And it was books that
straightened that out for me.  Just as I use to think it took a
super-pro-athlete with lots of cash to hike the AT.

I will allow that some books need to be handled carefully and should be
restricted.

An example: While I am anti-pedophile, I have read a book that gave the
views of pedophiles as to why children-adult love was okay and good for
children.  Believe I was sick and disgusted with the views.  And I would not
let that be open to children in a public library and I would not buy that
for a public school library.  But it did give me an insight into what makes
pedophiles tick.  Not sympathize or even empathize with them.  It just let
me know a bit more about what they did and why.

I've read MEIN KAUMPF (sp?) and DAS KAPITAL (sp?) but I am neither a Nazi or
a Commie.  In fact, I've finished them, but have never finished the American
Constitution.  The Bill of Rights, Yes.  The Constitution, No.  And I heard
of a pedophile who had to have everything read to him in a trial since he
was functionally illiterate.  Books did not make him sick.  

Yes people read things and get carried away with them.  But limit some books
and sooner or later someone will want to limit what you read.  I heard of
one lady who wanted to ban the Bible from school -- even a history or
literature course.  Not because she did not believe but because the OLD
TESTAMENT was too course for young children.

I appreciate your view Shane.  And I love "arguing" with you, but again
"They'll pry my book from my cold dead hands."

William, The Library Turtle

PS	Would you limit the following book?  Lots of nude pictures of young
girls?  Particularly their genital regions (primary and secondary).  It was
available in a community college library in California.  A protest was
lodged against it.  It was still in the library the last time I heard.  It
was a medical text concentrating on physical problems in the sexual regions
of young women.  

P2S	About the South: I remember going to school with pocket knives and
no-one thought a thing about it.  And I guarentee a lot of the cars and
pickups in the school parking lot had a gun or two in them.

-----Original Message-----
From: Shane [mailto:shane@theplacewithnoname.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 10:43 AM
To: AT-L List (E-mail)
Subject: RE: [at-l] RE: Off Topic-why? I don't know


> That gun quote is old and goes way back in the gun
> community.  I think it may have originated in the
> South.

As a funny aside, I was in a LE training class in NM when the instructor
asked, "Does anybody here believe that 'guns don't kill people, but people
kill people'?  Anybody believe that?", and so I raised my hand.  He singled
me out and demanded, "What!?  Are you in the NRA or something!?"

I said, "No, sir; I'm from the South."  The entire room went, "Ooohhhhhh!"

> I still love guns and gun history, but I have
> modified my views somewhat.  Basically because some
> of the pro-gun views make no sense.  Who needs a
> fully automatic AK-47 to hunt deer or to target
> practice?

> So...  They'll get my book when they pry it from my
> cold dead hand.

Well, I used to think that way, but then I modified my views somewhat.
Basically because some of the free press and free speech views make no
sense.  I don't see why we need books on how to make bombs, for one.  For
that matter, I don't see why we need books about guns, certain sections of
history, and anything to do with sex.  Books that espouse ideologies like
communism, socialism, and anything un-American are also suspect.  I really
don't see the need for them at all.

It's good that your view about guns makes it easier for me to impose mine
about books upon you.  Thanks!

Freedom is not a middle of the road kind of thing...

Shane

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