Sunday, March 6, 2011

Remember the Alamo

via Notions Capital


(image credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com)



Some hold that the “Freedom” the rebels died for was chiefly the freedom to own slaves, a practice illegal under Mexican law. Most Texans would rather remember the gallant fight put up that day by heroes like Jim Bowie, William Travis, and John Wayne.
What's your opinion? Isn't this a similar whitewashing as what they've done with the Confederate Flag? Aren't they both shameful symbols which should remind us of some of the worst of American history? Why do people in the North, North-East and California understand this and the others don't? (I know that's one sweeping generalization, but you know what I mean).

Please leave a comment.

7 comments:

  1. Why do people in the North, North-East and California understand this and the others don't? (I know that's one sweeping generalization, but you know what I mean).

    Sure, we know what you mean. The same kind of thing meant by the guy who makes this sweeping generalization:

    Why do Christians and Jews understand that killing people for adherence to other religions is wrong, and the others don't?

    . . . or:

    Why do white people understand that indiscriminately blasting away on a street corner, to protect one's drug-dealing turf, is wrong, and the others don't?

    Etc., etc.

    Regional bigotry is bigotry no less reprehensible than any other type, and you seem proud of yours.

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  2. Zorry wrote: Why do Christians ... understand that killing people for adherence to other religions is wrong ...?

    Except for the Crusades, the Thirty Years War, the slaughter of the Huguenots, the Irish Troubles, pogroms, et. al.

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  3. Mike Licht:

    Except for the Crusades, the Thirty Years War, the slaughter of the Huguenots, the Irish Troubles, pogroms, et. al.

    I thought I had made clear that I do not agree with the attitudes I described in my examples, and in fact find those attitudes repugnant.

    Thank you for reminding me that I badly overestimated my audience.

    My humble apologies for my excessive optimism.

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  4. Zorroy, Are you bigotry-free yourself? Is that where your moral condescension comes from? Clean as a whistle, are ya?

    Besides, you're confusing - I know YOU the word-smith extraordinaire - bigotry with generalizing. What I do very often is generalize, which may not have anything to do with bigotry. You just like using that word so much.

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  5. Besides, you're confusing - I know YOU the word-smith extraordinaire - bigotry with generalizing. What I do very often is generalize, which may not have anything to do with bigotry. You just like using that word so much.

    Remember this?

    P wrote in the original comment, "the two hoodlums who had done this as they were leaving and called a racist for singling them out."

    What did you think they were, Zorroy, Asian-americans?


    Assuming "hoodlums" must be a reference to blacks is indeed bigotry.

    Want more? How about this:

    Mr. Borchers, and people like him are the reason Vermont has a good reputation. It's not the absense of laws, like many say. It's the quality of the people.

    Northeastern state=better quality people.

    That's why I call you a bigot.

    Am I guilty of bigotry? I'm sure I fall short of my own ideals sometimes, but at least I aspire to be better than that. For example, I have long been under the impression that there was not a shred of honor in the entire BATFE, and the sooner everyone who worked there died, and the more painful and ignominious their deaths were, the better. Agent John Dodson, and the other courageous BATFE whistle-blowers, have taught me better.

    I still think it's an evil institution, with no moral or Constitutional justification for its existence, and that anyone who works there serves an immoral and unconstitutional mission, but still, there obviously are people of great honor and integrity there.

    Dodson is a true American patriot and hero, and if his courageous stand does as much damage to this gangster government administration as I think it will, he will be one of the greatest heroes in this nation's history.

    So, in other words, I might have my own bigotries to deal with, but I am dealing with them.

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  6. Zorroy, Your chronicling my examples of bigotry (or generalizing) is cute and I'm very flattered, but I don't think you've got it exactly right.

    In that exchange with P, I didn't presume the bad guys were black because he referred to them as hoodlums, but because they themselves accused the gun shop owner of being racist. It's still a leap, I admit, but not much of one.

    About generalizing that the folks in the North East enjoy better education than their Southern cousins, do I really need to defend that?

    In any case, I'm encouraged that you're trying to amend your false ways with the BATFE. I guess if you can do it, I can do it.

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  7. It's still a leap, I admit, but not much of one.

    For "not much of" a leap, it sure was fucking wrong, which isn't surprising, since bigots have something of a habit of being wrong.

    About generalizing that the folks in the North East enjoy better education than their Southern cousins, do I really need to defend that?

    If you make an assertion that you'd like to have taken seriously, it would probably be a good idea to present some supporting evidence. Just an idea. If you don't mind advertising your fullness of shit, you're doing great--don't change a fucking thing. Besides, when did this become about education, anyway?

    In any case, I'm encouraged that you're trying to amend your false ways with the BATFE.

    I don't know about "false ways" on my part. I admit now that I was mistaken in my failure to realize that there are a few tiny atolls of honor in the vast ocean of the BATFE's evil, thuggish corruption, but it was an entirely honest mistake (and, I think, a pretty easily understandable one, as well).

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