Re: Opinion - Respect = Re: [OT] Frog Bashing

At 09:50 PM 5/28/02 -0700, you wrote:
>No,
>
>I just wish that people would consider that there may in fact be
>Muslims, French, Poles, Italians, etc. on this list, and they
>have a right to be treated with respect. When they are insulted,
>degraded and marginalised before their individual personalities
>have been considered, we are doing ourselves a disservice. This
>is even worse considering that we are talking about science
>fiction. There is no need to insult the people that are here now.

Respectfully, no.  No one has a "right" to be treated with 
respect.  Respect is earned.

It would be nice if the world ran that way, but it doesn't.

Having said that, I will definitely own up that treating everyone with 
respect is both a good way to get respect and to keep things calm and
civil.

I'll even agree we do ourselves a disservice by being disrespectful, 
degrading, insulting, etc.

>I realise that John has some good things to say. Often those
>things outweigh the bad things that are said. However, I don't
>think that it takes very much effort to frame an argument in
>a non-bigoted way.

And honestly, how much effort does it take to not be offended to a
bigoted 
argument?

Words are words.  If you allow them to control your actions, who has won

the battle?

>It has been said that the French don't really have anything to
>brag about militarily. Compared to, for example, the mighty
>U.S.A, which is unparalleled in it's ability to bomb the crap
>out of second rate armies in third world countries. I know that
>that comment will likely just set people off. But I would like
>to point out that it's basis is from Mr. Atkinson's own remarks.

How does this prove your point?  That you can sink as low as someone 
else?  That you don't need to follow your own advice above?  Really, not
a 
good way to make your point.

However, since you mentioned it...  You're dead on...  We are really
good 
at bombing the crap out of second rate armies in third world countries. 
I 
suspect we're even better at bombing third rate militaries anywhere. 
Then 
again, when your a first rate military, it's not out of whack to be good
at 
beating a less rated military.

>It is easy to insult people. Does that make it right?

No, but it doesn't necessarily make it wrong either.

>ps. for the record, I like Americans. I have a lot of respect
>for our southern neighbours.

*shrug*  There are those of my fellow Americans I like, and those that I

dislike.  As a people, we tend to be young at heart, with all the faults

entailed with youth...	Luckily for us and the rest of the world, we're 
growing up.