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Irony Challenged
You've probably seen the email going around about how to argue with a pacifist. You know, the one that says that you should just listen to their arguments, and then suddenly, without warning, punch them in the nose? Rinse, lather, repeat until they get the point?
Well, someone sent it to some peace activists, and they took it as a physical threat. They're upset because they can't get the police to do anything about it. But my favorite line of the story was the last one:
Police filed an initial report after receiving a complaint and will likely interview Howell, Atkinson said. But because it contained no specific threats, the e-mail is most likely not criminal, Atkinson said.
Diana Hirschi, who issued Thursday's press release, worries the e-mail might jeopardize protesters, who have already been pelted by eggs during recent rallies.
"I'm a pacifist," Hirschi said. "But if somebody punched me in the nose, I don't know what I'd do.
[Update at 2:10 PM PST]
Someone in the comments section was looking for the original essay. Here's a link to it.
And thanks to Dave Neiwert--a lefty freelance journoblogger (whose politics can be inferred from his blogroll--Atrios tops the list...) through whom I found it because he was whining about it. In his foolishness, he takes it to be "...describing how to physically assault war protesters." He obviously misses the point as well.
Posted by Rand Simberg at April 04, 2003 12:05 PM
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Comments
Anybody have a copy of this email they can send me? I've not seen it.
Posted by FDC at April 4, 2003 12:53 PM
Jeez. This sort of thing's been around for a couple of decades. I remember going to lunch in the mid-1980s with my coworkers. One time, someone not a regular joined us and proceeded to inflict this psychoprattle about how "violence only happens to those who want to be a victim." As I got up to leave, I walked behind him, whacked him on the head, and as he indignantly turned around, dead-panned "just doing what as you requested," and left. He still didn't get it, that type never does, although most everyone else did.
From the article--
"I'm a pacifist," Hirschi said. "But if somebody punched me in the nose, I don't know what I'd do. "
I think the guy has come up with a tidy summation of pacifascism. A true pacifist (of the old fashioned Ghandi or Quaker variety) already has thought out how to deal with violence on all levels,and how to react.
Posted by Raoul Ortega at April 4, 2003 01:24 PM
Thanks for the link.
It's obvious reading it that it's meant as an allegory. How could anyone read it and take it as an actual threat? Sad...
Posted by FDC at April 4, 2003 02:42 PM
I think that's "he OBLIVIOUSLY misses the point"
Posted by jon ravin at April 5, 2003 09:53 PM
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