Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cholula.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!houxz!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!teltone!tikal!cholula!tac From: tac@cholula.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Reagan's Remark Message-ID: <10@cholula.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 12:16:50 EDT Article-I.D.: cholula.10 Posted: Mon Aug 20 12:16:50 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 03:31:03 EDT Organization: Teltone Corp., Kirkland, WA Lines: 60 , (sop to the blank line eaters--consider it a religious sacrifice) The commentary about Reagan's "bombing" remark is carrying on with a certain amount of rhetoric. I would like to comment on this subject also. RR's remark has been characterized as a number of things. I have chosen to think of it as an ice breaking comment. You may (and will) interpret it in any way that you want, but let me explain the reasoning behind my choice. The remark was made to a room of consenting adults who were supposedly endowed with intelligence. They were about to engage in the purpose of their assembly, which purpose can cause a certain amount of tension. To whit, a press conference. The conference had not started. The President's remark began, I believe--I don't have hard copy in front of me--with the phrase, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have just signed legislation outlawing Russia." The assembled personages in the room were all familiar with the workings of the US congress, and had full knowledge of what Congress had been working on of late. They KNEW beyond any doubt that such legislation had not been touched by congress and therefore, they knew that the statement was not true. They never questioned the validity of the statement. There was never any question in anyone's mind that this was or was not non-sense. Since the press conference had not begun, there was no way that the comment could have been construed as meant for the population. Now, admittedly, I am not the President. I also am not in any position of power. I would not, however, look kindly on anyone who spread what I said in a closed room to people to whom it might be offensive. How many of you out there have never told a joke that could be considered offensive to some minority group? Would you like to have the people you told a joke like that to run out and tell the minority group that you had said thus-and-such about them? I am not trying to justify the remark, I think it was in poor taste (I believe in GENERIC jokes). I also think that spreading the comment is close to criminal (in the non-legal sense) incompetence. This is not news and refusing to spread it is not suppression of the news, just smart. Of course, the press "intelligencia" of this country would probably report number, size and color of the President's stools each day if they could get it. Now you can go back to interpreting the "remark" in whatever (commie- pinko-liberal vs jerkwater-redneck-conservative) political manner you wish, just don't bother me with flames about it. From the Soapbox of Tom Condon {...!uw-beaver!teltone!teldata!tac} o Don't bother heaping abuse on me, the pile already has ooo pyramidal proportions and any more added just rolls ooooo <==abuse down the sides and off! It then forms piles for others ooooooo to walk in. tac <==me piles of abusive =====> . . overflow ... ... DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein are those of everyone who matters, but not necessarily anyone you know, and most certainly not my employers!