From: wattsww@ntmtv.UUCP (Warren Watts)
Subject: Re: Spike Lee
Reply-To: wattsww@ntmtv.UUCP (Warren Watts)
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 19:30:56 GMT

peewee@infoserv.com (Philip Stromer) writes:
>	>Warren Watts writes:
>	>when Pee Wee first came on the net about a year ago, he was 
>	>pumping all this ignorant bullshit about Malcolm because  
>	
>Because people like you lump anything you don't like into the category        
>of "bullshit".  The quote of Malcolm's that I posted has already proven
>to be true.

I don't dispute that the quote is true, but the point that has already
been made is that you misrepresent his overall message by making this
quote central to your view of Malcolm. Malcolm made some serious
statements against white people that I could take as a reason to
disregard him if I made them central to my view of the man and if I
didn't allow that he did change towards the end of his life. The
deaths of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were not only tradgedies
for the african-american comunity but tradgedies for the U.S as a
whole. Just as Martin was starting to see the larger social issues
that plague this country towards the end of his life Malcolm was
developing a truer picture of the underlying causes of racism. If
either one of them had lived longer this country would be a much
better place, but that is probably why they were assinated when they
were. Back to the point which is, that you refuse to give Malcolm any
credit at all based on one statement which may or may not have been
his true view on the subject. This attitude can only serve to "stir up
shit on this newsgroup"

>	>Last time he was on the net I got so fucking tired of his
>	>ego driven bullshit, that I gave up on stomping him. 
>	
>And it took you 6 months to recover?!          

Well I got into a good twelve step program and I'M O.K. now. :)
Actually it didn't affect me too much at all but I do feel that
responding to everything that you say that I disagree with is a waste
of time, so I only choose to waste my time at my convenience now.

>	>It is a just a waste of time, he is not here to LEARN anything 
>	>but to stir up shit 
>	
>	
>It's difficult to learn something when 50 people are patting each        
>other's backs.  If a few have disagreements on something, that
>causes a controversy, which causes different opinions to be cast,
>or as you call it, "stirring up shit".

I have nothing against well reasoned discussions, disaggreements or
arguements, but you often take extemeist viewpoint simply to provoke a
confrontation, this is what I call "stirring shit up."

>I was fired for the shit I posted on alt.flame and alt.tasteless.        
>What's the First Amendment limit on free speech on a newsgroup called
>alt.tasteless?  I was being very TASTELESS, making jokes about AIDS and
>magic.  I thought that's what alt.tasteless was FOR.
>
>Do I have a right to be warned first, before being fired?  I never was 
>warned.

Since when did any corporation worry about peoples rights?
Corporations do worry about what it might cost them if the abrogate
your rights, but they never worry about your rights. I would say that
it is definately not fair that you weren't warned. You should have
been warned when you were given an account with internet access that
anything you do with that account could reflect negatively on the
company. If they failed to do that then they should have given you a
second chance. But to expect any corporation to make a morally right
decision when it will cost them money is pointlessly naive.

>Damn right I'm in favor of FREE speech.  It even puts me in the uncomfortable
>position once in a while of having to defend Nazis marching down the street
>in a parade, because much as I loathe them, I respect their right to march
>down the street in peace.
>

Well I disagree with the in peace part. If you mean no physical
violence, then you are correct, but if they are having a PUBLIC
demonstration, then I have the right to PUBLICLY expess my opinion of
it in the same public place at the same time.

In any case my criticism stands, that you are not here to learn
anything. Although you have moments of lucidity where you state your
reasoned opinions, I have yet to see any of those opinions change as a
result of discusion on the net. If you stick to reasoned agruements
you are not a detriment, but when you make deliberately inflamitory
statements it contributes nothing but volume to soc.cult.af.am.

Peace,
	 Warren Watts

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american