From: Kevin Langston <langston@convex.COM>
Subject: Re: John Wiley Price
Followup-To: dfw.general
Originator: langston@eugene.convex.com
Reply-To: langston@convex.COM (Kevin Langston)
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Technical Operations
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 18:50:59 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

mpp@sdf.lonestar.org (Michael Persons) writes:
>
>Before you pass judgement on this county constable thing, read the October 8
>Dallas Observer.  According to them, this Skinner guy is a loose cannon, 
>playing John Wayne when he's supposed to be serving warrants.

    Miller saying Roma Skinner is a "loose cannon" is rather like Bill Bennett
    saying Bill Clinton is the anti-Christ. Consider the source and weigh
    the judgement appropriately...

    Don't get me wrong, Miller has written some good articles in the past.
    But she isn't consistent enough for me to consider her a good source
    of information.

    This piece is typical of her hacks against people she doesn't approve 
    of.  Here are some examples from "The Cowboy Constable." They range 
    from personal insults to collections of tangentially related 
    (yet obviously "guilt by association") factlets.

    "...strapped around his ample waist..."

       Weight insults? And this is only the third paragraph.

    "...Skinner knows more about guns than any man has a right to."  

       Barf. I suppose we should all remain as blissfully ignorant about
       them as Miller? 

    "...has more of a temper than most people ought to."

    "Unbeknownst to many people outside law-enforcement circles, Skinner
    sold machine guns to the people of Texas before he was elected
    constable - a legal, if not particularly upstanding, occupation that he
    says he gave up after getting elected..."

       Obviously Miller has absolutely NO understanding of the steps necessary 
       to sell machine guns in the US, or to whom these weapons are generally
       sold. But then most of the audience of the Observer won't know any
       better, either.

    "Skinner's familiarity with, and love of, _Terminator 2_, blow-your-
    head-clean-off-type weaponry is perhaps best illustrated by a photo of 
    him that appeared in the March 1983 issue of _Soldier of Fortune_
    magazine (the same publication that ran classified ads for hit men)."

       Moral judgements, psychological analysis, and guilt by association
       all rolled up into one tight little paragraph. Barf^2.

    She closes with "And it would probably be the preference of the taxpayers
    -- if they knew about it -- not to pay for any of Skinner's shenanigans
    at all."

    She conveniently forgets to mention that no one besides the Constable's
    office is tracking down parole violators until they're suspected of
    committing additional crimes, which is the whole reason Skinner came
    into the limelight.
    
    It would seem the entire story is just a Laura Miller vendetta against
    Skinner.  Does this change the fact that Price, etc want to stop the
    perfectly rational practice of keeping tabs on parole violators?

    Think about it, we have a tremendous problem with a multitude of 
    parolees on the streets, YOUR streets, with no one checking up on 
    them. Mr Skinner is trying to make sure these people play by the
    simple rules which are a requirement of their release. Mr Price 
    wants this practice stopped.

    Which one is doing the right thing?

-- 
--  Kevin Langston           Convex Computer Corporation, Technical Operations
--  langston@convex.com  --  langston@frontier.lonestar.org
"A well-educated electorate, being necessary to the security of a free state,
 the right of the people to keep and read books shall not be infringed." JNS
Newsgroups: dfw.general