From: pdb059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov (Paul Bartholomew)
Newsgroups: ca.politics
Subject: Mother of All Flame Wars...NOT!
Date: 6 Oct 92 20:49:36 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Image Processing Lab

Well, we finally have it, folks.  The sum total of Clayton's research.
Let us re-examine some of the claims he's made in the past year and
determine if they're supported by this research:

1.   Homosexuals are mentally ill.
2.   Homosexuality is a disfunctional lifestyle.
3.   The overwhelming majority of homosexuals support child molestation.
4.   There is a link between child molestation and homosexuality.
5.   In terms of percentages, homosexuals are more likely to molest children
than heterosexuals.
6.   Homosexuality and promiscuity are inextricably linked.
7.   Homosexuals are depraved.
8.   Homosexuals are liars.
9.   Homosexuals are fascists.
10.  Homosexuals want the freedom to molest your children so they can
recruit them into homosexuality.

Actually, I think there have been other claims, but that's all I can think of
right off the top of my head.  Of these claims, Clayton's research supports
a grand total of (ta-da!) >1< (count them, one)--number 5 in the above list.

Additionally, he has *partial* support for others in the list.  One at a time:

1?  Nope, he hasn't presented any evidence that homosexuals (as a group) are
mentally ill.

2?  Nope, he hasn't presented any evidence that homosexuality is a disfunc-
tional lifestyle.  For that matter, he never explained just what the hell a
disfunctional lifestyle really is.

3?  Nope.  Just the opposite in fact.  The overwhelming majority of homo-
sexuals, by his evidence, do not engage in nor support child molestation.

4?  Not really.  He has established a one-way link, but not a two-way
link.  All he's established is that *some* (unspecified number) of men
molested as children become gay.  He has not established that all, or
even any substantial number, of gay men were molested as children.

5?  Yup.  This one he's presented some evidence on--evidence that warrants
a re-examination of the issue.  His evidence, by the way, also reveals that
the overwhelming majority of gay men do not molest children.

6?  Partially.  He presented a Masters & Johnson survey that seems to
indicate that many gay men are promiscuous.  Unfortunately, he didn't
present the equivalent data for heterosexuals.  Nor did he discuss the
possible causes for this promiscuity (other than his child molestation
fixation).

7?  Nope.

8?  Nope.
9?  Nope.
10? Nope.  Although one study did seem to indicate that there may be a
"recruiting" aspect to the child molestation, no evidence was presented
to support this and no numbers were given.

All in all, I'd say that this "mother of all flame wars" is exactly parallel
to the Iraqi war (remember who it was that called it the "mother of all
battles"?).

Time to go back to the library, Clayton.  You still have 9 claims to go.
Now, if you'd care to publicly retract any of these claims, I'll be glad
to let you off the hook for them.  Otherwise, you're still on public record
as supporting them.

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Paul Bartholomew          |   "The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of
                          |    many things..."                  Lewis Carroll
pdb059@ipl.jpl.nasa.gov   |   Disclaimer:  Opinions?  What opinions?
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