From: kkopp@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (koppenhoefer kyle cramm)
Subject: Re: Kyle K. on Rodney King
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Lines: 54

thf2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank) writes:

>In article <C5nH58.Hp4@news.cso.uiuc.edu> kkopp@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (koppenhoefer kyle cramm) writes:
>>thf2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank) writes:
>>>In article <C5Lp0y.FDK@news.cso.uiuc.edu> kkopp@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (koppenhoefer kyle cramm) writes:
>>>>How about the fact that you have a bunch of cops putting their lives on
>>>>the line day in and day out who are afraid as hell of a large black guy that
>>>                                                               ^^^^^
>>>>took a large amount of punishment and refused submit?  
>>
>>>I'm curious why you think that particular adjective is important.
>>
>>I'm curious why you took a beign statement and cross-posted it to several
>>different news groups, including something along the lines of 
>>alt.discrimination.  

>Exsqueeze me?  I saw *your* original post in alt.discrimination.
>Your post was cross-posted to three groups.  My followup was cross-posted
>to two of those three (omitting soc.motss).

>Now, instead of engaging in meta-discussion off the topic, could you answer 
>the question posed?  If your statement is so "beign"(!?), you should have no
>trouble politely responding to a polite query.

       Well, I don't think your query was exactly polite, but I will TRY to
give you a polite responce.  Something atypical of the net, but here it goes.

       Black is a descriptive adjective that describes Mr. King.  From many
of the newspaper, radio, and tv news reports I have seen, this adjective      
is commonly in front of his name.  I have NEVER seen anyone complain about
the use of this adjective when used in a benign manner.  I did not say that
Mr. King was a no good black!  I do not know Mr. King and would not make this
ascertian without some evidence to this effect.  I used it PURELY as a 
descriptive adjective in the same manner than many ( most ) news people have
used it in the past.


      The entire second trial was about race, Ted.  I don't feel compelled to
discuss Mr. King's racial background, but had Mr. King been white there would
not have been a second trial.  You probably are saying that the beating would
not have occurred if he were white, but that is an extremely difficult call
to make.  It is possible the case, but not definately.  

      I still think your actions are crap, Ted.  They are far more divisive than
me using the adjective 'black' in a non-derogenory manner.  Would you have
been happier if I had used 'African-american' ?  If so, then you really are
lost in the world of PC.  You have already been instrumental in getting one
persons net access revoked, and I wonder if you have sent a copy of my 
message to my sys admin with a plea that I am not worthy of posting.

     The way you went about this 'polite' inquiry makes me believe it was 
anything but.
 

