[PEN-L:10988] Re: fascism&freespeech3

[Michael Eisenscher <meisenscher@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:05 PM 6/22/97 -0700, Karl Carlile wrote:
[SNIP]
>
>KARL: Surely the profession of the revolutionary is not the
>profession of the private detective. Why do you want to know where the
>fascist are at all times? Is it to gaze at them all the more,
>particularly if they are of female gender (forgive the possibly
>implicit sexism here. I just couldn't resist it Andy.)
[SNIP]

Sorry, Karl, but as a big "revolutionary" you don't get off so easily with
what is not "implicit" but explicit sexism, which you then proceed to
compound by using the sexist reference again.

For someone who quick to lecture on the standards of a true revolutionary,
you are surely too "flexible" in excusing your own transgressions.
Apologizing for what you obviously recognize to be an offensive reference
and then going on to use it again just does not cut it.  One does not even
have to be a revolutionary to find this objectionable, but surely someone
who claims to be one should know the difference.  Acknowledging that what
you say might be offensive does not give you license to say it again.

Can you see that telling a "possibly" racist joke and following it with
another does not make it less racist?  If so, how is your sexism any different?

In solidarity,
Michael