Vacation Wild Card 4 — 5.24.09

20 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

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  Arch_Druid on May 24 at 7:49 a.m.

  When bloggers and commenters checking out the CDA Press website started complaining about the hate messages there, apparently the Press got wind of how this was upsetting some and put into its print edition an apologia of sorts, trying to defend the freedom of the press and further informing the readership that they could delete offending material. However, in the following week comes this letter by Jesse Robbins: Hate Crimes: They simply don’t exist—

  Oh no! Looks like Kirsten Brandt is off her meds again. I shook my head in dismay while reading her meandering diatribe and wondering what planet had her dropped off on Earth. She uses so many Neanderthal words to try to convince others to join her on Fantasy Island. Kirsten, get your prescriptions filled and seek what ever medical attention you obviously need.

  Wake up! There is no such thing as a HATE CRIME! I have yet to see blacks, Mexicans, Asians or any other ethnic race charged with a hate crime against a white person. A crime is a crime, end of story. Hate crimes were dreamed up by left wing radicals after doing meth or sucking up too much weed. I also noticed that they have yet to charge Villanueva with a hate crime for his stupid act. HMMMM! I can’t speak for others, Kirsten, but you could do me a real favor if you moved to one of those Los Angeles neighborhoods and spread your venom there.

  _______________________________________________________

  Yes, this is an actual letter published to the Coeur d’Alene Press this 24th of May 2009.

  So besides the fact that Robbins is obviously racist, he has to also insult and denigrate a fellow letter writer. The sort of material that wouldn’t be allowed on line at the S-R, recently welcomed on line at the Press.com until too much flack got raised over it. Then gets published in the Press print edition. Looks like a very mixed message coming from the paper’s management. Unfortunately, you can’t “kill” a letter that Patrick is willing to publish. And it is a letter that unquestionably insults all forms of decency. But, it was still published. You have to wonder why.

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  Bigguy on May 24 at 8:28 a.m.

  I learned a long time ago that only those who own the press (which includes blog sites now) have what is referred to as freedom of the press. The owners (or their minions) have the right to publish or withhold anything they want and shape the news reports to their desires or political bent. The attempt by the CDA Press to invoke the “freedom of the press” defense is hogwash. They printed it (or allowed it to be posted) so they own it.

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  Bent on May 24 at 10:30 a.m.

  Hey DFO, check out the BBQ thread when you get a chance. There is an HBO challenge in the works. It may warrant some front page action over the holiday weekend!!

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  OrangeTV on May 24 at 12:15 p.m.

  This Week’s Get Out! Column:

  Panhandle Café (Bonners Ferry)

  “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls, Please Stick to the Diners and the Drive-ins You’re Used To.”

  http://www.getoutnorthidaho.com

• 

  florined on May 24 at 12:42 p.m.

  Arch, I think you’ll need to beef up your argument a bit with some facts of your own. You say, “So besides the fact that Robbins is obviously racist…” I don’t see that the fact is obvious at all. Perhaps I would agree that he is, were I familiar with the history of his stances in other blogs, but what you have told us here does not make it obvious at all to me. Nor does pronouncing it as such make it so.

  Can you refute his statements with facts of your own? Can you cite, for example, an instance of someone of minority race being charged with a hate crime because of actions against a white person? Or can you explain why that argument might be irrelevant?

  I applaud your intent as I perceive it, but as usual, name-calling doesn’t seem to be an effective argument.

• 

  florined on May 24 at 12:45 p.m.

  Orange, next time you want to see waterfalls, contact Slight Detour. She and her husband know where they are and how to get there!

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  zelda on May 24 at 3:22 p.m.

  The rape in Spokane’s Riverfront Park got prominent placement (“Holiday Horror”) on The Drudge Report this a.m., linking to KXLY’s website.

  And MSNBC has a book review from Business Week on “The Richest Man in Town.” The author has done research on 100 U.S. metro areas and Spokane is one of them. The richest man in Spokane, according to the book, is developer Harlan Douglass. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30872169/

  I can think of some others who might be wealthier, but their lifestyles are ostentatious enough to be noticed or sleuthed out.

• 

  Sam_Crawford on May 24 at 5:24 p.m.

  Hey Bent: Where is the bbq thread?

• 

  Bent on May 24 at 6:02 p.m.

  Sam, go down the front page about ten posts or so and you’ll see the guys BBQing

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  spokelooneh on May 24 at 7:50 p.m.

  “Hate crime” is a misnomer. What we’re talking about here is “enhanced” sentencing guidelines. They’re used for a variety of situations. For example, armed robbery using a gun has longer sentencing guidelines then without a gun, as using a gun in this situation is more likely to create grievous bodily harm upon escalation.

  If you murder somebody whom you perceived to have harmed you, or dissed you in some way, well that’s one thing. You did the deed, you do the time for it. If you murder somebody substantially on account of their race, well that’s a different thing. If you’re likely to kill someone just because of their race, then you’re likely to do that again in a multi-ethnic society, and you get a longer sentence keeping you off the streets. Same goes for lessor charges, like attempted murder and assault.

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  Arch_Druid on May 24 at 11:36 p.m.

  I guess some people don’t read the CDA Press. Robbins has had more than one letter there over the last few months. And what the fellow has written has caused quite a few people to get upset with him.

  So, in an ordinary crime; if an illegal immigrant breaks into a neighborhood home for cash, jewelry, etc.; and the home belongs to a fairly well to do minority citizen of the U.S.; is the illegal immigrant a racist because he targeted THAT home? Or did he target that home because of the type of neighborhood? Prosecutors would be looking for motivation long before they’d charge the illegal immigrant with a hate crime. Further, if the illegal alien only targeted the homes of minority citizens of the U.S. regardless of whether they are well to do or fairly poor, and the people he targeted were African-Americans; then the motivation would be hate. It would then be proper to charge him with a hate crime.

  The same thing would be just as true if an African-American only engaged in violence against anyone who was white. But a “hate crime” would not be so clear if the same perp engaged in acts of violence against ANY target, regardless of race.

  Robbins tries to muddy the issue while attacking another letter writer. That is very clear. But while we are about it, apparently he doesn’t have a very clear memory of the number of times where white on African-American violence existed JUST BECAUSE the targets were African-American. CROSSES BURNED IN THE YARDS of mixed race couples, just because they were a mixed race family. That was in the news in the past two years. Apparently, where Robbins is concerned, doing some research on the facts would hurt his case.

  That makes him obviously racist. And no, that isn’t name calling.

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  JIMMYMAC on May 24 at 11:41 p.m.

  Some people scoff when I say that I got my wife involved in golf this past month. We played Friday Night Fights (couples chapman) and the club had a GREAT BBQ that night. We played 18 holes Saturday and she drove the cart today as I hit my three day trifecta of sunny weather, greens and fairways. This is the first time I have played back to back to back days in years. Mad genius self promotion joking aside, it’s been great enjoying the game with Mrs. Mac. Pink towels, pink argyle socks, pink balls, pink headcovers….she is hooked in every sense of the word.

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  Stickman on May 25 at 5:37 p.m.

  Sorry JIMMYMAC, as Mark Twain once said and I follow him to the “t”, golf is a good walk ruined. Sorry to spoil the fun, but I will just take the walk and enjoy that. Chasing a little white ball seems ridiculous to me. But again, it’s just me.

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  mia on May 25 at 9:55 p.m.

  JimmyMac - Love the Friday Night Fights! How fun is that? I think it is awesome that your wife is totally taking on the golf! Sweetness! How cool is that?

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  JIMMYMAC on May 25 at 10:40 p.m.

  Thanks Mia!
  I’ve been working on her for 10 years now and my prayers have finally been answered.

  Stickman, the walk in the outdoors is definitely the BIGGEST benefit to the game, however I hold it very dear. I didn’t grow up with a father but golf gave me a chance to spend vital quality time with my grandfather during the last 6 years of his life. He taught me the game which was great, but etiquette and honesty were the greatest qualities he strictly enforced out there on the course. It’s a game where you self impose the rules on yourself, often times when no one is watching. There’s no complaining because you and your competitors are all playing hte same foe, the links. To each his own and I hope you have many wonderful walks this summer without having to chase around that incorragible little white sphere.

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  Stickman on May 26 at 1:43 p.m.

  JIMMYMAC: I’m glad you had that time with your grandfather learning the game. I just neved cared for it. I love sports in general and used to play many of them all through my life. Now I walk, as I don’t quite have the vigor and energy I once did. I never meant to say that what you and your wife do is ridiculous, wrong choice of words I guess. It’s just that way for me. My sons play and love it, I wonder where they got that from. Again, it’s to each his own. Enjoy the time doing something fun with your wife, we have so little of that kind of time anymore.

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  JIMMYMAC on May 26 at 7:04 p.m.

  It’s all good Stickman ;)

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  Dennis on May 26 at 8:00 p.m.

  My son was a scholarship athlete in both football and baseball. After college, he took up golf and absolutely loves it. Don’t know where he got that from. When it comes to golf,,,, I’d rather watch paint dry.

  I’m with Stickman though. I love a good, long relaxing walk.

  :-)

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  Nick_Adams on May 26 at 11:48 p.m.

  I enjoy golf because I can play for four hours and not think about anything else. For some reason, it’s so totally consuming that I can shove everything to the back of my mind until I’m finished.

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  Stickman on May 28 at 6:35 p.m.

  I also have tons of golf balls if anyone wants some. They are the floating type of course, used on the Duane’s course. I have been finding them for years, and saved them. For the pure fanatics or ones that might like one just to look at, they are here.

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