Fuck the South? Seems they're fucking just fine -

[kyburg]

Hendrickson is in jail not for any of that, though. He's in trouble for making many hundreds of thousands of dollars running a prostitution business from his $200,000 house, a whorehouse, in effect, now shut down by federal agents. A trophy given to Hendrickson by one of his more than 20 prostitutes, reading "#1 Pimp of the Year, 1998," was taken from the fireplace mantle during a raid and now sits in the Plano offices of the federal prosecutor who last week put him away.

Making money bad. Being a pimp? Not an illegal act. Something wrong there.

And the fact ginmar is discussing the matter today is nothing short of appropriate.

The other thing I was struck by was how eager people were to avoid the gun metaphor. greatsword hit it right on the head. I have a gun. Just because I have one and don't use it doesn't make me a great person. I can exploit it at any time. I have power over anyone who does not have a gun. That might cause them to act with me in a different way than they do with people who don't have guns. People who don't examine this concept closely might be lured into believing that that different treatment and demeanor are the result of their virtues, personality, or attractiveness. Getting treated like this over time might become expected even though only power explains it. I imagine getting rid of that concept must be unpleasant. Hell, even noticing that invisible power must be unpleasant. Not my problem. My issue is first pointing out that that power differential exists, and then eliminating the gap.

It's veteran's day. Go read some by one in the making.

You heard about the tanks being rolled on that anti-war protest in Los Angeles on the 9th? The day the idiot tried to rob the Mexican Consultate? No? Here's the story about the dumbass.

Here's the discussion about the tanks.

Note: go down a fair piece.

Remember what I said about geographically-challenged Marines?

I talked to one Marine with one of the "Striker" vehicles. He told me they had driven the vehicles up from Camp Pendleton the night before (Tuesday) on the freeway. Getting off the 405 Freeway North taking the Wilshire East (instead of WEST to the VA) offramp, they would have passed Wilshire and Veteran where the anti-war rally was underway protesting the attack on Fallujah in Iraq.

I asked him if he was "rolling around Westwood" Tuesday night. He said, "Yeah, and we drove past that anti-war demonstration. We was lost. We're not from L.A. We didn't know where this place (WLA VA) was. We were trying to find it."

"Did you drive around the block twice?" I asked.

"Yeah, we did. We stopped to ask them (the protestors) directions, but they weren't very nice."

No, I don't doubt they were.

Tanks on the 405? Now that I had to see - wonder why THAT didn't make the news.

Well, this protest didn't either. Go fig.

And they were Canadian tanks to boot.

Comments

[joiseyguy.livejournal.com]

I'm going to take up pimping so I can buy a big house in Plano.

Here is what is bothering me.

[the-boyfriend.livejournal.com]

You know... I read most of the responses on that forum. Now I am even more worried about this country than before.
Everytime I read a semi public political argument, there is always a troll response, a blindly neo-con response, and a ridiculously liberal response.
I think the moderates like myself get so overwhelmed and disgusted with the bile that is flung about that we dont even want to waste our time giving a logical response.
Can we all start over, please?

Tanks

[elbales]

I skimmed down and read as many of those posts as I could stomach. Jesus. All those people insisting that the tanks were a piece of gov't intimidation sound (even to me, a rather left-wing person) like hysterical conspiracy theorists. If the tanks were there to imtimidate, why the hell would they have left after only 10 minutes?

Gits.

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

Why money and resources are wasted prosecuting a victimless crime like prostitution is beyond me.

Re: Here is what is bothering me.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Yay internet.

One of the phenomenons we've gotten to see in action with forums like that one is the rise of the idea that everyone with an opinion can voice it, and be heard.

Used to be, that was a privilege. You had to prove you had a legitimate right to speak your mind in a public place - have cause, have reason and had respect for others before you did it.

That had an incredibly leveling effect on published, public discourse.

Internet forums, by and large, the moment you open them to the public, are open to cacophony. And a lot of ca-ca.

I'm not sure about you, but I don't work directly with the public like a retail clerk or a techical support person would. But to hear them talk about their typical day, they get to deal with each and every one of those posters on any given day.

Re: Tanks

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

The fact they showed up at all worries me - and it looks like it worried them, too.

There are plenty of gun nuts around here who are going to want one now that someone else has one.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that - prostitution has plenty of victims. By itself - in a perfect world - maybe not.

Go talk to my friends over at Children of the Night about what prostitution does.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

You can have the house in Plano. Where nothing grows above your knee without human intervention. You go right ahead.

[joiseyguy.livejournal.com]

Beats Irving..nothing here grows about your ankle without divine intervention.

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

That's certainly an organization I'd support. However, they're talking about child prostitution, which (in my opinion) only a monster could support. What I support is the complete legalization of any transaction (sexual or otherwise) between or among consenting adults. Emphasis on both of those last two words.

Re: Tanks

[elbales]

I just don't understand why no one credits the idea that the guys were just plain lost.

Re: Tanks

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Marines? Lost? Never happens!

(Except when you're me and know better.)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

ginmar has some really good points to make on the subject - you might check it out.

As I said - in a perfect world - which we don't live in.

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I did check it out, and I respect her concern and motives. She and I will always disagree on this, though, even in this imperfect world.