[extropy-chat] Re: Police Officer Dies After Brawl With Biotech Protesters

[Jef Allbright]

It's one thing to be technically correct, and over the last 10 years or 
so I've seen that you're strong in marshalling technical detail to 
support your points.

It's another thing to be clear about one's principles and to defend them 
vigorously, and I've seen this as another of your consistent strengths.

It's another thing altogether to be clear about one's principles, 
technically capable, AND be able to build effective cooperation in 
support of one's goals within a diverse population of varying 
backgrounds and experiences.  That is where I think we extropians and/or 
transhumanists are typically quite weak.

While my initial comment was directed toward you, Mike and the example 
of your statement that "the Luddites are committing murder", my concern 
is much more general in the sense of how ineffective we are at applying 
leading edge thinking to issues of importance to us.

We are typically very good at identifying and shooting down the flaws in 
opposing viewpoints, but we are not as highly skilled at conveying 
understanding of another's point of view and then building a larger 
structure of thought within which differing viewpoints can grow towards 
common goals.

We apply prejudicial labels, such as Luddite, to groups who would 
strongly disavow such a label.  The label serves to separate us further, 
rather than to build bridges toward understanding, or even imply that 
that we would like to do so.

Some of us are fervently anti-religion, rather than working 
cooperatively with the fact that that we are immersed in an environment 
of many belief systems, all of which have served some local purpose (or 
they wouldn't exist) and none of which (our own included) are perfectly 
rational.

There is power in the political technique of belittling and downgrading 
one's opponents, but in the bigger picture the power of truth tends to 
be even more effective, and the bigger picture "truth" contains all the 
opponent parts.

- Jef
http://www.jefallbright.net


Mike Lorrey wrote:

>On the contrary, resisting arrest and/or assaulting a police officer is
>a felony. Any death that occurs during the commission of that felony is
>to be prosecuted as felony murder. It doesn't matter if he died of a
>heart attack in the scuffle, it was the stress of the assault that
>caused it the demonstrators are murderers. It's on the books.
>
>--- Jef Allbright <jef at jefallbright.net> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Mike -
>>
>>Have you ever considered that sometimes your approach may be just a 
>>teensy bit overly inflammatory? 
>>
>>- Jef
>>
>>Mike Lorrey wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Now the luddites are committing murder...
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>http://www.nbc10.com/news/4632819/detail.html
>>>>
>>>>Violence between biotech protesters and police in Center City 
>>>>Philadelphia has turned tragic. A Philadelphia police officer has
>>>>died after a scuffle in Center City on Tuesday.
>>>>
>>>>The officer, Paris Williams, 52, may have died from a heart attack
>>>>but homicide is also investigating the case. He is a 19-year veteran.
>>>>
>>>>Williams collapsed near the end of a brawl between protesters and
>>>>police that lasted for several minutes near 12th and Arch Streets. 
>>>>