Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Is Stallman nuts?

[Robert Call (Bob)]

On Sun, 2019-09-15 at 13:35 -0400, MARY-ANNE WOLF wrote:
> https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9ke3ke/famed-computer-scientist-richard-stallman-described-epstein-victims-as-entirely-willing
> 
> 
> https://medium.com/@selamie/remove-richard-stallman-fec6ec210794
> 
> 
> I have been a financial supporter of FSF since... 2011 at least.  I
> first used emacs in... the 1980's I think it was.
> 
> 
> Way to drive away any female supporter of FSF and Libre software
> generally, Richard! I really did think you were smarter than that.
> 
> 
> Look!  A person underage (and the age is defined differently in
> different states) CANNOT give consent to sex.  That is why there is
> such a thing as statutory rape.  Thus, whether the young lady was
> paid (and prostitution is also illegal in most places, and
> transporting someone for purpose of prostitution also) and whether
> she was willing in any other sense, if she was too young, she CANNOT
> have given consent to sex, so the sex MUST have been rape as legally
> defined.
> 
> 
> If Stallman is too stupid to understand that, the FSF needs to throw
> him out with force and distance itself from him as fast as they can,
> before FSF loses the support of most of its female supporters and a
> large fraction of its more woke male supporters.
> 
> 
> Is Stallman nuts?
> 
> 

My view is : no, Stallman is not nuts. 

The problem is that no one is willing to stop and have a coherent
(adult) conversation on any given topic; it usually ends with how the
mob feels. While I don't agree with what Stallman said, I am going to
stand up for the issues around this whole debacle. 

>From my perspective, this started because Stallman was trying to defend
Marvin Minsky because he can no longer defend himself. The Vice post
left out most of the mailing list thread and both hit pieces have a
spin or narrative to push without having any meaningful content.

Even if the misquote was true, it should be up for debate and one's own
feelings should be left at the door when doing so. This constant cycle
of outrage over the dumbest stuff is not going to move society forward.
The problem is that many people asking for Stallman's scalp can't seem
to entertain or view the world from a different point of view from
their own. I worry this regressive behavior will lead to the end of
what free society we have left. Debate about this issue should be done
with facts and not feelings or lies!


--
Robert Call (Bob)
bob@bobcall.me
https://bobcall.me