Of Schwallers and Idiots

Dear Mr. Schwaller,

Your recent exchange with Mr. Hansen illustrates your brazen willingness to manipulate words in order to CONTROL THE CONVERSATION; but I confess that Mr. Hansen handled you quite well. In fact, it reminds me of the time that Pastor Wilson, whose disingenuous machinations you know not, tried to manipulate Drs. Quinlan and Ramsey into public debating him about his book Southern Slavery, As It Was. (Of course, this happened before a UW professor caught Wilson in his plagiarism.)

In typical Wilsonian fashion, he strutted around town beating his chest, “I challenge you two to debate me!” And they of course gave him all the attention due the town fool, ignoring him much the way this list ignores you. But Wilson won’t take “no” for an answer because everyone must bow before him and his paramasturbatory visions of post-millennial glory. So the idiot took his challenge to the Viz, which you can read right here.

I tell you, Mr. Schwaller, you really have to admire a Christian pastor when he personally insults respected members of the community. He’s such a brave man. Nevertheless, I call these historical facts to your attention because I want you to see Mr. Hansen’s perfect response to Pastor Wilson’s courageous double dare. You can read it right here.

TOUCHÉ!! Well, that’s about the funniest slam I ever read. Pastor Wilson tried to manipulate other people’s words so that he could CONTROL THE CONVERSATION, and Tom Hansen handed it right back to him, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. WHAP! Indeed, I’m sure that even you can appreciate Mr. Hansen’s quick wit.

So I thought that I’d share this moment in history with you, Mr. Schwaller, as a little reminder to be careful when you twist other people’s words.

But before I let you go, I have one question for you about something you wrote to Mr. Hansen. Speaking of Sitler and his probation, you said, “That does NOT mean they will follow these rules. It does NOT mean the community is “safe”. Only an idiot would believe that.”

By contrast, two years ago Pastor Wilson pleaded with Judge Stegner for a “measured and limited” sentence because Wilson had “good hope that Steven has genuinely repented, and that he will continue to deal with this to become a productive and contributing member of society.”

Therefore, given your standard that “only an idiot” would believe the community is safe from Sitler, do you think that Pastor Wilson is an idiot for grounding his urgent plea to Judge Stegner on nothing more than “good hope”?

Thanks,

Bob Herodotus