Bowing out

[Richard Moody]

----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin E. Ramsey <ramsey@extremezone.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2001 9:50 PM
Subject: Re: Bowing out


>     I would just like to point out one thing to all the people on
the list
> who seem so bent on "making nice" to the Communist Regime in the
PRC. If we
> were in China, and belonged to this list in the time of the Cultural
> Revolution, we would have been rounded up, shot in the back of the
head, and
> our parents would have received a bill for the cost of the bullet.
>     As one of our greatest Statesmen (Thomas Jefferson) once said,
"The only
> thing necessary for the triumph of Evil over Good, is for good men
to do
> nothing."
>     And on that note, I too am only too glad to leave this most
unpleasant
> topic behind. But, I refuse to go back to sleep!

> Kevin E. Ramsey


It would be interesting to know the source of the quote as many things
alleged to be said by TJ were in fact not, or exaggerated by being out
of context.  Just like some of the "facts" you report of the cultural
revolution.  If you want to judge a society today on  the acts of an
"evil regime"  35 years ago that is your discretion.  Such angst
indeed might make it hard to sleep.  Surely if the "bullet in the back
of the head" mentality were driving that tank 12 years ago it would
not have turned away, or even been slowed.  Now tell us every regime
you have ever supported has never done evil.
    "The 'good man' cleans his own house", is conveyed by the
Jefferson quote.
If indeed it is his,  a ventured guess is it was made in regards to
slavery---an evil Jefferson  acknowledged  he himself was caught up
in.  ..."A wolf by the ears".    If he was a deist I doubt he believed
in "Good over Evil" but that didn't prevent him from using such
sentiment in persuasive argument. See the Declaration of Independence.
---ric