Partial Birth Act Upheld

[Royce]

I'm afraid I don't understand your point, Ms. Henderson. Was there something
that Frank or I wrote that indicated that we were doing other than civilly
discussing the issue? I believe we have both shown a high degree of respect
for the other's position and have not engaged in any hysterics or otherwise
unrespectful conversation.

The issue is an emotional one for some people. Emotional discussion doesn't
lead to understanding. It leads to rhetoric and foot stomping. I don't think
either Frank or myself have done either.

I was not addressing any comment you may have made and I don't think Frank
was either. I could be wrong.

Royce Mitchell
NWCU Law



-----Original Message-----
From: Lynne Henderson [mailto:hendersl at ix.netcom.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 6:57 PM
To: Royce
Cc: 'Con Law Prof list'
Subject: Re: Partial Birth Act Upheld


Can we all calm down a bit?  I know *lots* of poor and working poor
people who work long hours for little pay and who need private or
public charity just to eat or have a roof over their heads (alas, the
index for poverty hasn't taken into account the huge growth in housing
expenses in the past 20 years).  I've watched battered women struggle
to survive and find work when they do what they are "supposed
to"--leave and find work, only to have their abusers track them down at
the workplace and cause the employer grief or cause the employer to
fire the women.  I realize that there is a long-held belief in *The
Undeserving Poor* (great book tracing the ambivalence we have had over
time--and see *NY v. Miln* about the pestilence of paupers) in the
United States and that yes, there are some people who prefer the dole,
but it is not a significant number  and they are still human beings.

I understand these are emotional times and emotional issues, but my
attempt at irony yesterday (poor attempt, sorry ) about being outraged
as a secular humanist was no help at all, and I apologize.  We have
wars with terrible violence, we have terrorists who would love the U.S.
to fail, we have psychotics with guns killing innocent people and
scaring us all in the academy, we have the emotions of the abortion
case,  we have real fears and anxieties.  But beating up on one another
or others won't help us reach understanding the Constitution's limits
and benefits.  And if we cannot do it, as someone said earlier, we
cannot expect our students or others to converse civilly and
respectfully.
Sincerely,
Lynne Henderson
On Apr 19, 2007, at 4:15 PM, Royce wrote: