They printed my letter!!! Part 2

Been away on on vacation, as you know, but the News-Times printed my letter pointing out the obvious flaws in John Schneider's claims about the Downing Street memo.

Those darn liberals -- for a bunch of people who are so much smarter than the rest of us, it's amazing how they can't manage to put together an intelligent argument. I'm surprised some of them can finish a sentence.

Note: I do actually know many very smart people on the opposite side of my political views. It just seems that none of them write letters to the News-Times.

Note 2: They archived the letter after seven days, so here is the text of it:

To the Editor: Poor John Schneider (Letters, 7/19). So overcome with emotion. So incapable of seeing past his own rage and hysteria that he continues hurling accusations he can't support.

Mr. Schneider returns to his claim that the Downing Street memo proves the Bush administration guilty of lying -- this time not because of its substance, but rather its context.

His argument is: this is an "official" British Government document, and he knows in his "heart of hearts" that the Bush administration is "full of war criminals."

Serious charges, but not a particularly compelling argument. Frankly, I could easily produce an "official" document declaring Mr. Schneider is an Irish Sheepdog. That doesn't prove he actually is one, even if I really, really believe it's true.

Shaping so-called evidence to a predetermined conclusion and wrapping it all up in an emotional outburst is not proof, Mr. Schneider. It's a tantrum.

Sound familiar? That's right, you're doing exactly what you accuse the Bush administration of. Again.

So let's focus on what the document actually is and says. And just for fun, let's make it interesting.

If Mr. Schneider can point to anything in the document -- anything at all -- that would be legally admissible as PROOF of guilt of any crime by any member of the Bush administration, I'll donate $100 to the humanitarian charity of his choice.

If he can't provide such proof, he pays 100 bucks to one of my favorite charities -- the International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org), which fights child prostitution and slavery around the world.

"Clever" solution, huh?

What do you say, Mr. Schneider? Care to put your money where your overwrought emotions are?