[EM] Unreasonable question?

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

James--

It could be argued that I (and you of course too) shouldn't be posting this 
discussion to the list, because it's off-topic, and because it isn't of 
interest to others. But directly addressing the list, as you're doing when 
you speak in the 3rd person, implies more belief that others are interested, 
as compared to addressing my replies to you, speaking in the 2nd person 
does.

I'd said:

>You seem to expect respect, regardless of whether you disrespect
others.
>Is that an attitude common among people with hyphenated names?

	Whenever you bring up my hyphenated name like that, it's like you're a
parody of yourself; like you're not even trying to give an appearance
of
reasonableness.

I reply:

That statement contains an unstated assumption that my question was 
unreasonable. I don't agree that it is an unreasonable question. It's 
perfectly possible that its answer is "yes". It would be unreasonable if I 
worded it as a statement, stating it as an establislhed fact. 
Unreasonableness is more difficult to achieve with a question than with a 
statement.

Mike Ossipoff

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