Hogan on Parcher's confession

[Jason Ingram]

I fail to see how you have a point in drawing an analogy between two
categories different IN KIND (race, which is presumably not a marker of
experience, skill, ability to organize data, or any other _qualitative_
consideration; and debate ability, which can be improved through coaching
designed to hone certain specific behaviors) as if they were merely
different IN DEGREE.  Stating that being black is like being a novice,
only much worse, maps race onto dangerous terrain.  You draw the analogy
to justify more support for coaching novices, which is fine, and you do
well to point out that the discrimination faced by the two groups is
different
.  But that has little to do with my question.  You remark,

>Yes I used an analogy comparing discrimination of race to that
>of debate experience. That is why I included the parenthetical statement
>"though not as serious." Grammatically, that means that the violation is
>similar, but less worisome. Had I not included the parenthetical
>statement, you would have a point. Since I did, you do not.

I asked a question, not wanting to assume that you really thought
blackness was like debate status.  My point, which you missed, was that
the comparison was qualitatively different.  By including the statement,
"though not as serious," you map criteria onto being black that constitute
a different picture of blackness than many might be comfortable with.  You
may be comfortable with implying that being black is like being someone
unskilled in the critical thinking marking varsity debaters, "only worse."


My question (it _was_ a question; I wasn't trying to "score a point off of
you") still stands, though I think your message implies an answer.