This sort of thing is my least favorite part of Mudcat, and here I am replying to one of *those* threads...why am I doing this to myself?

The argument that that song is racist reminds me of the end of the song "Polka-Dot Undies"; "I tell you that obscenity is all in your...polka-dot undies." Presumably, however, it is a crime against sensitivity at least not to have the same things in your mind as your self-appointed social betters. But then, it seems to me that the "Texas Defense" is the height of progressivism when applied to domestic abuse, but the last word in reactionary savagery when applied to other things, so perhaps I'm just not able to see the subtle distinctions. Ah, well.

OK, sarcasm off for a while. I don't respect many of the opinions on this thread enough want to even discuss them.

That lonely reference to The Oxbow Incident was excellent, too bad people were too busy shouting their prejudices to notice it. Excellent book about just how bad vigilante justice can be. Being an expatriate Montanan, I'll have to track down the book on Montana vigilantes, but it sounds like that and Oxbow Incident might be a good combination, unless of course you necessarily equate vigilanteeism with racial killings--in which case go impose your prejudices on someone from somewhere else.

I am also reminded of a Mike Royko column about a neighborhood pornographer who approached a young woman about some pictures. The column was essentially about how in bygone days her father and brothers would have gone over to the photographer's house and made some forceful suggestions about his behavior toward the young women in the neighborhood and his continued presence there. Which was the more civilized time? Mike's preference, I guess, was clear. Poor, reactionary, uncivilized Mike.

Dustin