Re: Authorities

"jce" <defaultuser@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gO3Ke.41155$iG6.9102@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> "Howard Brazee" <howard@brazee.net> wrote in message
> news:ddabak$581$1@peabody.colorado.edu... 
> One president was famous for trying his luck with with this.
>
> "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."
> (Washington, D.C., January 26, 1998)"
>
> I have never checked before but I think we would find him vindicated if we
> used m-w as the authority...but then what fun would that be.
>
> http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictiona...18&y
=19
>

I was stunned at this...

Using that definition, what he said was true. (I owe him an apology; always
considered he simply lied. Now it turns out he was using MW as his
authority...)

But the general consensus is that "sexual relations" includes more than
"physical union of male and female genitalia accompanied by rhythmic
movements usually leading to the ejaculation of semen from the penis into
the female reproductive tract; also : INTERCOURSE 3 -- compare ORGASM"

So, it could be argued that if the movement is not rhythmic, no "sexual
relations" occurred... or if the semen end up on the blue dress, or
somewhere else :-)

Could a rapist use authority to get off in this way? It is a frightening
thought.

When meaning is restricted to authority only, and context is ignored,
loopholes become apparent.

 
I agree.
 
> I'll never forget the Dilbert when the pointy haired boss wanted a
> blindingly super database..."what color do you want that database?"
>
> "...I think mauve has the most RAM"
>
> Point is, I don't even have to look as far as the general public ;-)
> 
>
> People can say evolution is only a theory, because it is a theory.

Yes, inserting 'only' into the statement weakens it considerably. A theory
may be well proven, and may never have failed to accurately predict
phenomena, but saying it is 'only' a theory, diminishes it.

> say it because of the other scope creep...we as a group generally cannot
> separate evolution from "in the beginning...."
>
> JCE
>