Blog of law articles

Hi kids!

Anybody remember George Metcalfe?

He's the Leesburg lawyer who generated some significant commentary on this blog when he wrote a demure, entirely uncontroversial letter that was published in the Florida Bar News back in May.

That letter had some pretty vanilla statements like this:

Ultimately, nothing is as repulsive and emasculating to adolescent boys as being recruited for gay sex.

He also had this to say:

Holding vulnerable foster children like human shields to support homosexual adult social-engineering agendas is reprehensible. The Florida Bar’s Family Law Section and its amicus curiae appellate filings seek to endanger fatherless children for its own political ends and nothing more.

So things got a little heated but George stepped into our little forum and defended himself and everybody pretty much forgot about the whole thing.

Well, everyone but George.

You see, apparently interested in keeping the conversation going, George put the ad you see above ("What's so gay about it?") in the July 15th edition of the Florida Bar News.

Those of you who don't frequent adult sites on a regular basis may want to avert your eyes.

Ok -- you all can look (click on the ad to enlarge).

It's been a while since I took a philosophy class, but I think George commits the logical fallacy of "wow, what an awful, possibly unbelievable story -- guess it must apply to everyone."

Some of you long-haired, pot-smoking, Pink-Floyd-listening philosophy majors might call it the fallacy of "Hasty Induction."

Here's an example:

1. George lives in Leesburg.
2. There are lots and lots of gay men in Leesburg.
3. Well, I'm gonna stop right here, I think I made my point.

Anyhoo, some lawyers were somehow upset with George's advertised tale of gay parental woe, and some even wrote in to the Florida Bar News.

I like this one best, by Meredith A. Hart:

[]I would like to say “kudos” to George Metcalfe, the author of the “advertisement.” I applaud your courage, integrity, and insight into human behavior for pointing out that heterosexual couples have indeed cornered the market on morality, sexuality, and childrearing. Everyone knows that heterosexuals are never lousy parents, never descend into depression or suicide, don’t molest children, don’t abuse their families, are never promiscuous, and don’t catch STDs or die from AIDS; everyone knows AIDS is only a gay disease.

I also applaud your use of personal anecdotes to condemn an entire group of people. Lastly, it should be noted for the record that the current wards of the state are the exclusive products of the heterosexual relationships that the author is advocating for. So much for family values.

I am eagerly awaiting the next issue of The Florida Bar News. I never realized that as long as you pasted the word “advertisement” over an op-ed piece, that anything can be published, no matter how bizarre. I am expecting a series of thoughtful and stimulating “advertisements” in upcoming issues such as Heinrich Himmler: The Comic Genius of the Third Reich; The Lighter Side of the KKK; and Charlie Manson: The Misunderstood Musician.

Nice attempt Meredith, but try harder.

For your information, it was well-known in the bunker that Himmler had devastatingly perfect comic timing, and Charlie did in fact record some decent songs with Dennis Wilson, so your suggestions and George's ad indeed share the exact same factual basis.