So I have this "uncle" - who is a full bore right wing Libertarian gun toting just waiting for them to come get him and his freedumbs kind of guy. While not blood related, he's part of my family for life. On other subjects he is a thoughtful, rational and interesting man with many talents - but boy he can't stand us.
And by "us" I mean DKOS.
He and I regularly get into it on FB about politics - he's one of those people who likes to post "interesting" articles and then backpeddle furiously when someone challenges his posting for the offending piece of propaganda that is usually is. "I don't necessarily "support" anything I post, I am trying to create discussion" as long as that discussion is pretty much how liberals deserve to be put to death for crimes against the state. He has a lot of whackadoos in his Like brigade who literally spew shit like that, though he refrains from going that far himself.
So this Uncle believes that it is not only right but JUST that Lt Pike (aka the casual pepper spray cop) used a flourish to show all those dirty hippies where their place is in society.
He's pretty much doubled down on it and I'm ready to ... well explode like a can of pepper spray in a fire.
So how do I give him the factual smackdown without losing my cool?
These are his basic premises:
1. Police are justified to use "non-lethal" force as they see fit.
2. It's "just" pepper spray.
3. The police forces in that region/city are known for violence and have been for 40+ years - what did they expect?
4. when confronted about the tolerance of a police force that has had a reputation for excessive force - well, he wrote a letter, but it's their problem (CA) because they haven't put a stop to it. (He did not realise Pike is a campus cop, not a city cop, so who knows what letter or when he is referring to having addressed the issue.)
5. Posted an article quoting a UCD student who was pepper sprayed that they planned the event and therefore concluded they deserved it.
No response to questions regarding:
1. Who did you send a letter to
2. Blatant militarization of Police
3. Lethality of pepper spray to some people
4. Right to assemble and free speech - you would think a libertarian would be all over that - nope.
So how do I whack him nicely about the head and neck area with the Cluex4 of Fact? - he is my uncle and I do actually like and love him when he's not being a political dumbass.