Amen Harvey! I have a quote from you on my "lead free protest wall" that sums it up pretty well: "the enormous diversion from real work for no good purpose." Thanks Harvey for your perspective and your voice. Sheri Harris -----Original Message----- From: EnviroNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Harvey Miller Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 5:19 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [EN] Al Gore is coming to San Jose.. Gordon I hadn't thought of raising an issue so off-topic from the floor. Your cautions nevertheless do suggest need for preparatory measures. I will contact his advance people seeking an interview for a story in ChipScale Review and will genuinely make reporting his talk my main charter. But lead-free fits his topic, off line. I believe that its main cost to society has been the waste of so many talented engineers' time trying so hard in a futile effort to make lead-free solder "work". No-one can measure the huge opportunity cost of this tragic episode. Harvey Miller --- "Davy, Gordon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Harvey, > > I wish you well in your attempt to confront Mr. Gore, but you should > consider the reports given in the past few days by Tim McGrady and > others of the reception environmental activists give to notions > contrary to their dogma. Even though Mr. Gore's talk is for engineers, > given that it is being held in the Civic Auditorium in the heart of > environmental activist (demagogue) territory, I predict that there > will be plenty of non-engineers in the audience. > > I was a student at Berkeley during most of the 1960's and so had a > ringside seat to watch and learn how activists operate. Alexander > Solzhenitsyn was once booed off the stage while he attempted to > deliver an invited speech at Harvard because the students didn't care > much for his academic freedom. I don't think he was ever invited back. > And speaking of Harvard, recall the fate of the president when he > violated feminist orthodoxy. > > Assuming you are even given a chance to address Mr. Gore, I predict > that you will be shouted down before you manage to get out more than a > couple of sentences, and that he will not intervene to stop the > violation of your free speech rights - particularly if you question > global warming. (I regard the threat of a global reign of terror by > demagogues as far greater than the threat of global warming.) > > I would not have the courage to attempt what you say you intend to do, > including handing Mr. Gore a book. You may want to bring along some > sympathetic EnviroNet subscribers as bodyguards, and someone with a > video camera (hidden to prevent confiscation or damage). Don't expect > that any fracas you get into will be reported objectively by the > media, but it might make for some interesting viewing on YouTube. Do > you know if he will be surrounded by Secret Service agents? I recall > hearing some years back that someone once attempted to hand President > Clinton an aborted fetus, and ended up in jail. > > This is exciting! Please promise to report how it goes. > > > > Gordon Davy >