Yes, I see that. But that middle part irked me too much.

Well, there's a difference between a positive (descriptive) statement of how things are, and a normative statement of how they should be. It's hard to have a constructive discussion of the latter when every statement of the former results in a derailment of the conversation.

Well, you're taking it personally rather than my being cranky about the wording that clearly described their point of view.

When you wrote Look, you can spout whatever "The law says..." all you want [...] then I assumed that your remarks were addressed to me, not to someone else. This exchange is becoming increasingly pointless.

This right here is another really annoying message board tic. Outrage trumps understanding, so much so that it's legitimate to rant at someone for not being outraged enough.