PART 4

ATTORNEY VICTOR ZAMMIT'S ‘CROSS-EXAMINATION’ OF CLOSED-MINDED JAMES RANDI, MATERIALIST.
(This would be fairly close to a real cross-examination- the information is taken from what J. Randi has ALREADY ACCEPTED and IMPLIED. Some very minor flexibility and embellishment consistent with Randi’s beliefs and record have been used for easier reading and understanding of the script. In no way this closed-minded skeptic's beliefs are misrepresented. Words in caps are there for emphasis, sometimes raising of voice - very important in cross-examination).

Part 4

Victor: Have you seen Mr Machiavelli lately?

Randi: No, I haven’t ... don’t remember him …

Victor: He was the one who formalized the principle ‘the end justifies the means’ – you can cheat, lie, be deceptive to get your way … Have you been taking lessons from him these last forty years?

Randi: No, I haven’t …

Victor: What is your most fundamental principle of the JRE Foundation?

Randi: Critical thinking …

Victor: Don’t you admit you’ve been overdoing the paranormal ‘critical thinking’ gimmick for too long ?

Randi: I’ve been successful …

Victor: ANSWER THE QUESTION!

Randi: It had to be done because many people were taken in by frauds …

Victor: Do you think people generally need protection from being hurt by anyone?

Randi (Boasting): That’s why the JREF has critical thinking as its fundamental premise…

Victor: How many people do you think are killed or injured every year because they accept the evidence for the paranormal and the afterlife?

Randi: That’s a peculiar question … How can people being killed or injured have anything to do with believing in the paranormal?...

Victor: Your answer then is that NOBODY is KILLED or INJURED because of their acceptance of the paranormal or the afterlife .. RIGHT?

Randi: Yes … right … the two things are totally unrelated …

Victor: Do you know how many people are killed and injured every year in the United States because of legally prescribed pharmaceutical drugs?

Randi: I don’t know …

Victor: The evidence shows that at least ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE are killed and over TWO MILLION people are maimed or injured EVERY YEAR because they take doctor prescribed pharmaceutical drugs … Why are you not using critical thinking to expose the pharmaceutical drug companies who are KILLING THOUSANDS and INJURING MILLIONS OF AMERICANS every year by not making safe drugs?

Randi: You must be exaggerating …

Victor: (Looking at his notes) Do some research and you will come across information about this … here’s just one article (item 5 your Honor) by Brenda C Coleman– who says, to quote, “Bad reactions to prescription and over the counter medicines kill more than 100,000 Americans and seriously injure an additional 2.1 million every year ..” NOW, WHY AREN'T YOU USING CRITICAL THINKING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE GROSS CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE by those specific pharmaceutical companies who are not MAKING SAFE DRUGS – or don’t you want to exercise critical thinking to save American lives?

Randi: It’s not my business to interfere with them … besides all drugs have side effects …

Victor: No, not all drugs have side effects … don’t you think this is a matter for more research, more money to produce safe prescribed drugs but those drug companies do not want to spend cash to produce safe drugs?

Randi: I don’t know that one … again, it’s none of my business …

Victor OH IT’S NOT YOUR BUSINESS you say .. where is your ‘critical thinking’ about safety for the public, about saving lives … or have you been paid by these pharmaceutical companies TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, to not to say anything about the unsafe drugs which are killing and injuring over TWO MILLION PEOPLE every year?

Randi: They don’t pay me…

Victor: For over FORTY years you were attacking the paranormal for your own selfish motives – where no one was killed and NO ONE WAS INJURED but in that same in FORTY years some FOUR MILLION people were KILLED and some EIGHTY MILLION were INJURED because they took drugs prescribed to them by their doctor – now, if you were really concerned about fraud, about unfairness, about injustice, why did you not educate the public to think critically about this horrible situation where people are getting killed every day because some drug companies are NOT making SAFE DRUGS … WHY HAVE WE NOT HEARD ONE WHISPER from YOU about this in the last forty years?

Randi: It's not my concern …

Victor: Even if you were just FIVE per cent successful - a reasonable scenario - if you put half the energy you put into the paranormal into educating people to be critical of those specific ‘dirty’ drug companies , theoretically, you could have saved up to TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND AMERICAN LIVES and some FOUR MILLION PEOPLE would NOT have been injured or maimed – how come your critical thinking did not save even ONE LIFE or ONE INJURY in the last FORTY YEARS?

Randi: I tell you, It’s not my business …

Victor: So, your critical thinking is just a gimmick to fool people, to make money from attacking the paranormal - and omitting to protest against those pharmaceutical companies because they are too powerful, too wealthy and perhaps because they pay you to keep your mouth shut about the horrific killings of thousands of innocent people and the injuring of MILLIONS OF PEOPLE every year – AND YOU SAY YOUR CRITICAL THINKING HAS NO PLACE TO REMEDY THIS HORRIFIC SITUATION?

Randi: (does not answer…)

Victor: Do you know why you are NOT qualified for critical thinking?

Randi: I’m qualified …

Victor: Critical thinking strictly requires you to have an OPEN MIND and you must NOT have negative assumptions before you start investigating. Have you not been using hoaxes, deception and other dirty tricks over the years to hide the fact that you are an EXTREME CLOSED MINDED SKEPTIC which automatically disqualifies you as a critical thinker?

Randi: I don’t agree …

Victor: Aren’t you using a magician’s trick to try to claim to everyone that you are teaching critical thinking when in fact all you have is just another GRAND ILLUSION. Aren’t you hoping the uninformed will swallow your twisted negative propaganda so that they will support your ILLUSION?

Randi: No ..

Victor: So you keep on saying ....

Victor: What do you say to those people who state that you've been very successful in convincing people the OPPOSITE to what you believe ... and that's why to-day we have some eighty to ninety per cent of people- the highest in history here -accepting some aspect of the paranormal and the afterlife?

Randi: I don't accept that ...

Cross examination Part 5

Part 5 next week July 22nd 2011