Why Is Escaping Data Considered So Magical?

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

In message <mailman.2046.1277445301.32709.python-list at python.org>, Cameron 
Simpson wrote:

> On 25Jun2010 15:38, Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo at geek-central.gen.new_zealand>
> wrote:
>
> | In message <2010062422432660794-angrybaldguy at gmailcom>, Owen Jacobson
> | wrote:
>
> | > Why would I write this when SQLAlchemy, even without using its ORM
> | > features, can do it for me?
> | 
> | SQLAlchemy doesn’t seem very flexible. Looking at the code examples
> | <http://www.sqlalchemy.org/docs/examples.html>, they’re very procedural:
> | build object, then do a string of separate method calls to add data to
> | it. I prefer the functional approach, as in my table-update example.
> 
> He said "without using its ORM".

I noticed that. So were those examples I referenced above “using its ORM”? 
Can you offer better examples “without using its ORM”?