Another NDP First

[Hydraboss]

I never said you would. I am saying it does happen and if you ignore that fact then you are just as bad as those who do it. That is why there is a gay pride parade for the community to say "we are gay, and want you to know it." Someday people wont care and their wont need to be a parade, but right now that is not true. You are sick of people being treated as if they are "special", I am sick of people being treated as if they are different.

Oh for christ sake, gays ARE different. If 99% of the world was gay, the 1% straight people would be "different". I could care less if you're a "fag" or "transgendered" or "a multi-colored, omni-gendered, blue haired half-zebra". The fact is, you're different and people will always look/point/stare/comment on that which is not the norm.

Buck up and deal with it.

I'll bet far more black guys have "nigger" yelled at them on a daily basis. Or was that white guys having "cracker" yelled at them? Always forget that one... Guess it depends what is "normal" in that area.

Some guy walks in a gay parade. Who cares? Nobody. If he gives taxpayer dollars to it, then people should care....and be pissed!

[punked]

Oh for christ sake, gays ARE different. If 99% of the world was gay, the 1% straight people would be "different". I could care less if you're a "fag" or "transgendered" or "a multi-colored, omni-gendered, blue haired half-zebra". The fact is, you're different and people will always look/point/stare/comment on that which is not the norm.

Buck up and deal with it.

I'll bet far more black guys have "nigger" yelled at them on a daily basis. Or was that white guys having "cracker" yelled at them? Always forget that one... Guess it depends what is "normal" in that area.

Some guy walks in a gay parade. Who cares? Nobody. If he gives taxpayer dollars to it, then people should care....and be pissed!

Thanks for showing us the true meaning of tolerance.

[Hydraboss]

Thanks for showing us the true meaning of tolerance.

You mean the true meaning of reality?

[punked]

You mean the true meaning of reality?

Yah why try? Know we could do we could just get rid of them all and that way everyone will be the same just they way you like it right?

[Hydraboss]

Yah why try? Know we could do we could just get rid of them all and that way everyone will be the same just they way you like it right?

Wouldn't matter to me in the least. Go ahead. Or don't.

(You see, I'm normal. Married to a woman. No one points, laughs or yells things at me.)

[punked]

Wouldn't matter to me in the least. Go ahead. Or don't.

(You see, I'm normal. Married to a woman. No one points, laughs or yells things at me.)

And that is all that matters right? As long as you are "normal" it is just fine with you that we punish all those who are not. Wow words escape me.

[Hydraboss]

And that is all that matters right? As long as you are "normal" it is just fine with you that we punish all those who are not. Wow words escape me.

Watch your words.

"We" don't punish those who are outside of the norm. "Some" people do...not me. I refuse to take part in some ridiculous mass-guilt fest for something I have never done. You can have my share.

And, yes, as long as I'M normal, that is all that matters to me.

[punked]

Watch your words.

"We" don't punish those who are outside of the norm. "Some" people do...not me. I refuse to take part in some ridiculous mass-guilt fest for something I have never done. You can have my share.

And, yes, as long as I'M normal, that is all that matters to me.

But if someone did punish someone because they weren't normal you would sit back and say "fine with me I'm what they think is normal." That is just great and here I thought we were progressing in society.

[Hydraboss]

But if someone did punish someone because they weren't normal you would sit back and say "fine with me I'm what they think is normal."

If it was illegal, I would intervene. Short of that..no.

That is just great and here I thought we were progressing in society.

Maybe, maybe not. You and people like you have the idea that, unless everyone instantaneously agrees with your value system, then they must be fixed and fixed quickly.

Your methods are about as effective as trying to crush Jello in your hand. The harder you try, the more people "switch sides" and end up going against you.

Forced tolerance has always been a bad idea.

[punked]

If it was illegal, I would intervene. Short of that..no.

Maybe, maybe not. You and people like you have the idea that, unless everyone instantaneously agrees with your value system, then they must be fixed and fixed quickly.

Your methods are about as effective as trying to crush Jello in your hand. The harder you try, the more people "switch sides" and end up going against you.

Forced tolerance has always been a bad idea.

Everyone does not have to instantaneously agree with my value system, although if they don't I can present my system and tell them sorry this is what I believe. And sorry I believe acceptance requires more then ignoring injustice by saying "I don't care either way."

I have no idea what "Your methods are about as effective as trying to crush Jello in your hand" means so I can't really respond to that.

There should be no need to force tolerance on anyone in 2009, if someone is doing something which does effect your freedoms, or harm others you should but out.

[Wild Bill]

Everyone does not have to instantaneously agree with my value system, although if they don't I can present my system and tell them sorry this is what I believe. And sorry I believe acceptance requires more then ignoring injustice by saying "I don't care either way."

I have no idea what "Your methods are about as effective as trying to crush Jello in your hand" means so I can't really respond to that.

There should be no need to force tolerance on anyone in 2009, if someone is doing something which does effect your freedoms, or harm others you should but out.

You've obviously had some negative experiences in your life and for that you have my sympathy. However, I do think you would fare better if you refused to see yourself as a victim.

I was a salesman for years, in an industry that employed thousands. With a sample size that large, there were a number of gay folks. Nobody cared! Many successfully achieved positions in management. I had a few "work mates" myself who were gay. We only cared about who could get away with putting our beer tab on their expense account that week.

Virtually none of them saw themselves as 'victims'. Different in some ways but mostly the same. Like red hair. I never saw any examples of someone being rude to them. I never saw any making their 'difference' into a 'crusade', either. They were just people, like anyone else.

What I see as most ironic is that none of my gay compadres supported the NDP! That in itself wasn't surprising. Few people in sales or private industry do. If you're not in a union or on some form of government assistance why would you?

That's not the whole of it. They told me that in their gay 'community' they didn't dare admit to voting Liberal or <gasp> Conservative! They would be crucified, like black Republicans down south.

No doubt you're going to tell me that I'm either lying or imagining all this. I frankly don't care! My memories are quite clear. I still phone some of these old friends once or twice a year. Our industry virtually collapsed after 9/11 and thousands of us had to find new careers, so it takes more effort to keep in touch.

My impression of the NDP is that they LOVE victims!

So much that they encourage them to stay that way!

[punked]

You've obviously had some negative experiences in your life and for that you have my sympathy. However, I do think you would fare better if you refused to see yourself as a victim.

I was a salesman for years, in an industry that employed thousands. With a sample size that large, there were a number of gay folks. Nobody cared! Many successfully achieved positions in management. I had a few "work mates" myself who were gay. We only cared about who could get away with putting our beer tab on their expense account that week.

Virtually none of them saw themselves as 'victims'. Different in some ways but mostly the same. Like red hair. I never saw any examples of someone being rude to them. I never saw any making their 'difference' into a 'crusade', either. They were just people, like anyone else.

What I see as most ironic is that none of my gay compadres supported the NDP! That in itself wasn't surprising. Few people in sales or private industry do. If you're not in a union or on some form of government assistance why would you?

That's not the whole of it. They told me that in their gay 'community' they didn't dare admit to voting Liberal or <gasp> Conservative! They would be crucified, like black Republicans down south.

No doubt you're going to tell me that I'm either lying or imagining all this. I frankly don't care! My memories are quite clear. I still phone some of these old friends once or twice a year. Our industry virtually collapsed after 9/11 and thousands of us had to find new careers, so it takes more effort to keep in touch.

My impression of the NDP is that they LOVE victims!

So much that they encourage them to stay that way!

Can never say I have been the victim of anything for being different. I am the "normal" or "average" person in in my area does that mean I should not stands up for those who are not? Not in the least.

See this is your friend of a friend story. I have this friend of a friend who was beaten to death for being gay. How is that, can you believe I see him as a victim of intolerance? But who cares about him right becuase you have gay friends who sold silver wear. The point is that as long as that happens it is wrong and no level of ignorance should be ignored.

This has nothing to do with the NDP accept they are the only ones in NS who have ever had the balls to openly support the gay community and say "your life style is your life style and you can be proud of that."

Most of my gay friends vote Liberal BTW.

[Wild Bill]

Can never say I have been the victim of anything for being different. I am the "normal" or "average" person in in my area does that mean I should not stands up for those who are not? Not in the least.

See this is your friend of a friend story. I have this friend of a friend who was beaten to death for being gay. How is that, can you believe I see him as a victim of intolerance? But who cares about him right becuase you have gay friends who sold silver wear. The point is that as long as that happens it is wrong and no level of ignorance should be ignored.

This has nothing to do with the NDP accept they are the only ones in NS who have ever had the balls to openly support the gay community and say "your life style is your life style and you can be proud of that."

Most of my gay friends vote Liberal BTW.

I guess we have two very different points of view. We actually agree on gay rights.

You appear to be from the "it takes a village" school.

My school says "Geez, this village is getting kinda noisy!".

You should understand that my attitude is NOT exclusive to the gay right's movement! I don't like social crusades of any kind. I get bored when I see another "Save the unborn baby whales from drunk gay car drivers and nuclear power!" tv special.

I'm a tech. I make my living building and repairing guitar amplifiers and equipment. I believe in practical cause and effect. Feelings and attitudes will not do diddley to help me repair a broken amplifier.

I happen to think that we should be more practical with social problems as well. The focus should be on actually fixing a problem, not in getting 'attention', 'consensus' or 'mind share'.

When I saw those candlelight vigils in Montreal after that wingnut Marc LePine murdered those poor girls at that tech school, I didn't think that it was great to see so many people caring about the tragedy. My first thought was that if they had a few guards in that school with service revolvers Marc could have been taken care off very quickly, probably leaving a much lower body count!

When I see at my daughter's school a bullying problem I don't have any respect for how they keep putting the bully through 'sensitivity training'. The kids that are victims keep getting victimized! My first priority would be to protect the victims. The fastest way to do that is to remove the bullies from the school! Give them their 'sensitivity' training somewhere else. Later, let them back to see if the training worked. If it didn't, then send them to a youth camp!

I would include taunting or teasing a young child with sexual orientation issues in the 'bullying' category.

To some my approach seems to harsh but I would submit that all the parades and crusades seem to be having a very poor success rate in actually FIXING problems!

They only seem to change how people FEEL about them!