G'day JustinO,
Interesting you should resurrect the Matthew Shepard issue at this time. Here's what's happening in Ukraine at the mo. Check out the photo. “Oh what fools these mortals be,” quoth Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Gary
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I wonder if this kind of stupity/ignorance is some sort of 'primative innate fear' a society
musr grow through, as it were,. . . ..maybe better put, something the society must out-grow. . . .. something of a purging of primal repressed fears which are only partially
felt or recognized until the society is able to face them, see them for what they are, and then make a rational decision to deal honestly with them. . . .
Maybe, too, society cannot overlook them, sort of walk around them by ignoring them because we know by so doing these 'things' become more deeply repressed. Passions, fears, traumas cannot be ignored because they will eventually explode into greater violence and destruction and cause more tragic events in a never-ending cycle. . . .condemned to repeat over and over the same never-ending pain, repression and violence.
In therapy we see this in individuals. . . . .imagine these greatly magnified in a collective
societal explosion !
JustinO
10 comments:
Yep, I reckon you're onto something there, JustinO. A primitive innate fear. In other words, a lack of understanding and tolerance based on superstition.
But I'm not sure I understand tolerance. If we insist on homophobes being tolerant of gays, should gays also be tolerant of homophobes?
When Jesus said "forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do", what did he mean exactly? Should we be saying the same thing about the killers of Matthew Shepard? Should ignorance be forgiveable?
I think if you were to ask J the perennial question 'What's It All About?', he would say 'It's All About Who Has The Best Lawyer', hehe. Which is basically saying that it's all about survival of the fittest. If that's the case, then it's up to those who want to survive to be fitter than those who would deny them their survival.
Survival of the fittest is not a Law of Nature that can be ignored or dismissed. Rather, it's a rule we must use to our advantage if we are to succeed.
"Survival of the fittest is not a Law of Nature that can be ignored or dismissed. Rather, it's a rule we must use to our advantage if we are to succeed."
So, Mr Kelly, you are advocating active and even aggressive, if only posturing, behaviour from all of us gays?
Hmmm...... are "we" all(?) passive?
(More than one question posed in that sentence)
GREG. . .GARY. .. I hope this question continues. I'd like to see where it leads us. .. .so. . .? ;-)
justin
Everyone of us I think are forgiven...
Christ said to Love our Enemies as we
Love ourselves. I think he is talking
about forgiveness as well as our enemies whom will be sitting next to us Upstairs I think it is said that Angels are below us humans. Boy do we
to be Special God made us.
We are Humble to know how much God loves every one of us and really wonder why He made so many of us. He
really must have Great Plans for the
Human Race. I guess maybe I can't wait for the Results. Amen!!!!!!!!
Well, Greggie Poo, it all depends on whether or not you equate fittest with most aggressive. Why not equate fittest with smartest?
I figure when Jesus told us to love our enemies it was another way of saying, "that'll confuse the hell out of the bastards!"
But, no, I don't think being passive helps. By the same token, I'm not advocating going to the opposite extreme. There's nothing wrong with protesting provided it's not "too loudly".
After all, if we as gay people truly believe that we're equal in every respect to straight people, then we need to behave that way and not be apologetic.
Show fear to a wild animal and you're dead meat. Yeah?
"Show fear to a wild animal and you're dead meat. Yeah?"
Yeah.
But perhaps we need to take the "aggressive" and "fear" bits out of this consideration we are giving.
My point is that "we" gays generally seem to be too passive as opposed to the more (aggressive?) active outcry and actions of the ignorant homophobes.
The fittest is often mistaken as the loudest voice and it seems that far too many gays are not loud.
Unfortunately loudness often equates to aggression so it is hard for gays to be loud without being (mistaken) taken as aggressive or too over the top, too far from the "norm" of what I believe to be the vast majoruty of (silent, passive) gays.
Hell, not doing a good job of explaining my point here.....
I guess what I am saying is that "we" are somewhat doomed to be outstripped by the outspoken, loud and "aggressive" 'phobes in getting out point across.
Often homophobia is exhibited as extreme, extreme comment and unfortunately, actions and with aggression.
Society does not seem to be too horified by it do they, gay-bashing etc... they shrug and say, well, it's not nice, but hey, their fault, they made their decision to be gay and "out there".
Homophobia is not all that unacceptible in the mainstream.
Sheesh, can you imagine if the same thing was performed by gays against straights?
So, where am I going.
It's hard to win the war when we are passive, forced to be passive more ir less, cannot adopt the same tactics as the 'phobes.
You are correct, the only way to win, to make ground is to be smart and wait as water wears down the stone.
Unfortunately, that's our lot.
(I should proof read this, but I'm too damned lazy so apologies for typos, sp errors and poor grammar and wooly thinking)
Heehee!!
Gary, your comment is spot on.
"I figure when Jesus told us to love our enemies it was another way of saying, "that'll confuse the hell out of the bastards!"
Although, smiling and waving nicely at some angry road-rage drivers just might get me in trouble one day.
I even do it to people who cut me off rather than toot the horn...they always look to see if the person is angry at them.....waiting to show their agression, almost asking for it.
And if I ever do get tooted at, I just smile and wave back, no middle digits thrust at them...ha!
So yes, it does confuse the hell out of them though ... I drive on laughing.
GREG. . .not to worry. . .I understand your comments quite well. Good points.
I LUV your driver comments/actions. . cool.
justin
Greg, I certainly don't advocate using the same aggressive tactics homophobes use. That would be like trying to make a right out of two wrongs.
I think the answer lies in leading by example. But it's pretty hard to lead by example if you're still in the closet. Who is a closeted gay supposed to represent?
Winning the struggle for equal rights in the case of African Americans and other ethnic groups didn't involve getting rid of racists, it involved getting the majority of fair-minded people to see the light. Racists will always be with us no matter what. Ditto homophobes.
You see, oppressed colored people had an advantage over gays. They didn't have the option of choosing to remain in the closet. They were visible, like it or not.
Imagine if every single LGBT person turned up for a protest march, or signed a petition. There's about a million in Oz, and about 30 million in the US. That's a lotta votes.
Instead we have maybe tens of thousands or at best a hundred or so. Piddly numbers compared to our full potential. No wonder it's taking so long to bring about change.
BTW, I can't take credit for having exited my own closet. The police did it for me about 40 years ago, very publicly. Homosexuality was against the law then. But I can say they did me a favor. Being gay ceased to be a problem. I was free.
Er... make that about 2 million in Oz.
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