On Tuesday 22 May 2007, Celejar wrote: > Lots of sigs are "derogatory of another culture" - those mocking > religion, or liberal / conservative / other political views.
It may help people to remember that another person cannot define you or tell anyone who you are, what kind of culture you are part of, or what is good or bad about your political views -- unless you are weak enough to let them. I'm a member of a religious group that does get mocked at times and even made fun of. What Joe Blow says about my religion only tells me what *he* thinks and, indirectly, but just as accurately, what he thinks and what kind of person he is. If Joe Blow feels a need to go around and denigrate my religion, political views, or ethnic background, all that does is tell us what Joe Blow thinks and how his Mother must not have raised him to have respect for others and that he's a big mouth blow hard. It says nothing about what I know to be true. No one can offend you without your implicit permission to offend. When we are offend by someone talking trash about us, it is because we are letting that person define us instead of remembering that their statements have no effect on the truth. Maybe many of us should stop being influenced by the sound and fury of those who have some need to tear down others. (And remember, that sound and fury was but a tale told by an idiot!) Hal -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
