chuty001 wrote:
A few posts cracking jokes about a fag in a statues hand which didn't seemgiven the significant members of this forum who are gay/lesbian, I think any comments about fags was responded to in a joking manner - I think it was Colin who indicated everyone who did comment on that was gay and he's right, to my recollection.
to bother anybody(made me uncomfortable)
an insensitive review of theI saw that whole conversation as a conversation in which people got a chance to have their consciousness raised (as we used to say, anyone remember?).
audience at an Armatrading concert
And I was perhaps one of the people that you refer to here...It seems ok to question if all Canadians are plain and unambitious or only the ones who are kind enough to share there music with the rest of the world.(all tongue in cheek of course and I don't think any harm was meant)
Now It's smokers. <clip> Should I have read farther back into the archives. Is it normally thisIn my experience this is an incredibly sensitive group of people - this is just about the greatest group of people that I know, very caring. A lot of folks have a long, long history together and sometimes the little banter is based in the absolute trust and confidence and knowledge that we have of one another.
Insensitive around here.
This is a most caring group - something happens to someone, there is immense support, on list and off list.
As one of the members who happens to be gay, I see some of the joking that goes on amongst us is that which we would only do either in totally gay company or only with others we could trust, whom we knew were good folks. That is the case here, certainly.
We have so many Canadians on the list, I think again it is the banter of the affectionate people, not of the insensitive.
An example: I am Italian and at a ball game I keep score with total dedication. One of my friends, another Italian, was at a game with me and asked if I wanted something to eat and then said something like, "No I guess you can't eat, you are talking and keeping score and your hands are busy enough as it is." Between Italians, that is funny. From someone else, who is not making the joke about "talking with one's hands" from inside the community, it would be offensive and insensitive.
And I think that for many of us here we see each other as "inside the community" so we can make the jokes from within that those within the community can make. And when someone does say something that rubs someone else wrong, the issue usually gets raised, discussed, and people learn.
We are not all sweetness and light of course. If you ever saw Bob Ethyl Murphy's post to Bob Muller that said, "after we shake your hand, we wash ours" you'd think how rude. But for those of us who know what good friends they are and their senses of humor, we read it in that context. And we have had some major flame wars here at times, and nasty things were said. But that is also part of life as a community, unfortunate as it is. Whatever happens here, it almost always has the benefit of at least being real. And some of the political threads, as strong as they may be in terms of convictions and attitudes, reflect a strong community that can differ and discuss those differences, we are strong enough to do it, and not a lot of communities are.
Most people here would go to great lengths as to avoid being insensitive. And when some insensitive, it does get called out and discussed. That is one of the great strengths of this community. (And when someone really gets out of line, they suddenly lose their ability to post.)
I guess I do not experience this community as insensitive. I may be so dull that I miss it. But when something is said that does perhaps offend, as with the concert post, look how fast the conversation happened on that - nothing was allowed to stand. And I think everyone who took part in that conversation got a little more knowledge about the others.
On the flip side, anyone who attacks someone in here is going to find that we band together to protect others from hurt.
But given it all - I do think this is an incredibly caring and sensitive people, unique in the cyber world, which is why it so often has become not just cyber but real, as in JoniFests, miniJoniFests, the get-togethers that happen when Joni tours, the get togethers that happen when people travel -
When I really need to talk, when I really need friends, it is amazing how often I come here first for I know that I will what I need. And I know a lot of others do too. The more time one spends with this community, the more like family it becomes.
Vince
