Unfortunately, the US has become a nation where "taking offense" has become a national pastime, and national priority. We are no longer able to laugh at ourselves, or be honest with ourselves, for fear of hurting somebody's feelings. And hurting somebody's feelings has become the real crime in this nation. We'll gladly be dishonest, never admit our errors, never evaluate ourselves objectively, because we think we're being compassionate and caring about everyone's feelings.
It's kind of strange how people now rely on others to protect their feelings. We expect the world to monitor and control everything it says and does so that nobody hurts our feelings. And somehow that makes more sense to us than manning up and learning to protect our own feelings, and being honest and objective with ourselves, and discarding that which isn't right for us.
It's really sad, IMO. If we're so fearful of being honest and objective, we will never conquer the real problems. We'll sweep them under the rug for fear of hurting someone who might actually NEED some honest, objective evaluation.
I agree with almost everything you just said J40. Except the pussy part. I can't consign that one.
A side note-I wonder how Muslims feel about Latinos & Polynesians. We're on the opposite side of the pork position. In fact, we take pork to a whole new level. Yeah, bacon and ham are cute but them Muslims would probably jihad if they ever went to a luau.
Let's carry this a bit further. Let's say we get rid of every single thing that offends anyone. Again, EVERY SINGLE THING that OFFENDS ANYONE. Just what would be left on this planet? Or perhaps the planet, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe, etc. offends. Then there would exist, nothing!
A restaurant on the Santa Monica pier has this sign "we will add bacon to any menu item for $1. ". Good marketing idea. Everything is better with bacon.
@JohnSmith69-I got a 5 year old niece who'd rather eat bacon than ice cream, cookies or candy. Seriously. When we go out to eat, we always order a side of bacon. Even if we already got bacon with the meal.
Gotta wonder if this is the end of that story. Some equally nuts zealot is probably going to "fight back" by attacking some Islamic item around town and "taking offense" - further promoting a culture of intolerance.
Tell you what though, if they would have told us we were invading Afghanistan/Iraq to preserve our right to eat bacon I think the wars would have had a lot more support.
One thing us Latinos are doing to thwart the Islamic scourge is a guerrilla war of replacement. We've been swapping out hummus with refried beans, pita bread with tortillas, babaganoush and tabouli with salsa and Chimichurri. Those lamb kabobs, forget about it. Carne asada and chicharron.
Once you determine not to offend anyone you have started down the road of futility. I think we could agree that we should attempt not to blaspheme another's deity but the mere mention of bacon can not be allowed to be the same thing. After all, Jews have eschewed pork for centuries without demanding that we gentiles agree not to mention that we eat it. It is sad that common sense can not find a happy medium between free expression and occasions of offense.
Did anyone besides me notice that the restaurant appears to have taken the sign down *willingly*, in direct response to the complainant? No coercion, no protests, not drama, just marketing.
Maybe for what we call the wrong reasons, and probably some here would've said "fuck off, towelhead," but I'd be willing to bet most of the ones to do so don't own a service oriented business.
But for real what kind of person gets offended by a sign for bacon, or anything like that who isn't an asshole. If it said something like fuck mecca pray to bacon,or Allah like to get fucked with a bacon dildo, sure get offended then.
And just so there's no mistaking my intent, I see absolutely no difference between a Muslim nut job complaining about bacon on a sign, and a Christian nut job complaining about two gay men holding hands, or the appearance of a nipple in a movie.
Both of them are "offended" by things that don't concern them and are in no way forced upon them.
We've gone from a nation where reacting to a verbal insult was less than manly to a land where everyone is offended by everything. I despise islam and anyone who believes.
A few years bake my kids went to a school a local stripper took her kids to..it was always cute to heir how my son was putting moves on her daughter...lol...i was like my dad God rest his soul and my son seams to be just like me that handsome little devil....good times....shit just because of that i had her OTC a few good times
When I owned my restaurant, being able to tell a customer EXACTLY what I wished, it was a wonderful thing! The few that might not come any longer are such a small percentage, who cares?
The business owners CHOSE to put up a sign. As usual, someone complained. The business owners CHOSE to take the sign down."
I'm trying to comprehend how somebody is not bothered by this...
Of course, the business owner decided to take the sign down. But that's not the point. The point is this: where is the fucking national outrage where some stupid woman can come in and force her opinions and ridiculous sensitivities on others and, as a society, we fucking bow down and walk away with our tails between our legs for daring to hurt somebody's feelings??? Somebody who doesn't have the maturity to realize it's fucking irrelevant, and she should grow the fuck up and do something useful !!!
"I see they also have a story about a two-headed turtle, so obviously a news source of the utmost reliability."
Interesting comment. I suppose the foto, and the details of who, what, when and where weren't enough for you? I suppose you could search the internet for other articles in local papers, but maybe that's not really your goal...
Hey, on a hunch I searched for "two headed turtles", and it turns out they are not that uncommon. Since 1999 there have been at least 13 documented cases of "dicephaly", which mostly occurs in turtles and snakes.
So the NY Daily News is probably pretty accurate with their story. Y'know, possibly the largest NY newspaper, been around forever....
I'll stick to the bacon part of motorhead's topic. Bacon is something that we Canadians know about. Cripes, you Yanks even call the stuff Canadian bacon. In Canada we call that variety of bacon - back bacon. The variety of streaky fat bacon is called side bacon in Canada.
There is a guy in my area who raises Berkshire hogs and makes the most incredible bacon out of the loins of those lovely pigs. He also makes delightful sausages and hams but the bacon is his star product.
I could live on bacon sarnies made from his bacon.
mikeya02 and deogol: If the article were talking about fanatics maiming and killing people because they put up a bacon sign, instead of just bitching about it, instead of just run of the mill nut jobs, that would be relevant. But nice try with the straw man.
As for Christian fanatics, the KKK, Westboro Baptist Church, and that complete and utter whack job pastor who wants to amend the fucking Constitution to put homosexuals in jail for 10 years at hard labor all pretty much count as fanatics in my book.
@Clubber: That's only a difference in degree, not kind. An admittedly large degree, but it's the same *type* of "our way is the one true path and you'll follow it whether you want to or not" fanatical bullshit those groups I listed want.
Bear in mind that I suffer no illusions about what kind of "peace" that the "religion of peace" is talking about: the peace of converted or dead infidels. The article wasn't about that, though. It was about a religious whacko bitching about being "offended" over something that harms him or her in no way whatsoever. Just exactly as other religious whackos do, but seem to get a free pass concerning, because they happen to be 'Murican whackos instead of foreign ones.
I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. To me, "degree" means little.
"Let's carry this a bit further. Let's say we get rid of every single thing that offends anyone. Again, EVERY SINGLE THING that OFFENDS ANYONE. Just what would be left on this planet? Or perhaps the planet, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe, etc. offends. Then there would exist, nothing!"
You could add with offends, "doesn't agree with their views".
GMD, I see your point but you play with words. You don't have to be "harmed" by something to be "offended". A guy cussing in a diner with women and children present offends me. Gay guys kissing in public offends me. Do it in private. That is not christian fanatic behavior.
The point Motor was making is that America has to bow to the will of a muslim over the word "bacon" on a sign. What's next?
No. You don't seem to get it. She didn't force anything on anybody. She complained as people usually do (something you should be familiar with). Then the owners talked to her and decided to take it down.
Who "bowed down"? Who went away with their "tail between their legs"?
Adults made a decision of their own volition. We don't have a lot of details but it really doesn't even look like they were under any pressure to make one or the other.
As long as business owners get to make decisions like this and aren't forced into it then I don't have a problem.
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It's kind of strange how people now rely on others to protect their feelings. We expect the world to monitor and control everything it says and does so that nobody hurts our feelings. And somehow that makes more sense to us than manning up and learning to protect our own feelings, and being honest and objective with ourselves, and discarding that which isn't right for us.
It's really sad, IMO. If we're so fearful of being honest and objective, we will never conquer the real problems. We'll sweep them under the rug for fear of hurting someone who might actually NEED some honest, objective evaluation.
We've become pussies.
...lol
A side note-I wonder how Muslims feel about Latinos & Polynesians. We're on the opposite side of the pork position. In fact, we take pork to a whole new level. Yeah, bacon and ham are cute but them Muslims would probably jihad if they ever went to a luau.
I do that with a good smoked sausage. Smoked sausage omelet with a side of smoked sausage. YUM!
Love it Slick!
Tell you what though, if they would have told us we were invading Afghanistan/Iraq to preserve our right to eat bacon I think the wars would have had a lot more support.
Maybe for what we call the wrong reasons, and probably some here would've said "fuck off, towelhead," but I'd be willing to bet most of the ones to do so don't own a service oriented business.
Both of them are "offended" by things that don't concern them and are in no way forced upon them.
The business owners CHOSE to put up a sign. As usual, someone complained. The business owners CHOSE to take the sign down.
I'm much more bothered by the Government coming in and telling business owners they can't allow smoking.
When I owned my restaurant, being able to tell a customer EXACTLY what I wished, it was a wonderful thing! The few that might not come any longer are such a small percentage, who cares?
The business owners CHOSE to put up a sign. As usual, someone complained. The business owners CHOSE to take the sign down."
I'm trying to comprehend how somebody is not bothered by this...
Of course, the business owner decided to take the sign down. But that's not the point. The point is this: where is the fucking national outrage where some stupid woman can come in and force her opinions and ridiculous sensitivities on others and, as a society, we fucking bow down and walk away with our tails between our legs for daring to hurt somebody's feelings??? Somebody who doesn't have the maturity to realize it's fucking irrelevant, and she should grow the fuck up and do something useful !!!
Are you serious, you don't see the problem???
Interesting comment. I suppose the foto, and the details of who, what, when and where weren't enough for you? I suppose you could search the internet for other articles in local papers, but maybe that's not really your goal...
So the NY Daily News is probably pretty accurate with their story. Y'know, possibly the largest NY newspaper, been around forever....
There is a guy in my area who raises Berkshire hogs and makes the most incredible bacon out of the loins of those lovely pigs. He also makes delightful sausages and hams but the bacon is his star product.
I could live on bacon sarnies made from his bacon.
As for Christian fanatics, the KKK, Westboro Baptist Church, and that complete and utter whack job pastor who wants to amend the fucking Constitution to put homosexuals in jail for 10 years at hard labor all pretty much count as fanatics in my book.
In some muslim countries, about 10, homosexuals can be put to death! 10 years in a jail with Bubba might be something they would enjoy.
Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Mauritania, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and United Arab Emirates.
Bear in mind that I suffer no illusions about what kind of "peace" that the "religion of peace" is talking about: the peace of converted or dead infidels. The article wasn't about that, though. It was about a religious whacko bitching about being "offended" over something that harms him or her in no way whatsoever. Just exactly as other religious whackos do, but seem to get a free pass concerning, because they happen to be 'Murican whackos instead of foreign ones.
I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. To me, "degree" means little.
"Let's carry this a bit further. Let's say we get rid of every single thing that offends anyone. Again, EVERY SINGLE THING that OFFENDS ANYONE. Just what would be left on this planet? Or perhaps the planet, the solar system, the galaxy, the universe, etc. offends. Then there would exist, nothing!"
You could add with offends, "doesn't agree with their views".
The point Motor was making is that America has to bow to the will of a muslim over the word "bacon" on a sign. What's next?
See my post above.
Do you think my point is incorrect?
No. You don't seem to get it. She didn't force anything on anybody. She complained as people usually do (something you should be familiar with). Then the owners talked to her and decided to take it down.
Who "bowed down"? Who went away with their "tail between their legs"?
Adults made a decision of their own volition. We don't have a lot of details but it really doesn't even look like they were under any pressure to make one or the other.
As long as business owners get to make decisions like this and aren't forced into it then I don't have a problem.