Sunday, December 15, 2013
Little Things Still Matter
I took a Hunter Safety course a couple years ago with my son to prepare him for the deer season in Wisconsin. That turned out splendidly for him.
One thing the instructor taught us stuck with me. He said (paraphrasing): Look, only about 5% of the population in this country hunts. Opposing us are about 5% of the population who are strongly opposed to hunting for whatever reason. And the other 90% of the population doesn't really have an opinion on the matter. But a significant part of that 90% votes. And when they do vote, they tend to make up their minds based on personal experiences...things they see and hear...things like "hey, I didn't like the way those guys left all their trash behind," or, "I'm a farmer and those damn hunters wrecked my fence and didn't even ask my permission." On the other hand, some people are really put off by people who just come off badly. They hear and think things like "Man that guy sounds like an arrogant little bigot. I'm not going to vote for his side," or "I can't believe how stupid she sounds. I can't be on her side."
That's one way how little 5% things add up and end up mattering.
Originally posted here
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37 comments:
That is spot on absolutely correct! Well said.
It's great point about any activity that you want preserved. Practice it respectfully.
Even though it's absolutely mandatory to act such to win general support, isn't it unfortunate that the difference between how the Tea Party behaves compared to the Occupy and most other leftist movements hasn't resonated more.
Just look at how the two groups differ in their behavior, approach, and attitudes toward others, and it should be moving more people, but in the culture the Tea Party, the clean, respectful, follow the rules people, get much more ridicule than the shit in the streets, raping, stealing, name calling opposition does.
This power of seeing a bad actor and having them sway your attitude, I think is not the problem it seems to be, people already have there bias, and these things just reinforce it usually. Turning people around is a much more difficult matter taking a lot of examples over substantial time. Of course an open mind is required for any of it to matter, and there is a real shortage of those.
Man, those are some rose-colored glasses bagoh20 wears when he's looking at the Tea Party.
It's a binary world.
Deer hunting brings out the absolute worse in people.
...the shit in the streets, raping, stealing, name calling opposition does.
"When we namecall it's okay because it's deserved!"
phx, I've been to Tea Party events, and I've been to Occupy event's. It's not name calling when the evidence is right in front of your eyes, stuck to your shoe, in the news, in photos, and flowing up your nostrils. You saddle right up to that and take pride, my man, but I'm made different, and was raised by humans.
Okay, I get it. It's deserved so it's okay for you to namecall.
...while criticizing the other side for namecalling.
Who could argue?
The Denver Post Sunday print editions has scrubbed any mention that the Arapahoe High School shooter (who shot an innocent 17 year old girl point blank in the face) is an admitted lefty and socialist Republican hater.
You saddle right up to that and take pride, my man, but I'm made different, and was raised by humans.
The only thing I saddle up to is doing my best to ensure my words match up with my actions.
April Apple said...
The Denver Post Sunday print editions has scrubbed any mention that the Arapahoe High School shooter (who shot an innocent 17 year old girl point blank in the face) is an admitted lefty and socialist Republican hater.
Doesn't fit the Tea Party = gun nut narrative.
Name calling is when you call someone racist, greedy, selfish, a hater, homophobe, bigot, etc, when they simply disagree on issues. What I applied to people at those events were in clear sight to everyone. No guessing, no projection, no amateur psychology involved. If you shit in front of everyone, and then hang out there, destroy property in plain view, and leave your mess for others to clean up, nobody really has to call you a name, they are just describing reality.
I told you I got it.
Your "the shit in the streets, raping, stealing, name calling opposition" is not namecalling.
But go ahead and keep explaining how your contradictions are okay.
Who do you think is interested in actually improving their community, the ones who act like that or the ones who leave the area better than they found it? Who would you trust with your own home?
I'm with you. As soon as those motherfuckers start calling people like yourself names, we'll take them on together.
Who do you think is interested in actually improving their community, the ones who act like that or the ones who leave the area better than they found it? Who would you trust with your own home?
Wait. I see we're changing the topic. Need to adjust...
Yes, I know the standard reply to evidence that is damning. You say: how dare you!" Then pretend the damning facts somehow are unfair to point out. You could just tell me it's not true, or how it's all part of the necessary egg breaking. This is stuff about name calling is a weak hook to hang on.
I'm not going to bother with you Phx, I've seen it all before here with you. It's just dodging and avoidance. Keep at it tiny dancer. yes I called you a name: "Tiny Dancer", but once again just pointing our what you do , not what's in your mind or soul.
Gee, I didn't think I came in here defending anyone.
I was only pointing out a contradiction in your words which you clearly demonstrated that I was clearly wrong, there was no contradiction and you are correct to call the opposition ""the shit in the streets, raping, stealing, name calling opposition" without being accused of namecalling yourself! Nicely done.
I don't believe I was defending or attacking either Tea Partiers or Occupiers. I'm sure I'm wrong though. Somewhere in there I'm really saying "How dare you!"
Okay. Boy I learned not to tangle with you bagoh20! Whew. That was some lesson I got. I see how I was all wrong after all, and not even worth arguing with.
Even though it's absolutely mandatory to act such to win general support, isn't it unfortunate that the difference between how the Tea Party behaves compared to the Occupy and most other leftist movements hasn't resonated more.
I'm in the mood to liken politics to simple physical reality. The Tea Party and the Occupy movements differ like order vs. chaos differ -- like structure vs. dynamics or status quo vs. change differ.
Your "the shit in the streets, raping, stealing, name calling opposition" is not namecalling.
You are right. It isn't name calling to describe with accuracy the documented and verifiable actions of a group of people.
You are right. It isn't name calling to describe with accuracy the documented and verifiable actions of a group of people.
Oh please DBQ. You haven't got beyond "It's okay for us to namecall because it's all true, but you're not allowed to namecall because it's then all lies?"
Isn't this about character and intellectual honesty?
Deer hunting brings out the absolute worse in people
In what way?
Yes. There are some irresponsible hunters, but they are generally jerks and idiots in all aspects of their lives. Not just as hunters. Those types are to be avoided. They give a bad impression of hunters. The advice in El Pollo's post is right-on.
You haven't got beyond "It's okay for us to namecall because it's all true, but you're not allowed to namecall because it's then all lies?"
Surely you aren't THIS dense? Describing the actions of a group of people, in this case the Occupy groups, is not name calling.
If I describe the actions of my neighbor who regularly beats his wife, describe the sounds coming from their house and describe the bruises on her face, I am not calling him names. I am describing evidence that is verifiable and observable.
If I just started calling him a depraved wife beating drunken asshole with no evidence or merely based on my bad opinion of him...>THAT is calling names.
Note: I do not have such a neighbor.
Well we don't agree then. You're either ignoring the tools of critical thought or you don't have them.
"I can call you names because it's true, but if you call me names I'll use it against you" is...childish.
Talk about your tiny dancing.
It's not real hard to understand the difference.
You see two strangers holding signs that say: "Gay marriage is not real marriage." One is just standing there, but the other is taking a crap on the sidewalk. You could call them both bigots or homophobes, but you have no idea if that's really true. That's name calling, but one of them actually is a sidewalk shitter, no matter what you call him.
There's a reason why namecalling of any kind is not thought well of in critical thought or argumentation. I'm pretty sure you'll figure it out if you think of it long enough or if I give you a hint.
But I can understand if you aren't skilled you just sit there in your conundrum saying "I can too call you names because they are true! And you're a namecaller!"
Don't let it hurt your head.
First grade remedial logic is over for the day. I'm gonna fill up my truck with dogs and carbon-based energy and drive into the mountains to enjoy this glorious day of sunshine and spew some planet warming to Keep White Santa out of Cairo. Do your part.
Sidewalk shitting is indefensible on so many fronts: health, safety, decency, civility, etc., that it should be easy to isolate such perps and decouple them from any larger vowel movement. I think phx is trying to do that, but it doesn't come naturally or else he's searching for the Tea Party physical equivalent to counter with.
Yep. A sidewalk shitter is a sidewalk shitter. What's a sidewalk shitter with an I-pod?
When the left call names, like "tea bagger, terrorist, hostage taker..." - it's all good, right PHX? Now if only the left could figure out a way to gather all those who disagree with their fraud and place them in ovens.
yeah - some hunters are a-holes because they are a-holes anyway. Like the jerks who go into bear's dens and shoot sleeping bears. I'm sorry but that's bs.
There seems to be a tolerance for defecation and urination on the left as long as it's part of a larger statement with which they agree. One sees it in their artistic expression (Piss Christ) as well as their premeditated news commentaries (Martin Bashir). Bashir sincerely apologized for his words but I wonder if his fellow travelers ever thought it was over-the-top. Their silence is deafening.
WTF? Phx has morphed in to the uber LPN?
Fuck it.
Liberalism is a mental illness.
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