@oldrover Although I appreciate the derailed_crash.gif , I think we might be able to talk this one out before the train crashes. I do admit that I might be derailing the thread slightly, but please forgive me. I think attempts at reaching mutual understanding are important.
Uh...gee whiz. No, I'm not "making fun" of sexual assault....
I did not think you were making fun of it, but I was struggling to understand the underlying message behind the humor. View my statement as a inquiry to the "grain of truth" in your humor here.
My claim "we need to have be able to rate posts with a '?'" was not intended sarcastically.
As
@Tony2046 eloquently said: "I do agree that we as a nation need to learn to communicate as brothers rather than adversaries." I was trying to understand where you were coming from.
I guess I was clumsily (as perceived by you)
It takes two to tango and I might have forgot my dancing shoes. Do not take my missteps in interpretation as a condemnation of your style. We can get some Advil if your feet are swollen
.
but nice pre-emptive setting up for another of these goddamned PC morality missiles aimed at someone else's take on a sports message board.
I have never been a fan of the term "politically correct" in the first place. I much prefer to term "morally right". Surly we both agree that sexual assault is serious. Surly, we both agree "that all [people] are created equal" with "unalienable Rights". My comment was not intended as a "missile" to shoot down your ability to make jokes relating to sensitive subject matter. I just wanted to make sure that we shared the same moral common ground.
I strongly believe that we should make an attempt to give charitable readings into the statements of others. It is fine if kneeling protests bothers folks. Yet this kneeling can bee seen as making an appeal to the core values of our country, and does not necessarily intend any slight to the sacrifice of veterans to achieve those values. The messaging of Kaepernick et al. needs some work, and their gesture is quite prone to interpretation. It is hardly surprising that a group of people who have dedicated the majority of their intellectual capacity to learning football in college might not be the most articulate group. But I think we can all charitably interpret their message rather than focusing on their rhetorical missteps.
Similarly, folks who are sympathetic with Kaepernick et al. could do a much better job empathizing with those who find the kneeling repugnant. It would be silly to assume that all anti-kneeling sentiment is only felt by a bunch of KKK sympathizes. There are deep problems with the messaging of the kneelers. The historical uniqueness of our American social experiment in self-governance should not be trivialized, nor should the sacrifice of veterans who gave their lives to maintain it. Their quest for justice would be better served by appealing to the core American values that support civil rights.
Perhaps the "keelers" should have continued standing still with their hand on their heart after the anthem was over. This might symbolize how the struggle to achieve our shared American dream is not yet finished.
