Living in Fear

[The Grand Nudger]

My fears are more pedestrian. I worry about flus and broken bones. Poor returns and shitty weather. I worry that my kid won't be able to hit the long target i set on the hillside with her new bow. My biggest worry right now is that I have an acre of indeterminate tomatoes seeded on may 10 that are still only an inch tall because of the heat dome. Doesn't mean shit right now - but come october......it could be consequential.

[tackattack]

@GUBU Well aside from knowing that there were "troubles" in NI not having lived through the specific Trouble I don't have the same kind of emotional attachment or fears that those that lived through it went through. I've already expressed the reason for my levity and if you and Boru found it distasteful or offensive, you have every right to be offended. I could say tacos are disgusting and offend someone, it's the social contract I signed up for joining a forum. I frankly don't care if you believe that I find death, wars and the like deplorable, I don't need your social approval for my sense of what's right and I don't walk around being afraid to offend someone anymore. Please feel free to mute me.

This is what this topic was about... what drives your actions. What deep emotional fears and the attachment to those fears cause you to do. @BrianSoddingBoru4 I appreciate the insight that the Troubles affected some people in this circle and that it's less impactful now, and the research it prompted so that I could learn more.

[Pat Mustard]

@GUBU Well aside from knowing that there were "troubles" in NI not having lived through the specific Trouble I don't have the same kind of emotional attachment or fears that those that lived through it went through. I've already expressed the reason for my levity and if you and Boru found it distasteful or offensive, you have every right to be offended. I could say tacos are disgusting and offend someone, it's the social contract I signed up for joining a forum. I frankly don't care if you believe that I find death, wars and the like deplorable, I don't need your social approval for my sense of what's right and I don't walk around being afraid to offend someone anymore. Please feel free to mute me.

This is what this topic was about... what drives your actions. What deep emotional fears and the attachment to those fears cause you to do. @BrianSoddingBoru4  I appreciate the insight that the Troubles affected some people in this circle and that it's less impactful now, and the research it prompted so that I could learn more.

Fine, you want to be a shitbag. You and your total lack of morals are welcome in my ignore list.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

@GUBU Well aside from knowing that there were "troubles" in NI not having lived through the specific Trouble I don't have the same kind of emotional attachment or fears that those that lived through it went through. I've already expressed the reason for my levity and if you and Boru found it distasteful or offensive, you have every right to be offended. I could say tacos are disgusting and offend someone, it's the social contract I signed up for joining a forum. I frankly don't care if you believe that I find death, wars and the like deplorable, I don't need your social approval for my sense of what's right and I don't walk around being afraid to offend someone anymore. Please feel free to mute me.

This is what this topic was about... what drives your actions. What deep emotional fears and the attachment to those fears cause you to do. @"BrianSoddingBoru4"  I appreciate the insight that the Troubles affected some people in this circle and that it's less impactful now, and the research it prompted so that I could learn more.

I can well understand that an average USian might not be cognizant of the history or impact of the violence in NI. That’s not the issue I’m having.

You asked a legitimate question about fear. I gave you a legitimate answer and you replied with three jokes that were - let’s not sugarcoat it - bigoted. Why would you think that was ok? Do you reply to Huggy’s comments with snark about fried chicken and watermelon?


And the Troubles do not, on a personal level, grow less impactful with time. While you’re doing your research, be sure to look up The Remembrance Day Bombing. That particular bit of business cost me an eye, eight teeth, and a promising professional rugby career.

Boru

[Jehanne]

I'm sorry to hear that, Boru; such violence is utterly senseless.

[Rev. Rye]

And to think that if the Troubles were more well known, you could probably have come up with jokes that mocked the IRA specifically. Or maybe the Orangemen.





At least you’d have the advantage of defanging these horrors with a little gallows humour instead of just relying on old vaudeville stereotypes.

[AFTT47]

Not quite at the level of "Fear for My Life."

I did live in constant fear during my childhood of making it home from school without suffering violence at the hands of my classmates. There was also fear of being bullied during recess and sometimes even during class. It's long behind me now but it's left a permanent mark. I'm an American who could never be trusted with private gun ownership. Thankfully, I recognize that for myself. Still, my hatred of bullies is such that I'm thankful I've never run one down with my car.

[Rev. Rye]

Not quite at the level of "Fear for My Life."

I did live in constant fear during my childhood of making it home from school without suffering violence at the hands of my classmates. There was also fear of being bullied during recess and sometimes even during class. It's long behind me now but it's left a permanent mark. I'm an American who could never be trusted with private gun ownership. Thankfully, I recognize that for myself. Still, my hatred of bullies is such that I'm thankful I've never run one down with my car.

Same thing here. Hell, it took me until I was 25 before I could even trust myself to be behind the wheel of a car without fear of having a flashback behind the wheel or getting enraged enough to go full Minassian. At least now the worst I've done was accidentally pressing the wrong pedal at a crucial moment and totaling my car.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've had occasions when I've feared for my life, but never because of my social identity. It was always a matter of circumstance and as such it doesn't follow me around.

[Rev. Rye]

I've had occasions when I've feared for my life, but never because of my social identity. It was always a matter of circumstance and as such it doesn't follow me around.

Perks of being a straight cis white man who lives in a Dem-dominated area like Chicago: I'm not too much of an outlier in most of the normal "protected class" sort of ways. Except maybe for my autism, but by the time I started being open about my autism, people were at least understanding. The only person who ever made Raymond Babbit jokes in my presence was me. The closest quality that I think could have been a liability is that I have a foot fetish (because for some reason, to many women, the phrase "you have pretty feet" is something akin to "I have a weapon and I want to rape you.") Even coming out as an atheist in a Catholic high school didn't put much of a target on my back.

Then again, being an extreme introvert who probably does more socialisation on this forum in one day than I do with people in the flesh world (outside my dad and my therapist) in an entire year, even those deviations don't often come out.