Taking responsabilty for my actions.

[Farmwithjunk]

Just saying you think your tractor is great offends some people.

I'll drink to that one.....!


Sometimes people take offense to remarks that are, well, offensive.

And other times, some people are just looking to be offended. You give 'em a weather report and they get all bent out of shape.

Oh, those immortal words uttered by Rodney King. "Why can't we all just get along"?!?!?

 

[dholly]

This is a worldwide forum with members from numerous countries. I've seen posts from Africa, Australia, Wales, Saudia Arabia, France, Canada, Turkey, England......I could go on and on. If it could be offensive to a religion or to someone's heritage or upbringing, then it probably doesn't belong here at TBN. Never has this forum been limited to private members, everyone in the world is welcome to read your posts.

Sounds good on paper but... how in the heck is everyone supposed to know what qualifies as offensive? Really, the idea that we are somehow expected to understand every possible offensive comment or action to every possible country, culture, person in the entire world is asking a bit much I think. Heck, quite often the exact same thing is not even considered offensive to everyone in the same culture, including our own.

IMHO, if you are able to participate on a multi-national, multi-cultural, multi-etc., etc., etc. forum, there ought to be a shared responsibility not only to be sensitive to others, but also cut others some slack because it is highly unlikely they share or are even aware of the exact same customs and beliefs as you. Nor do they have any obligation to.

Don't matter where you're from, even a true gentleman who subscribes to the 'Golden Rule' philosophy can offend unknowingly and unintentionally, so perhaps the saying should be "Why can't we all just 'lighten up' and get along"? I'm a nice guy generally with no desire to offend anyone, but I have no intention of walking on eggshells for the rest of my life because of it either. That's kind of like living in an underground storm shelter all your life... you know, just in case.

To 63DH8 - no bad intent, no worries, no trainwreck. Git yer coffee, tuck it in and move along!

 

[JimR]

Bingo

 

[EddieWalker]

dholly,

You reminded me of something we had to go through in the Marine Corps. I was an Embassy Marine and each country has a file on it that explains how to behave in their culture. When I found out my first country, I read up on it. Besides all the basics, one of the things that I'll always remember, is that you never, ever use your left hand for anything when talking to anybody from that country. To even point at something with your left hand is offensive.

The reason is that the left hand is used for wiping. It's your dirty hand.

The more countries I visited, the more I heard this. If you're in a third world county, then your left hand is offensive.

Just my thoughts,
Eddie

 

[JimR]

Most people wash their hands. Does this not leave them to be clean hands afterwards? I'm right handed. Wouldn't my right hand be my dirty hand over there where ever this may be? As far as using the left hand for wiping, I think that is pretty hard unless your left handed.

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim, I think you point out how silly these things are, but unfortunately, it's a very serious insult to some people. You can't realy equate our way of living to a custom and culture that goes back thousands of years, which obviously means different standards of hygene.

My understanding of it is very simple and straight forward. You don't use your left hand in any of the coutries I was in in Africa or Asia.

But that wasn't my point. It's impossilbe to not insult some people. It doesn't matter how inocent, or how much you like them, if you do something that doesn't have any significant meaning to you, it could still have a very significant meaning to somebody who witness's it, or even hears about it.

There are those who live to be offended, and feed off of there self generated anger. Some have even made very successful carreers out of fanning and fabricating reasons to be offended.

My example was just a small one to share with those who might not realize how easy it is to offend people of different cultures. The State Department has huge lists of things that we weren't supposed to do or say while over seas. Most were obvious, but a few, like the left hand example, border on the rediculous that most people wouldn't think about.

Eddie

 

[JimR]

Eddie, Very understandable to say the least. I guess the cure for this would be to put a banner on websites to say where they are located. That way no one could take offense for things said in the US that we normally say on a regular basis.

I know what you mean about customs in countries too. Take Old Quebec City for instance. The people there only use to speak French. I don't know if that has changed. I haven't been back there in many years. My wife and I were up in Quebec back in the 80's. I walked into a bakery and asked for some bread and pastry items in English. The two ladies working there looked at each other and started talking French. I could tell that they knew what I said when their eyes rolled upwards. They were not going to speak english. So I repeated myself one more time. They both shrugged their shoulders and kept talking French. I walked out and said something not too nice about the French. By the way, I am half French so don't anyone start hammering on me for picking on the French. One of the ladies said to the other in her french accented english, "Did you hear what he called us".
The store down the street got my business.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Sounds good on paper but... how in the heck is everyone supposed to know what qualifies as offensive?

Easy answer, the "offensive police" will tell you.
Bob

 

[jeepinator]

The determination that something is offensive is made only by the offended.
Nobody gets signed blank checks from me. Please, don't make your decisions my problem.

Edited for clarity

 

[PineRidge]

dholly,



The reason is that the left hand is used for wiping. It's your dirty hand.

.


Eddie

Eddie in all fairness let's not forget that we do have a few ambidextrous TBN members here.