Since nearly no one is talking about it... (Read 1266 times)

    And no I don't think perceived racial profiling in airports by the government has anything to do with this nut job. At least not anymore than Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker had to do with the other lunatic.  I think there are bigoted people everywhere that attack people for differences. I agree with you that we need to speak out for all minority groups. But judging by the reaction you've been getting from people on this board perhaps you should reconsider your approach.

    Fall  2013 Goals: Doable sub 22:00 5k; Challenging Sub 21:00 5k; Unlikely Sub 20:00 5k.


    Ostrich runner

      I do see a legitimate issue here. In the same way, I am extremely disappointed in people who don't have yellow ribbon stickers on their cars because they hate the troops. Don't even get me started on politicians who don't wear the proper lapel pins. In all, I'm outraged by the lack of outrage on my preferred forum. I will now assume that my friends are a representative slice of the general populace so that I can project my outrage to another group of people. eleven!!1.

      http://www.runningahead.com/groups/Indy/forum


      Prince of Fatness

        As much as the story upsets me, the reaction (or lack thereof) makes me truly ill.

         

        A couple of examples of the reaction that you are looking for, I think.  The second one was also the top story on the local 10 o'clock news here last night.  You sure FB is the right place to gauge public reaction?

         

        http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2012/08/all_faiths_gather_at_bridgewat.html#incart_river_default

         

        http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2012/08/easton_community_plans_vigil_t.html

        Not at it at all. 

        zoom-zoom


        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          A couple of examples of the reaction that you are looking for, I think.  The second one was also the top story on the local 10 o'clock news here last night.  You sure FB is the right place to gauge public reaction?

           

          http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2012/08/all_faiths_gather_at_bridgewat.html#incart_river_default

           

          http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2012/08/easton_community_plans_vigil_t.html

           

          I am very happy to see that these vigils are taking place.  This is as it should be...and I hope the attendees are all learning more about one-another and able to see each other as regular Americans with far more commonalities than differences.  If any good can come of this, it's that any sort of mistrust or fear of Sikhs that people have previously held can be put aside.  Not just in WI, but nation-wide.

           

          I've read a couple of editorials in the past 24 that show that my original reaction is/was still not so far off-base, unfortunately.  And this phenomenon is not limited only to social media/FB, as had been my observation.

          The Atlantic

          Denver Westword

          HuffPo

           

          In happier news, NY Daily News reported last night that the Police officer who had been shot numerous times opened his eyes and said hello to his family.  I have not seen that reported elsewhere and the Daily News is, at best, a questionable source...but I hope there is some truth to that reporting.  I've not found any updates on the other victims still in the hospital.  I'm hoping that no news is good news.

          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

               ~ Sarah Kay


          Feeling the growl again

             

            I've read a couple of editorials in the past 24 that show that my original reaction is/was still not so far off-base, unfortunately.  

             

            If peoples' reaction to you rushing to judge them as bigots because they did not display your desired arbitrary level of outrage via the outlet of your choosing has not impacted you, and you feel cherry-picking a few editorials (ie single opinions) justifies such immature behavior, I am even more disappointed in you than I already was.

             

            Honestly I'm not sure why anyone who has observed this trainwreck and was on your "friends" list would want to stay there.

             

            The only person on this thread who has shown themselves to be judgemental and intolerant is you.

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             

            Julia1971


              I agree with you that we need to speak out for all minority groups. But judging by the reaction you've been getting from people on this board perhaps you should reconsider your approach.

               

              Um, I don't think her intent was to speak out for minority groups.  Zoomy, if you were, watch out - that's Al Sharpton's job and he doesn't like competition!

               

              I also think there is a relative lack of coverage by the media and outrage by the public.  Unlike Zoomy, I'm not inclined to argue with people on the interwebs about it.  Other than her one FB friend on these boards who might have taken this personally, I don't see why everyone is so offended.  If you are not a member of the media elite or if you were similarly mortified by both events but not the type that goes public with your outrage after either, I'm not sure she was ranting about you.  But, far be it from me to stop people from being offended.  Carry on.

              Turbolegs


                If peoples' reaction to you rushing to judge them as bigots because they did not display your desired arbitrary level of outrage via the outlet of your choosing has not impacted you, and you feel cherry-picking a few editorials (ie single opinions) justifies such immature behavior, I am even more disappointed in you than I already was.

                 

                Honestly I'm not sure why anyone who has observed this trainwreck and was on your "friends" list would want to stay there.

                 

                The only person on this thread who has shown themselves to be judgemental and intolerant is you.

                 

                Relax man .. no need to get personal. Not trying to be patronizing here but i think the point is well made already in this thread, on both sides of the view.

                 

                Summing it up - yes, what happened was tragic. And no, lack of an equal amount of reaction as compared to past tragedies doesnt mean that the general public condones the act.

                 

                I am Indian, and not surprisingly, i have Sikh friends who feel horrified about the whole thing but its not with a feeling of persecution. One madman is not representative of the USA.

                I dont sweat. I ooze liquid awesome.

                zoom-zoom


                rectumdamnnearkilledem

                  Um, I don't think her intent was to speak out for minority groups.  Zoomy, if you were, watch out - that's Al Sharpton's job and he doesn't like competition!

                   

                  I also think there is a relative lack of coverage by the media and outrage by the public.  Unlike Zoomy, I'm not inclined to argue with people on the interwebs about it.  Other than her one FB friend on these boards who might have taken this personally, I don't see why everyone is so offended.  If you are not a member of the media elite or if you were similarly mortified by both events but not the type that goes public with your outrage after either, I'm not sure she was ranting about you.  But, far be it from me to stop people from being offended.  Carry on.

                   

                  Exactly, thank you.  Unless you were one of the people who made a point of posting or forwarding items on FB about acts of mass violence up until this one--then suddenly changed your MO just in time for this event--I'm not angry with you in the least.

                  Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                  remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                       ~ Sarah Kay

                    Unless you were one of the people who made a point of posting or forwarding items on FB about acts of mass violence up until this one--then suddenly changed your MO just in time for this event--I'm not angry with you in the least.

                     

                    This, actually, is what has me somewhat confused.

                    Why are we talking about your feelings from your friends from Facebook here on RA?

                    Why not have this dialogue on Facebook, and finger point the people who have changed their MO over the past few weeks?

                    Why not call them by name or send them private messages saying something like "you used to care, now you don't appear to care.  Why?"

                     

                    So, why have an RA dialogue about a Facebook issue with your social friends?

                    It seems like you might be hiding from the 'battle' (debate) you want to have with your social friends.

                     

                    I'm not sure whether you're disappointed with your friends or angry with them.  But, if it's anger, you may want to talk to them.  If it's disappointment, you may want to post your original post on Facebook, and have them internalize this.  I'm not a huge techy Facebook guy, but I think you might be able to filter who can actually see your posts so that those who seem to be very tolerant can be excluded from reading it and being offended and those others might be able to think.


                    I think you want people to think and that's not a bad thing.  It's always good to think.

                     

                    Cheers,
                    Brian

                    Life Goals:

                    #1: Do what I can do

                    #2: Enjoy life

                     

                     

                    zoom-zoom


                    rectumdamnnearkilledem

                      No, it was a general rant--not aimed at anyone in particular, but in the atmosphere of some events warrant huge outpourings of concern and sorrow on social media, but not others.  I never sat with a notebook and kept track of who posted what, but after CO my FB wall was post after post about the event.  After WI...near deafening silence, even days later.  And not a single mention of the burning of the Joplin mosque, at all.

                       

                      I did post about this on FB--and no one seemed to want to discuss it there.  But I feel it needs to be discussed...it's important.  To ignore the contrast between how these events are being covered and discussed both by the media and the general public is upsetting to me.  I've always thought RA was a really great forum of intelligent and thoughtful people from a wide range of backgrounds and not just from the US, which is why I shared my anger here.  I will think twice before opening up like that in the future.

                      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                           ~ Sarah Kay

                      xor


                        The top story on the NBC Nightly News last night was the shooter in Arizona pleading guilty.  The second story was Wisconsin.

                         

                        The top story on my local news this morning was last night's primary election results.  The second story was Wisconsin.

                         

                        In both cases, the stories were given typical-to-long slots, not brief mentions. They didn't just re-re-recap what happened... this morning was interviews with two people in the Wisconsin Sikh community as well as a comment from someone local.

                         

                        Facebook aside, which I think is super strange but which will be absolutely unproductive to re-discuss, I remain puzzled regarding the comments about coverage by the media.  The difference between me and Zoom is that I'm not going to immediately extrapolate my experience to the experience in your areas where I am not at.  So I will just ask... if your news was covering this at the top of the broadcast every day since the incident and it is now several days later... would you still say that there was a lack of coverage?  And if so, what kind of coverage would you expect?

                         

                        I'm not trying to pick a fight.  I'm honestly not getting it.  What should "the news" be doing that is curiously missing here?

                         

                        Again, this is not about facebook. It is also not about Batman specifically.  I have mentioned quite a number of other shootings too.  And sadly there are many more (like the one in Norway in July 2011). 

                         

                        My current opinion is not that the Wisconsin incident is being "swept under the rug", because it does not seem to be, but rather that the Batman one seemed to be played up super big.   But you know what?  Aside from mentions inside stories about Wisconsin, I've heard nary a mention of that this week.

                         

                           

                            I've always thought RA was a really great forum of intelligent and thoughtful people from a wide range of backgrounds and not just from the US, which is why I shared my anger here.  I will think twice before opening up like that in the future.

                           

                          Zoom;

                           

                          Ya know, I have read your posts for years and admire your wit and humor...but you really pushed the button on this one...so now, because the RA crowd isn't jumping on the bandwagon we are now all ignorant and thoughtless people?  Really?  this is really uncalled for...

                           

                          I bet if I started an issue about orphans, not everyone would climb on board...but because your circle of FB friends yammered about CO and not WI says something about your circle of FB friends and not the folks on RA.  The RA folks ARE intelligent and thoughtful (well, there ARE exceptions for everything), they have been your friends for years and warrant the benefit of the doubt.

                           

                          I realize you are very passionate about this issue and needed to express your anger, but to draw the conclusions you did without facts to support the asumptions isn't really fair to the folks here in this forum...which are the same folks who  greatly admire you for who you are... 

                            I think it was fine to bring up the differences between the two. It was a valid point--I don't think many would disagree. What kinda stung (for me, anyway) was the assumption that your FB friends are bigots because we didn't post about it. Then saying we were being defensive. Honestly, I did feel defensive...I'm not a bigot. I realize now that you probably didn't even mean me personally, but the original post seemed to lump us all together, calling us bigots, and scolding us.
                            jEfFgObLuE


                            I've got a fever...

                              I've always thought RA was a really great forum of intelligent and thoughtful people from a wide range of backgrounds and not just from the US, which is why I shared my anger here.  I will think twice before opening up like that in the future.

                               

                              I still think RA is everything you said it was above.  Sometimes intelligent and thoughtful discourse (which is what we've had here in this thread -- this didn't turn into a youtube comment section flame-war) can be rough when there's disagreement.

                               

                              I agree that there has been less coverage overall of the Sikh temple shooting.  I think there's a lot of reasons for that.  

                               

                              Many of them have nothing to with race/ethnicity at all, but rather, the singularly unique aspects of the Aurora shooting.  As I said earlier in the thread, religious/racial violence is sadly not unique; a red-haired nutjob going commando on a packed midnight showing at a movie theater (not to mention going all Speed on his apartment) is unique, and the gunman still being alive ensures that this will remain a big story, as everyone attempts to get inside this guy's head and unravel why he did it.

                               

                              The Sikh gunman did not live to tell his tale.  But there doesn't appear to be lot of mystery there -- he was a white-supremacist racist asshole fueled by hate.  There is no shortage of his type of hatred in the world, white supremacist or other.

                               

                              But yes, had the gunman been a Muslim attacking a Christian church, this story would have blown up in a much larger way.  There is racial and religious bias in our country, especially given our twisted, tortured past with slavery, and our still open wound of 9/11.

                               

                              But ZZ, I would submit while there is certainly some agreement with your views about the coverage of the events, it was two statements you made in the opening post that set a lot of people off:

                               

                               

                              If we (as a nation) ignore this event does it mean we agree with the white-supremacist shooter...?

                               

                              Are there really that many bigots amongst my FB friends (I'd like to think this isn't the case)?

                               

                              Racist(implied directly by the first statement) and bigot are very ugly words.  Racial/religious biases exist, we all have them, and would that we live in a world without them.  But jumping to racism/bigotry is a huge leap across a line that you might consider walking back from

                               

                              If there's any kind of silver lining in this, I think there may be a lot more understanding about Sikhs and what they are about.  It won't change assholes like Page, but it will certainly help the rest of America see them is being more similar than different.

                              On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

                              xor


                                >> Are there really that many bigots amongst my FB friends (I'd like to think this isn't the case)?

                                 

                                >> not aimed at anyone in particular

                                 

                                Parenthetical comment aside, ouch.  Come on now.  A lot of your facebook friends, past and present, are on RA too.  You phrased it as a question, you added the parenthetical, but you still used an ouchy word on a VERY particular group of people.

                                 

                                If you choose to open up, that's fine.  That's encouraged.  If you personally attack the people you open up to, well, you should expect some rough responses. 

                                 

                                I don't like being called a bigot.