This is Dave Young's Forum.
Can you really bridge the gap between reality and training? Between traditional karate and real world encounters? Absolutely, we will address in this forum why this transition is necessary and critical for survival, and provide suggestions on how to do this correctly. So come in and feel welcomed, but leave your egos at the door!
Interesting and tough topic and I suppose that is why it is posted here.One mans opinion is that today people need to focus on actions and not so much on words.as far as guns not killing people i feel guns don't and yes of course people do, for a gun is a device like a word and it's all about the brain behind the device that operates it and takes the action which causes the harm to be done.A device has no thought and can't be held repsonsible for any action taken by it's operator who made the choice on how to use it.there is also in my opinion more reverse discrimination today then discrimination. much like rush limbaugh who basically had to leave his position in broadcasting football commentary because he simply stated his opinion that donovan mcnabb was not a good quarterback.he did not threaten, comment on race, or anything that was not protected under the constitution.But the media fried him and made him out to be a bigot and all these horrible things simply for stating his opinion.I feel that is what all this tiptoeing around issues does, it hides the truth and detracts from the rights of american citizens. people can either look at the picture the artist painted or make it hard to see and abstract as they like to so often.see things for what they are. and tolerant is a broad word.someones perception of something may not be the same as your own and they may see tolerant as not wanting to have gay children or family members not that they would hurt gay people or deny them the rights that they deserve.it may simply mean that kind of behavior is not welcome by me and that's all. i fail to see any threat in that.people will never reach a day when just because some feel it should be the norm that all others will fall in line and make it the norm and thank god because to me diffrences and being able to differ is what makes this country special and one of a kind.people simply have to learn to live together and deal with it and like the post said if the opinion is not one you like and don't condone then don't pass it on but if it's not threatening in nature or anything like that then live with it because people are different and feel different and they are not dumb or ignorant or lazy.They simply know the freedoms they were born into as a citizen of america.next will we be hearing if you don't like french fries then you hate the french or if you don't like meatballs then you're a bigot when it comes to italians.I say to people live and let live and live and moreso let think freely and speak freely and if it doesn't hurt you then get over it and get real because we spend way too much time on appeasing folks we need not appease because no wrong has been done in speaking the words you truly feel.I mostly see all these activists burning city streets in protest and breaking windows and causing taxpayers money.now who is the real problem? they scream peace but burn something up first chance they get or injure our police officers who protect them..I feel it's typical today like Nicholson said in the movie "a few good men" he said. we provide you the freedom and then you turn around and condemn and criticize us for the way we provide it.i say don't hate the player and hate the game cause we didn't create the world we just have to try and live in it.and then there was al sharpton who set a man up and accused him of raping a girl named tawayna brally and turns out he was innocent but i bet alot of people were really quick to call the innocent man a bigot and so forth. it works both ways in my opinion and oh yeah then just recently sharpton was running for president what a twisted world we have sometimes.yes we should worry alot of words but maybe we're watching the wrong peoples words so closely.just like they say the devils greatest achievement was convincing the world he did not exist.and on sixty minutes i saw a delta force general who simply said he loved his religion and may even have said his religion was mightier then his enemies oh no that's so terrible give me a break if anyone deserves an opinion it's this man.I guess today you can go out and do coke commercials and endorse all that but you can't say you have the ultimate faith in your god.goofy world sometimes in my opinion i love it but it's whacky.
Have you ever considered writing poetry? Your run-on writing style is quite an interesting read.
Good points made, and yes they are all difficult subjects to broach without the thought police jumping down your throat.
There is a phenomenon that exists which explains something like the reaction of The Media to Limbaugh's comment on McNabb. We also see it happen on these forums. Basically the issue is the context and history involved with the making of a statement.
Limbaugh's statement was basically stupid and wrong. (Something abouty preferential treatment because he was a black quarterback. It was an eminently forgettable thought.) We all could have shrugged it off, and Limbaugh could have been left with a foot in his mouth. But that wasn't going to happen. Why? Because Limbaugh and the political left have been going at it for a long time. Rush said something stupid, and his enemies smelled blood. A pile-on ensued. See? See? He really IS the anti-Christ. Told you so!
What-ever....
Some issues have so much recent history that they become almost too emotionally charged to discuss. But you know what? These are the very issues we should be talking about. That's the only way to get through it to a better place.
Jeff, if all you want to do is have your opinions and live and let live, then I know of no reasonable person who should have trouble getting along with you. Like I said, I got along famously with someone who thought I was going right to hell. We were both civil, discussed without being unreasonable, and acknowledged our mistakes and deficiencies. And we didn't mess with each other's rights!
I think, however, that it's easy to see more reverse discrimination in the world than the old fashioned stuff from the perspective of a white guy who at least has internet acess (just guessing, and I'm one too). I honestly haven't spent a whole lot of time in the day-today world of African Americans especially ones from lower economic strata. Yet I've managed to see black people in business suits being accused of hiding papayas in their briefcases, and I know security was called on the black and not the white student at my medical school who were sitting in a hallway together, both tired, both wearing badges and white coats. I have more examples from my experience. It's not just race; when I was 19 someone demanded I come help with an unstable surgical patient mistaking me for a senior surgical resident. I have innumerable female coresidents who are assumed to be the nurse, or asked to "get the nurse," or who are thought to be from physical therapy, weekly or more often because they're women.
An interesting racial story comes from Shannon Reeves, the highest ranking African American in the California GOP, whose vice chairman sent out an email to party members with an article declaring the USA would have been better off if the South had won the civil war, and also noted that 6 times at the 2000 convention, other delgates asked him to fetch them a taxi or carry his luggage despite his dress, badge and RNC pin. Condi Rice had her beliefs on affirmative action deliberately misrepresented by the White house and had to correct them the next day in the NY Times.
Perhaps the story most relevant to the average black american might be the MIT / Univ of Chicago experiment where 1,250 wanted ads in Boston and Chicago were sent matching resumes with "white" or "black" sounding names and the white ones were called for interviews 50% more.
These are just anecdotes but my point is we understand what we see. Most women don't know just what it's like to be denied housing or health care benefits eligibility or service at the marriage license desk because they have a male partner, for example. Or have their male partner have to sneak into karate class thru a window since he's not welcome at the door.
Likewise I don't know just what the little injustices of daily life are for black americans so I have to remind myself the importance of listening in rather than assuming I have the whole story myself.
As for the chastized Christian general, perhaps what bothered people is not that he had a religious belief but that it was potentially injurious to public relations over seas and to our troops, and because it seemed to confirm to some that such beliefs are state policy?
Limbaugh pretty much insulted a back quarterback. There is a huge black population that watches football. The football fans are pi$$ed and let the station know it. The station wants to keep these people watching football. They canned Rush so they wouldn't lose sponsers and a huge audience. Well that's my theory.
Now I'm not sure that Rush is really a bigot. Sure his statement was out of line, but cut the man some slack.....
Can you imagine just how HIGH on OXYCONYIN he was at the time.. c'mon now!
yes that is true benzocaine about the drugs so you make a good point and it was out of line a bit i agree i thought he just said he was a bad quarterback not a bad minority quarterback which is different. so thanks I respect all these views and think they are well balanced this a good example of getting along and sharing ideas thanks.and i do write run on style bill lol and yes i try to write poetry every now and then also lol well thanks and good thoughts..I find myself also seeing and agreeing with some of the points you all made as well very valid and shows it's not one or the other but the whole of things.
A sure sighn of a critical thinker is someone who can look at both sides of an issue and try to seperate themself from their own prejudices. Very tough to do sometimes
