AGD's comments

[Disney Boy (1985)]

As the topic on which his comments appeared has been blocked (why??), I'll start a thread...

Very disappointing to discover someone who I've previously held in such high esteem is in fact a bit of a bigot.

What a dumb comment re Muslims/gays. I've had periods of unemployment myself and from what I recall there were just as many ethnic minorities queuing alongside me in the job centre as there were white people.

The vast majority of people who claim benefits are also in work - FACT - and only a tiny, tiny minority of people who claim benefits do so dishonestly - also FACT.

Disliking a majority because of the actions of a minority is shallow and ridiculous. You see those food banks that are cropping up all over the place? People aren't going to them because they're greedy, they're going because they're starving!

It was the bankers and their ilk who are responsible for the current state of the UK (and the world) so why the anger towards the poor and minorities? Still, i suppose it's easier to sneer at a poor working-class mother than it is at a rich white guy in a suit, eh Andrew?

So either stop believing nasty Tory propaganda or stick to the Mail Online if you want to spout any more ignorant guff. Thanks.

[Jim Rockford]

People really take things too serious anymore.

[Mike's Beard]

Soapbox......er,.... I mean Sandbox please.

[The Shift]

I regard myself as a bit of a prudish PC liberal but found nothing offensive in Andrew's comments, nor did he state anywhere that he dislikes anyone at all, of any faith, persuasion, race or state of maternity.

If anything I think AGD's being jumped on and riled. But hey-ho… I suspect this thread will crash and burn any minute!

[bgas]

Soapbox......er,.... I mean Sandbox please.

I Second.
In fact, this thread  is a direct and heinous violation of Board rule # 2 and following along that with rule # 1. And is certainly deserving of first offense punishment, at the least.          http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,122.0.html

[Doo Dah]

Let it go, Disney. The original comments were just that...a flippant remark, not commentary upon race relations. Please restrain yourself from the politics of 'gotcha'. Everyone's got a cellphone, everyone's got a twitter, everyone's Edward Murrow. All about the context, amateurs.

Andrew didn't say he was better better or greater, or comparing himself with Muslims as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. He just said what he said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this.

[Pretty Funky]

I suspect this thread will crash and burn any minute!

What odds are you offering. Even money? 

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Well, it is offensive but guess what?  People eventually show their true colors. It offends me, being part Native American, that the individual is using a Native American for his profile picture. Racist? Can't say but there is something disturbing going on there.

As to the gambling, my Uncle recently lost his family fortune to it at the track, leaving them stunned and penniless.Thus, it bothers me greatly that the M/B show play so many casinos.

[bgas]

I suspect this thread will crash and burn any minute!

What odds are you offering. Even money? 

It's not looking like even  Jerry Garcia would get out of his own puke to crash and burn this thread....( he wasn't a native american gambler I hope)

[leggo of my ego]

IBTTID

in before this thread is deleted too 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I need to see what the other comments are, but the avatar is a related to this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Will_Fight_No_More_Forever

as he had previously stated when in an argument with another poster. No racial offense intended.

[The Shift]

I would like to offer my apologies to all Plymouth Rocks for my avatar!

[Jim V.]

Ya know, I read Andrew's comments this morning, and I have to admit that it gave me pause. Definitely kinda made me wonder though, as I never really pegged him as a bigot. Or anti-gay. I kinda thought that was more a middle American WASPy type thing to do, so I was a bit surprised.

Then again, apparently Bruce is a full-fledged tea bagger, and he's AGD's fave Beach Boy. So who knows?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I've known him for about a decade...no prejudice. As for the comment earlier (which I just read), I took it more of a slam against how with a lot of services, if you are considered a 'protected class' you will be in many cases given preferential treatment (and non-preferential treatment in other cases). I myself have been on both sides.

I would like to offer my apologies to all Plymouth Rocks for my avatar!

Hey...that's a rooster...otherwise known as a 'c*ck'. I have a penis...I'm offended! j/k

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Fine, whatever. I thought his comments were unpleasant and I don't come on here to here stuff about "Muslims receiving preferential treatment" etc, and it pissed me off, coz it's crap.

If you think his comments were perfectly acceptable, good for you. I didn't - I thought they were pretty nasty and if he's allowed to say stuff like that, then I should be allowed to call him up on it. Why shouldn't I be able too?

Would everyone be just as ok had he said 'black' rather than 'Muslim'? If not, why not?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I took it as him railing against what he was told at the benefits office, which was indeed wrong...IMHO benefits should be awarded based on situation regardless of color, race, orientation, creed, ect.  Maybe I misunderstood, but that's how it came across to me. And considering I just spent an hour on the phone trying to get an answer on why my food stamps were cut in half despite my hours at work also being cut in half, well...

And for the record, I am indeed a multi-ethnic 'minority'.

[MaxL]

This is why right-wingers like to mock us lefties; because we piss and moan about anything that can cause offence even at it's most lightweight and flippant. Lordy Lou first ORR's laughable attempt at an anti-Mike thread and now this, Disney Boy I like you and agree with a lot of what you say but sometimes things just need to be left be. Forget it, I've had 3 glasses of wine tonight I might as well go for a 4th (now I remember why I rarely read the Sandbox).

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I feel ya. Hell, I'm rarely here on the Sandbox for the same reason.

[leggo of my ego]

Ya know, I read Andrew's comments this morning, and I have to admit that it gave me pause. Definitely kinda made me wonder though, as I never really pegged him as a bigot. Or anti-gay. I kinda thought that was more a middle American WASPy type thing to do, so I was a bit surprised.

Then again, apparently Bruce is a full-fledged tea bagger, and he's AGD's fave Beach Boy. So who knows?

bigot - a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :  one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

Hmm well under these circumstances I wouldnt peg AGD as a bigot. If what he experienced is true he is just venting some steam. Cant blame the guy myself.

[Andrew G. Doe]

This:

1 - I said something out of line, uncalled for, in the heat of the moment. I was very wrong, it was beneath me, and I apologised. I'll do it again. I'm sorry. However, the Muslim comment is valid. And no, I don't read the Daily Wail.

2 - FWIW, I was being riled by some so-called fan who, when not looking for the latest Mike Love interview to find something, anything, to be outraged at, seems to think I should have refused the first reasonable job offer I'd had in 18 months on purely moral grounds. So his uncle blew his stash at the racetrack - didn't someone in the family try to do something instead of leaving it to the bookies ?

3 - My avatar - was (as others here have noted) explained in a previous thread, which included the eloquent and moving speech Chief Joseph made, something I would have thought someone claiming to be of Native American descent wouldn't need explaining in the first place: it's only one of the most famous, and quoted, speeches in American history and rightly so. If you're offended by my using a pic of him as an avatar to remind me to at least try to be as equable in the face of adversity (be it only someone continually taking pots at me for no other reason than it is me, as opposed to having most of my tribe rubbed out by the US Cavalry), then you really need to see someone about that, because you have real and serious problems, and if you keep looking for something, anything, to be upset about, the rest of your life is going to be deeply unhappy. But maybe that's what you want. Fine - just don't include me, or try to pin it on me.

4 - I remember when this - the Beach Boys thing - used to be fun, and enjoyable. That was before the trolls and asshats learned how to use a computer. There are a lot of good, good people here whose company I enjoy. Unfortunately, there's a small cadre of trolls and malcontents intent spoiling it for the rest of us. We really need the "ignore" button back.  

... and breathe.

[drbeachboy]

Well, it is offensive but guess what?  People eventually show their true colors. It offends me, being part Native American, that the individual is using a Native American for his profile picture. Racist? Can't say but there is something disturbing going on there.

As to the gambling, my Uncle recently lost his family fortune to it at the track, leaving them stunned and penniless.Thus, it bothers me greatly that the M/B show play so many casinos.

Is my avatar racist too? The Beach Boys, Brother logo, as well? Are you telling me that if I hold Sitting Bull, Geronimo or Chief Joseph in high regard, and use their picture, that I cannot because I am a caucasian? Get the f*** out of here? Really, seriously?

[drbeachboy]

This:

1 - I said something out of line, uncalled for, in the heat of the moment. I was very wrong, it was beneath me, and I apologised. I'll do it again. I'm sorry. However, the Muslim comment is valid. And no, I don't read the Daily Wail.

2 - FWIW, I was being riled by some so-called fan who, when not looking for the latest Mike Love interview to find something, anything, to be outraged at, seems to think I should have refused the first reasonable job offer I'd had in 18 months on purely moral grounds. So his uncle blew his stash at the racetrack - didn't someone in the family try to do something instead of leaving it to the bookies ?

3 - My avatar - was (as others here have noted) explained in a previous thread, which included the eloquent and moving speech Chief Joseph made, something I would have thought someone claiming to be of Native American descent wouldn't need explaining in the first place: it's only one of the most famous, and quoted, speeches in American history and rightly so. If you're offended by my using a pic of him as an avatar to remind me to at least try to be as equable in the face of adversity (be it only someone continually taking pots at me for no other reason than it is me, as opposed to having most of my tribe rubbed out by the US Cavalry), then you really need to see someone about that, because you have real and serious problems, and if you keep looking for something, anything, to be upset about, the rest of your life is going to be deeply unhappy. But maybe that's what you want. Fine - just don't include me, or try to pin it on me.

4 - I remember when this - the Beach Boys thing - used to be fun, and enjoyable. That was before the trolls and asshats learned how to use a computer. There are a lot of good, good people here whose company I enjoy. Unfortunately, there's a small cadre of trolls and malcontents intent spoiling it for the rest of us. We really need the "ignore" button back. 

... and breathe.

This kind of crap that goes on here is why you haven't seen me in here of late. I'm with you, some of the people taking over this place have taken the fun out posting about our favorite band. I just pray that one day they will fade away into the shadows.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Well, it is offensive but guess what?  People eventually show their true colors. It offends me, being part Native American, that the individual is using a Native American for his profile picture. Racist? Can't say but there is something disturbing going on there.

As to the gambling, my Uncle recently lost his family fortune to it at the track, leaving them stunned and penniless.Thus, it bothers me greatly that the M/B show play so many casinos.

Is my avatar racist too? The Beach Boys, Brother logo, as well? Are you telling me that if I hold Sitting Bull, Geronimo or Chief Joseph in high regard, and use their picture, that I cannot because I am a caucasian? Get the f*** out of here? Really, seriously?

Your avatar is the BRs logo, it is BB related. If you aren't Native American,  don't tell me what offends me. Like whites using the N Word, don't go there. The use of this photo by this individual is offensive to me. End of story.  I suppose if he uses an old blackface photo at some point it will be ok with the Mods cause there is a double standard on the Board. OSD gets banned for being mocking. Racist comments, no problem.

[Andrew G. Doe]

To the mods:

Can we have a ruling here on whether or not I'm being racist in using an avatar of a Native American, however respectfully, despite my being a Caucasian of Roma ancestry ?

If you say I am, then I'll remove it (and I take it this will mean anyone else using an avatar that is not directly related to their ethnicity - like, say, a cat - will also be required to change it).

If not, doesn't being unfairly accused of being racist call for a ban of the accuser ?

Thank you for your judgement in advance.  

Seriously, first I was accused of rampant homophobia when I observed that, as regards Oasis, I preferred my Beatles straight (as in undiluted) and now, because I use a Native American avatar, I'm a racist, according to someone who no-one here knew was claiming NA descent until a few hours ago. I believe the only possible rejoinder is:

What. The. Actual. f*** ?

[PS: the request for a ruling is genuine]

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Seeing you have been banned twice before, according to you, yet viciously bullied and attacked members hundreds of times without being permanently banned, and two of the three Mods seem to be your personal friends, by their own admission, they, as usual, will not do a thing I suspect.

I would be happy to have the elders of our local tribal council write the Mods a letter protesting your inappropriate use of this photo. You may not realize but these things continue to be an issue in the U.S. As the owner of the Washington Redskins would tell you. Native Americans are continuing to work hard on this issue. You don't speak for Natuve Americans nor is your inproper use of this image appreciated.

The fact that you posted a huge blow-up of this image in response to a recent post of mine says all I need to know.