Unpopular Opinions AKA "there, I've said it"

[Titan3510]

You guys have gotten so emotionally involved in this whole discussion.

So much so that you guys have become blind to some of the most universal of truths.

I'm letting this one go.

[sambo9]

A lot of it is just down to what we consider a mother's role is, and what we consider a father's role is - which is pure social construction.

Cover your ears children, lies are being told here. Masculine and feminine roles are seen all throughout nature, they are not social constructs.

I never said masculine and feminine traits are social constructs, I said gender roles within parenting are. For example, saying that fathers are better disciplinarians than mothers is completely untrue. It's down to the individual's parenting techniques, it's nothing to do with gender.

[sambo9]

Only then will you be able understand why I said that the two really don't compare.

You've said this before, and I'll give you the same response: I'm not comparing the history of discrimination of either group, I'm saying that to discriminate against someone because they're black is equally as uncalled for as if you were doing so because they were gay. You don't need to patronise me and tell me that I need to read a book about the struggles of black people, when all I'm dealing with is basic concepts here. You're just as emotionally involved in this as anyone.

[CrazyCrazy]

Discrimination is discrimination.

But, you don't agree with homosexuality, so I understand why you'd think that.

I don't what now!? I AM gay Sambo! All I meant is that all kinds of discrimination are equally as bad. I don't think the history of each should be bought into it to make one seem worse than the other. Having said that the history for blacks is not pretty and I can understand why Titan would feel the need to remind us of the painful history, but discrimination is wrong in which ever way you look at it.

[sambo9]

Discrimination is discrimination.

But, you don't agree with homosexuality, so I understand why you'd think that.

I don't what now!? I AM gay Sambo! All I meant is that all kinds of discrimination are equally as bad. I don't think the history of each should be bought into it to make one seem worse than the other. Having said that the history for blacks is not pretty and I can understand why Titan would feel the need to remind us of the painful history, but discrimination is wrong in which ever way you look at it.

Oh no, I was talking to Titan! Sorry, the bit about your post came before the quote. x

[CrazyCrazy]

oh, that's ok then.

[sambo9]

I actually agree with you completely on everything you've said in this discussion.

[Timmy94]

I finally wanna see an album that at the start is not even selling a copy in a very small country (where you can rather sell well than in big-populated countries), is climbing over months and reaches its peak after like 3 years after the initial release .
Too many hit albums reach their peak in the first week and I like to see one album doing absolutely like no one's expected (like Adele's 21 but taken to a whole another level ) and no one even noticed at first .

[stevyy]

I finally wanna see an album that at the start is not even selling a copy in a very small country (where you can rather sell well than in big-populated countries), is climbing over months and reaches its peak after like 3 years after the initial release .
Too many hit albums reach their peak in the first week and I like to see one album doing absolutely like no one's expected (like Adele's 21 but taken to a whole another level ) and no one even noticed at first .

that would be awesome. i think the internet makes it harder for such an album to stay unnoticed for so long before it finally explodes.

[NothingFails]

I finally wanna see an album that at the start is not even selling a copy in a very small country (where you can rather sell well than in big-populated countries), is climbing over months and reaches its peak after like 3 years after the initial release .
Too many hit albums reach their peak in the first week and I like to see one album doing absolutely like no one's expected (like Adele's 21 but taken to a whole another level ) and no one even noticed at first .

The main problem is that everyone is obsessed with that first week and once that happens nobody cares. One of the reasons Lionel Richie's album has stayed in the top 5 is because he actually realizes to promote the album instead of just caring about the first week

What IMO has hurt the industry so much is that it started becoming about the first week sales... instead of "where will the album be in three months, six months, a year, etc..." like in the past when albums had longevity.

[Titan3510]

^ I'm with NothingFails.

People just don't know what it takes to make albums anymore.

[biscuits]

Pick up a book and read about how black people were treated and how they still are being treated.

Read up on the studies that have shown that little black children grow up feeling that they are not as precious as little white children.

Read about how black people in the Americas always seem to be a step or two behind almost everyone else.

I know we're past this now, but I gotta say that I'm not sure what your point is here.

These days, I think gay people are treated far worse than black people. There are teenagers who are being beaten up and MURDERED for being gay, not to mention the number of suicides from gay teenagers because they're being bullied and abused all the time.

[Eamon]

Discrimination is discrimination.

[sambo9]

^

It's hypothetical that I could tell people to stop comparing homophobia to other forms of discrimination, for the reason that same-sex activities are still illegal in dozens of countries and potentially punishable by death in a significant proportion of the Middle East, but that would be ridiculous! The only way humanity can move forward is to equate all forms of irrational hate towards minorities as being unacceptable. It's all comparably barbaric and medieval.

[neoepzilon]

Pick up a book and read about how black people were treated and how they still are being treated.

Read up on the studies that have shown that little black children grow up feeling that they are not as precious as little white children.

Read about how black people in the Americas always seem to be a step or two behind almost everyone else.

I know we're past this now, but I gotta say that I'm not sure what your point is here.

These days, I think gay people are treated far worse than black people. There are teenagers who are being beaten up and MURDERED for being gay, not to mention the number of suicides from gay teenagers because they're being bullied and abused all the time.

That's anyone who's doing something taboo for their culture. I.E. a muslim woman in Malaysia drinking at a bar, was brutally caned in 2009. That opens up the argument concerning homosexuality as a choice and not something that you are 'born as'.

Having pigment in your skin is something that you just can't choose. I can personally attest to feeling less precious than little white children throughout my childhood/experiencing racism, and also being abused because I'm bisexual.

I can tell you that the former is far more damaging. You sort of build this f-ck you attitude to people who abuse you physically and mentally for being gay, and that's the end of that. Racism however, at least in America, places this shadowy veil over your life that shows itself at the worst possible times-- crippling your confidence, and you.

[Wayne]

I can tell you that the former is far more damaging. You sort of build this f-ck you attitude to people who abuse you physically and mentally for being gay, and that's the end of that. Racism however, at least in America, places this shadowy veil over your life that shows itself at the worst possible times-- crippling your confidence, and you.

You've obviously seen a couple "It Gets Better" videos to come to that bizarre conclusion.

There is no need to play these phobic and discriminatory views off against each other - they are as bad as each other and ultimately can result in the same thing.

[Shortie]

You're missing out if you grow up without your father around...you might not know it or you might want to not acknowledge it but you're missing something...

I went through this situation and I can tell you I've been as happy as I could be and never felt his need.

[NothingFails]

I feel like at the end of the day what separates racism and homophobia is that nobody can defend or justify being a racist, but many still use the "I'm a Christian, The Bible tells me they're bad people" defense. You see people who are trying to fight for their childrens' right to bully gay teenagers in school and the sort, and get pricks like this who are in positions of power and think that treating gay people as equal is horrible. People don't get disowned from their parents over race, but there are a lot of people out there who think their children deserve AIDS and are going to Hell if they are attracted to the same sex, and that is positively disgusting.

[neoepzilon]

I can tell you that the former is far more damaging. You sort of build this f-ck you attitude to people who abuse you physically and mentally for being gay, and that's the end of that. Racism however, at least in America, places this shadowy veil over your life that shows itself at the worst possible times-- crippling your confidence, and you.

You've obviously seen a couple "It Gets Better" videos to come to that bizarre conclusion.

Once again, casting off someone else's conclusion as irrelevant because you haven't lived it yourself.

Bravo.

I feel like at the end of the day what separates racism and homophobia is that nobody can defend or justify being a racist, but many still use the "I'm a Christian, The Bible tells me they're bad people" defense.

You are pure perfection as always.

[Wayne]

Well I didn't live through the Nazi persecution of the Jews in the 1940's, but I think I've got a pretty fair idea of what they were going through.

Discrimination is discrimination - the fact that you're trying to play off one form against another seemingly shows an unwillingness on your part to accept the severity of the one you see as being less serious.

Again, I'll reiterate - discrimination is discrimination.

[Wayne]

Once again, casting off someone else's conclusion as irrelevant because you haven't lived it yourself.

Bravo.

Pleased to see you altered your unnecessary comment, bravo.

I never deemed your conclusion to be irrelevant, I called it bizarre - a whole world of difference.

[neoepzilon]

Bizarre to you? Normal for me and many others, and that's my point.

Well I didn't live through the Nazi persecution of the Jews in the 1940's, but I think I've got a pretty fair idea of what they were going through.

You will never know what they went through, keep basing your opinions off of these 'pretty fair ideas' though.

[Wayne]

Bizarre to you? Normal for me and many others, and that's my point.

Well your comment seemed to imply that racist bullying resulted in a different outcome to homophobic bullying - I'm pretty sure the end result for both, isn't too dissimilar.

[neoepzilon]

Bizarre to you? Normal for me and many others, and that's my point.

Well your comment seemed to imply that racist bullying resulted in a different outcome to homophobic bullying - I'm pretty sure the end result for both, isn't too dissimilar.

All you need to do is understand, and stop casting people's opinions as 'bizarre'. Just because you don't understand and can't empathize doesn't mean that their personal conclusions are not valid.

Being both gay and black in America, I can attest to feeling the temperature of one a tad more. And that's not bizarre, it's just what I feel and you will deal.

[Wayne]

I feel so much affection from your posts! <3

And yes, I will deal. I'm very sorry that you've had a hard time of it.