I’m going to tell you a little story about a good man who has been slandered and libeled by one individual who is hiding behind the anonymity of the Internets. That good man? Tim “Uncle Timmy” Bolgeo.
You see, a pathetic troll whose name I’m not going to bother typing (because it’s a nickname that the individual hides behind because they’re afraid of owning up to their actions) has, after taking random snippets of conversations and tacky jokes that Uncle Timmy publishes on something called “The Revenge”, managed to get Uncle Timmy uninvited from Archon this year. Archon, apparently, is “listening to the fans” (the one who has slandered and committed libel, but we won’t get into that at the moment) and decided that it was in their best interest to not have Uncle Timmy as their Fan Guest of Honor this year.
Let’s ignore, for the moment, the forty years that Uncle Timmy has dedicated to fandom in the South and Midwest. Let’s forget that he started and ran Libertycon for 25 years, which is one of the more popular “small cons” around. Let’s ignore the fact that the man is extremely smart and is an engineer who has a sterling reputation (except when he’s playing spades. He’s a jerk when he plays spades). Heck, let’s even ignore the fact that Uncle Timmy is an old, fat white dude who started a scholarship for a fan and friend (a black man) after he died tragically while trying to help someone.
Oh, wait. No. Not only no, but hell no. All these facts are pertinent to the lie being spread that Uncle Timmy is one big old Southern racist redneck who hates science.
The thing is, Uncle Timmy refuses to be PC. And that, apparently, is a huge thought crime. His jokes in The Revenge hold no punches, and the jokes he relays (a lot of them are mailed in or suggested) are not always tactful. But the thing is, in The Revenge, nobody is safe. Uptight white businessman? White teen with purple hair? Blonde businesswoman? Doesn’t matter, all are fair game. As it should be, quite frankly. Because the jokes wouldn’t be so funny if he focused on one particular subject (trust me, the old fat white redneck jokes get old after the 80th one).
So… yeah. Is Uncle Timmy a racist who hates science? God, I hope not. Otherwise, he’s a brilliant actor who should’ve been winning Oscars for years.
The reason I am coming to his defense so vociferously (ah hell, biracial man with a vocabulary is rolling up his sleeves) is that back when I was first starting out on the convention scene, not a single con wanted this no-name biracial guy who wrote a book as a guest. Not a one. Cons who pride themselves for their “diversity” told me to kindly “piss off”. Cons that I lived less than five minutes to wanted nothing to do with a local author. Cons who are always claiming to want to showcase new and upcoming authors wouldn’t touch me with a ten foot pole.
Then I got this email from Uncle Timmy and his daughter, Brandi Spraker, completely out of the blue. They’d heard about me through Travis S. “Doc” Taylor and wondered if I would be up to being a guest at Libertycon. I was thrilled. I was also confused, because after asking around, I’d heard that only “Baen authors” wanted anything to do with Libertycon. Which didn’t bother me much, because I enjoy almost all of the authors in Baen’s stable. Eric Flint, Charles Gannon, David Weber… all of them I’ve read, and all of them I enjoy. So I accepted and flew across the country to be a guest. And you know what?
I’ve never felt so welcomed at a convention as I was at that Libertycon. That’s even taking into account that the fans got me so trashed that I don’t really remember any of the panels (except the one that I yelled at John Ringo because of… something about aliens, humanity and sex? I forget). I promised I would return the following year, and I did (which resulted in a trip to the ER that is rather embarrassing). Of all the cons I’ve been to, Libertycon has, quite possibly, the best memories associated with it. And it made other cons easier for me, since the fans who go to Libertycon oftentimes attend other regional cons as well. They, in turn, have gotten me into other cons. And all this was possible thanks to Uncle Timmy.
What the Archon convention committee decides is, in the end, up to them. But before they listen to one lying individual who seems to have a vendetta, perhaps they should ask around and see just who Uncle Timmy really is. They may be surprised to find that Uncle Timmy is a well-respected and well-liked person who has helped thousands, if not tens of thousands, of authors and fans over the years.
But fortunately for me, due to their decision, they’ve helped me cull the list of potential conventions I will be attending in the future.
Jason Córdova 
Reblogged this on mishaburnett and commented:
Yep. The haters win again.
*shakes head*
That’s scary.
Well said Jason!
Reblogged this on Minister is a Verb and commented:
Uncle Timmy is one of the most decent men I know in fandom and his influence can not be overstated on fandom in Memphis and the entire state of Tennessee. Archcon will not see me or anyone who respects Southern fandom until they reverse this decision. Letting one whiny-baby who does not even know Tim Bolgeo keep him from the honors that he richly deserves is beyond cowardly.
Reblogged. Uncle Timmy is one of the most influential fans in the entire state of Tennessee. Anyone who wants to libel or slander him best not do it anywhere near me.
What Archon did, Jason, does not pass the smell test.
Instead, what they did is knuckled under. And I don’t appreciate that, or find what they did admirable.
First of all, Archon should’ve done their due diligence before ever inviting “Uncle Timmy” to Archon before asking him to be the Fan GoH.
Second of all, if they did that, why are they now backing down from their invitation?
You see, what they did is wrong on at least two counts.
BTW, this is the type of convention I’d want to stay away from (Archon), even though as a female disabled writer, supposedly I’d be in “high demand.” (All I can say to that is “hmph.” If you like my work, fine, but if you don’t know anything about it and just want me as a token disabled female, you can forget it — that’s what I have to say.)
Uncle Timmy has helped archon in the past: Tucker Awards for Excellence in Science Fiction Convention Partying: Grand Master – Tim “Uncle Timmy” Bolgeo.
Presumably, the concom was already familiar with him and his ezine.
Apparently not, if something like this was allowed to pass.
Then why do this? What’s the point of it?
It’s one thing if they’re running scared and don’t know Mr. Bolgeo; it’s another thing entirely if they do this and _do_ know him.
Of course, either way it’s damned dumb.
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Your defense of Uncle Timmy was so spectacular that I immediately clicked on Kaiju Apocalypse and bought it. I’m looking forward to reading it!
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Clearly the “Uncle Timmys” of world are destined for one place:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine
Unfortunately, it seems that the beast always feeds upon itself. Look at what happened during the French Revolution and the subsequent Reign of Terror when the revolutionaries began to execute one another when it was suspected that they weren’t toeing the “proper revolutionary” line.
…or the Night of Long Knives, or Stalin’s Great Purge… Unfortunately the Jews/Kulaks/Uncle Timmys always get purged before Party members.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Jewish communists led the Bolshevik revolution. After gaining power, Stalin had them liquidated…
Gays and socialists were enthusiastic leaders of the Sturmabteilung (SA) brownshirts… you can try to ask Ernst Röhm or Gregor Strasser how that worked out, but they got a bullet in their skulls for the trouble.
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. I toast a salute to the gays, Jews and socialists who are actively purging SF fandom. May they get their just deserts.
Being a democratic socialist like Orwell, I’d like to offer a minor correction: identitarians don’t like traditional socialists because we see power in terms of class rather than social identity. The people throwing fits in fandom tend to be neoliberals. As David Harvey noted in his book on neoliberalism, “Neoliberal rhetoric, with its foundational emphasis upon individual freedoms, has the power to split off libertarianism, identity politics, multi-culturalism, and eventually narcissistic consumerism from the social forces ranged in pursuit of social justice through the conquest of state power. It has long proved extremely difficult within the US left, for example, to forge the collective discipline required for political action to achieve social justice without offending the desire of political actors for individual freedom and for full recognition and expression of particular identities. Neoliberalism did not create these distinctions, but it could easily exploit, if not foment, them.”
Well, it’s all about ensuring that individuals are in their proper “class”. To me, this is why people who insist that they don’t see color want to call people “African-American”, “Asian-American” and “Mexican-American”.
Also, you seem to think fascists are socialists, and really, they aren’t. There’s a reason that Hitler went after the socialists before he went after anyone else—as warpcordova notes when quoting Niemoller.
Nazis ran as Socialists before taking the axe to them, including running on a solid Socialist platform.
If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck… I don’t think it’s a squirrel.
Warpcordova, are you now saying Niemoller was wrong? If you believe names are true, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must be one of the best places to live ever.
On whether Hitler was a socialist, this is decent and short: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100261121/hitler-wasnt-a-socialist-stop-saying-he-was/
I’m saying that Hitler and the Nazis ran on the party line of Socialism, then promptly ate the Socialists the minute the Nazis had absolute power.
Well, if you think von Bismarck was a socialist and that socialism is supposed to be national rather international, I suppose you could make that argument. But the “socialism” in the name just meant Nazis wouldn’t shut down the social systems that had begun before them. Capitalists were always happy to do business with Nazis, because they knew the difference between socialists and fascists.
I think you’re misunderstanding. I’m agreeing with you (mostly… I think). My only contention is that Nazis disguised themselves as Socialists, then revealed their true colors after the face. Bismarck was a nationalist who saw the need to unify the Germanies under Prussian control.
Here’s a link to what I meant about the Nazis masquerading as Socialists: http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/sofortprogramm.htm
Looking over the talking points, I can’t really see how anyone not benefiting from the advantage of having hindsight on the matter would guess that this was not socialism.
Sure thing. And Stalin wasn’t a socialist either because he murdered Trotsky (and many others), right?
Sorry, that’s nonsense. Civil wars are always the bloodiest.
As for socialism supposedly being incompatible with racism, we all know that the Soviet Union was paradise for Jews, right?
Warpcordova, my bad. I’ve got pet peeves, and one of them is about people who say Nazis were socialists. I agree that Nazis tried to ride on the coattails of actual socialists.
SBP, as I said elsewhere, I’m a democratic socialist like Orwell, and I agree with his criticism of Stalin. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend Homage to Catalonia, which will give you the background for 1984 and Animal Farm.
Warpcordova, hadn’t seen that pamphlet before. Fascinating. Thanks for providing the link!
Not a problem. The fun part is to compare and contrast the differences between the 1920 manifesto and the 1932. The 1932 one seems much more reasonable than the 1920 one, which (in the end) is the path that Hitler and the Nazis took, and not the 1932 campaign platform.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_Program#The_25-point_Program_of_the_NSDAP
warpcordova, that is fascinating. There’s one in particular from 1920 that looks very socialist: “We demand the nationalisation of all (previous) associated industries (trusts).” But the Nazis dropped that as soon as they started to work with big business. Otherwise, yeah, Hitler kept to the old playbook.
Suffice to say, now can you understand why some people would like to lump Hitler in with socialism?
Oh, I’ve always understood why rightwingers who hear the name make the leap. But I’m one of those people who’s obsessed with facts, so I keep wishing they would look up the difference between socialism and fascism, and I roll my eyes when they keep on insisting. No big.
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hi Jason, I had not run across you or your work until just now, when you were quoted on Vox Day’s site. I came over here, and your works seem awesome! I plan on buying some later today after a paycheck rolls in. so one good result of the scummy action by the Pink Shirts is that I find an awesome new author and you get some sales!
I should’ve become suspicious of identitarian claims to value diversity back when ICFA disinvited a Cherokee author and editor, William Sanders, but it took me a couple of years to figure it out. They don’t want diversity that’s more than skin deep. Maoists and McCarthyites deserve each other, but I wish they would leave the rest of us alone.
Well, they’re talking ideology and mistaking it for diversity. It’s okay, that’s why I’m here — to educate them. Using my outside voice.
FYI: Will Shetterly is a notorious racist who makes company with homophobic Vox Day
Isn’t Vox Day Hispanic? Why would a racist associate with him if that were the case? Or are we being facetious?
Poe’s Law strikes again!
Oops, my response was meant for AM, not warpcordova.
You have a very loose idea of making company.
Will Shetterly tried to throw me off the fantail of an aircraft carrier once for no reason at all.
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I wish this was as simple an issue as the Archon board to caving in to one anonymous crybaby. It wasn’t. It was a case of that one anonymous crybaby splattering out of context postings from issues of Tim’s fanzine on Facebook and inciting the outrage of a vocal minority that seems to exist for the next juicy nontrovercy. Those people took it upon themselves to attempt to notify the other invited guests and sling this mud on them. Archon’s board was faced with a suddenly exponentially expanding problem as more and more individuals read more and more out of context comments, and told their friends inflated BS tales like “He hosts a white supremacy website”.
At this point, Archon’s board did the one thing they could do to end this wildfire, and rescinded his invitation.
Was it “caving”? Probably. But would the convention have survived after their GOH and AGOH were dragged into a racially oriented mud-slinging fest by a few jerks who know nothing of the man, or his fanzine beyond 3rd and 4th-hand tales of horror? It was an ugly situation that was getting worse by the moment.
It seems this sort of slander is becoming more and more popular. From the security of their mothers basements, some people combine extreme left wing politics and a malicious nature, with having far to much time on their hands.
I’m all for free speech. Say what you want! Really. It’s my favorite Amendment. That being said, if you say something, do it publicly. Don’t hide behind the anonymity of the Internet. Don’t hide behind a sock puppet personae and claim to be speaking for everyone else.
It’s about empowerment, right? Well, empower your ass up there and own up to your speech.
Nonsense. What Archon could have done is just ignore it, like adults, or issue a statement and stand by their guest, also like adults. And if they got threatened, the heck with the whiny little babies?
Why the heck were they even reading this crap from anonymous non-customers on their Facebook page, instead of blocking it? Or is this something you can’t do on Facebook?
Acting like an adult would mean standing up for your principals, which would make people dislike you for not agreeing with them.
Since they held an emergency meeting and uninvited Uncle Timmy within a 24 hour period, I guess acting like an adult is secondary to caving in to a rabid horde.
Congratulations to those who continue to try and kill SF in the name of… whatever your cause is this week. You must feel so very proud.
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Sent this to Timmy to encourage him – thought it was apropos to your sock puppet discussion. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kathleen-parker-fair-warning-provoking-a-thought-is-literatures-job/2014/05/20/9cc6635e-e056-11e3-9743-bb9b59cde7b9_story.html
Timmy: You must be trending. The Washington Post’s editorial section today described a corollary to your situation to a “T”. The Revenge, though not one of the great works of literature, is an organ that encourages debate and often deep thought. You provide caveats and disclaimers – triggers if you will – and the Revenge is by subscription – so it’s readership knows what it is reading. To attack you is to attack ALL readers of the Revenge as racists, for not stopping you whenever there was “something” that the over-sensitive might take offense with (even though you do post all rebuttals to your posts religiously – though your detractors fail to mention that). The PC crowd are attempting to remake free speech into their own image and likeness, with all others too “unevolved” and in need of education – (spelled Group-think) (as if the esteemed readership of The Revenge needs education.) Kathleen Parker is right – political correctness has run amok, and I feel sorry for the misguided, gutless wonders at Archon for caving in to the demands of the faceless anonymous hatchet men who libel you. You should talk to their board about who attended the meeting and tried to have you quietly ousted there. At least in a court of law you can face your accuser. And I know some good New York attorneys.
When WisCon disinvited Elizabeth Moon, someone who seemed knowledgable told me that she could have sued them for breach of contract. I have fond memories of Archon, so I wouldn’t encourage Bolgeo to sue, but I would understand if he did.
Thank you for the report, Jason. I cannot believe that Archon made a decision on this in 24 hours. Perhaps they are remembering a prior Wiscon, or the infamous “Song of the South” incident from the recent Lone Star Con. They wanted to kill this in the bud.
Courtesy is an important part of both culture and pure survival skills. That said, PC is rapidly getting way out of hand. Manufactured PC is an abomination. I must admit I have less and less interest in conventions. This confirms that impression. But then I enjoy watching Jon Stewart work and like to see everyone get their broadsides, when deserved.
My sympathies to Uncle Timmy for this quilt of lies. I hope he will have much better things to do Archon weekend.
There’s always Libertycon! 🙂
Love the way you put this, Cat. (Just had to say that.)
I used to be involved in Fandom. Archon, even. It’s my hometown convention. Also been to Libertycon, known Timmy for probably 20 years. Some of you might recognize my name, but I’d rather not bother with it.
The truth is I turned my back on fandom a few years ago. I could see the slow rising tide of PC and intolerance even then, and, frankly, real life gave me more important concerns than indulging a lot of protracted adolescents in a lot of silly wasting of time. I never dumped on anybody, never made a scene, just stopped going and am really happier that way.
Facebook had a lot to do with souring the taste of it all. Even though I’d ignore or hide a lot of the ranters and strident types, you’d still get a lot of leak-through from friends-of-friends of truly the most ranting, hysterical, venomous, spitting hate that you could imagine, much of it insulting my opinions, my backgrounds, or my values. I don’t know of anyone who could give you a complaint about me on that score, I’ve always thought that the traditional concept of polite conversation and avoided politics and religion, but that’s not a courtesy that gets accorded in return. Frankly, some people who are absolutely *treasured* by others were nasty, spiteful, hateful and obscene even while they raved about their select enemies being all those things. I finally ditched Facebook for simple peace of mind.
I’d gotten wind of the various earthquakes in Fandom — Elizabeth Moon, Orson Scott Card, SFWA, the Hugos– now it’s reached Archon. These campaigns are following similar things in the mundane world– certain individuals who get fingered for a politically-incorrect word or action, or even a difference on politics, followed by mob rule and figurative burning at the stake. All in the name of a brand of ‘justice.’
Too bad, really. This kind of thing can only escalate. To quote ‘Young Frankenstein,’ “A riot is an ugly thingk!”* The next steps might be small, might be larger, but they’ll be coming as long as these people feel successful and enriched by becoming enforcers of their newer, better world. That’s happened time and time again throughout history, usually winding up in very bad consequences.
(*One final thought occurs…How many of the Social Justice Warriors laugh at ‘Blazing Saddles?’ Probably all of them, never digesting the irony.)
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Slavery and oppression of blacks, gays and minorities is REAL folks. Someone must pay the price. If it is your beloved racist pal “Uncle Timmy” then that is the price until White America pays their debts with full and total reparations (and not just money either, but total submission to the price of their crimes). To turn White Christian Males into “victims” here is disgusting , and is noted on your tab (as another bill you will need to pay)
How does disinviting someone who has helped black and gay fans do anything to address slavery or oppression of anyone?
Toni Weiskopff left this comment at File 770:
“About 15 years ago I was helping a parapro in the school my daughter was attending raise money to get an adapted tricycle for her handicapped son. This was before Facebook, of course, but I raised the hundreds of dollars needed within two days by running an appeal in one place: Uncle Timmy’s newsletter. Do I need to say Uncle Timmy personally contributed? Apparently yes. Nobody asked the race of the child involved, because of course it didn’t matter to them. Timmy has raised in excess of a hundred thousand dollars for race-blind charities, from children’s hospitals to literacy programs, through his actions as a charity auctioneer and a con runner, and by organizing a scholarship fund for slain fan J.J. Johnson (look him up—HE was a fan). But you condemn Tim as racist because he shares ethnic jokes and news articles (as well as fannish news and science and technology articles) in an opt-in email newsletter. You know what’s racist? One person claiming to speak for an entire race, just like his anonymous accuser did—that’s racist.
“You don’t want him as your guest of honor? Fine. But don’t pretend his disinvitation has anything to do with his actions. If you can call a kind, generous, intelligent person like Tim Bolgeo a racist, it says a lot more about where your head is than his. In fact, if you can’t act like fans, you don’t deserve to have a Fan Guest of Honor.”
I recommend Naomi Fisher’s comment there too.
I’m sorry, but to whose tab are you referring to? My tab? I owe someone… what, precisely? I’m confused by your comment, but I’ll gladly give you a very factual history and current events lesson — for free, even, since I am, after all, all about education.
Side note — you forgot to mention the oppression of women. Jackass.
(also, a lot of this comes courtesy of Michael Z. Williamson and is used with his permission. Here is a link to his complete dissertation on the matter of reparations — http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/politics-Reparations.html)
Let us begin with the history of modern slavery (skipping all those ancient times when Babylonians were enslaved by Assyrians, who were subsequently enslaved by the Parthians, who enslaved Armenia and worked out an arrangement to avoid being enslaved by those pesky Romans while pretty much everyone enslaved the Jews, who themselves enslaved… oops, we were skipping all this, weren’t we?).
I’ll start modern slavery in, say, 1400 AD (or ACE, as my history professors harped on me). Those pesky Norse oppressed the Slavs (modern day Russians), who eventually turned the tables on just about everyone (yay Stalin!) and oppressed anyone and anything they could. This included the Japanese, who subjugated Korea (who returned the favor, and then some) and China (you really want to talk about Tibet, Vietnam, Korea, Cambodia, Bhutan, and Africa?) to some seriously bad crap… in 1592, and again in 1597, and again… well, you know all about World War II (I hope you’re familiar with it, at least, even if it’s only passingly enough to remember that the Allies won) and their subsequent “gaijin” culture which is still in effect today (ask any non-Japanese about living in Japan and the culture refusing to accept any non-Japanese fully). Or we can talk about the Mayan subjugation of Central America before the Spanish showed up and completely enslaved them (and wiped most of them out, because smallpox). The Spanish were such bastards, right, because they also enslaved the Basques. But they, too, were enslaved and subjugated by the Norse, the Romans, the Moroccans, the Italians and the French.
Man, it’s starting to look like everyone can play the victim card at this pace, because everyone has been oppressed. But hell, I’m on a roll here, so let’s keep going! Let’s talk about those poor souls in Africa, who were enslaved back in the cotton days of the USA. Because the US is such a bastard — even though most of the slave importing was done by the Dutch, who bought slaves from Arabs, who bought slaves from Africans who were selling conquered, defeated fellow Africans because someone was buying. That doesn’t let the US off the hook, by the way, so quit skimming and actually read.
(side note: did you know that the one of first slave owners in the U.S. was a black man? Look up Anthony Johnson sometime. Will wonders never cease?)
Ah, but this doesn’t mean jack and squat in today’s society, you’re probably thinking (while skimming through this, looking for something to be offended by). So let’s delve into the topic matter at hand with a more recent eye upon the crimes of horrible people.
In Mexico, they do not allow illegal aliens the right to hospital treatment, doctors, medicaid, or medicare. They cannot legally drive, nor are they allowed to get jobs. Poor Guatemalans and Ecuadorans are trying to get to the U.S. for a chance at a future, but those pesky, asshole Mexicans are oppressing them. And don’t get me started on what Mexicans think of their indigenous populations. Yeah, they have rights too. But, much like the U.S. back in the day, it’s an unspoken sort of segregation in effect. Don’t believe me? Fine, watch telemundo sometime and let me know when you spot that darker-skinned Yucatan indigenous personality on TV (who doesn’t get slapped into a caricature of a role). If Denzel Washington was born in Mexico and wanted to be an actor… well, I seriously doubt he’d ever win an Academy Award.
But I can’t pick on Mexico. Let’s look at the enlightened Canadians. In Quebec some time and don’t speak French? They’re required by law to have English signs and people speak both languages, but there is an underlying contempt for those who do not speak their bastardized version of French. Their immigration laws are stricter than the U.S., despite their free everything. Or maybe that’s because of it? Hard to say, I’m not Canadian. I’ll have to ask my sister (who is moving to Canada to marry her girlfriend and live there together).
Ah, I’m picking on the New World too much. Let’s drift to the east, where France’s lack of jobs available to a burgeoning Muslim population has led to nasty riots and parts of Paris being “no-go” zones for police. The reason France has a lack of jobs is because their system is set up that the only way to get a job is to know someone. That’s… starting to sound oddly familiar, a growing trend I’ve seen somewhere before… Ahem. Anyways, as bad as the French treat their Muslim immigrants (which are usually Tunisian or that area of North Africa), their treatment of the Roma is far worse.
The Italians treat their Roma just as bad, if not worse, than the French do. But Italy is such a mess that people will probably argue that since the U.S. is so much better, we can’t expect those poor Italians to really hold themselves up to the higher standards that we Americans have, right?
Wow. That’s a little bit racist right there. Well, more nationalist, but close enough that someone’s going to get their knickers in a twist over it.
But I can’t pick on the poor Europeans, because I want to keep going east really quickly. You think you have it bad, Mister Gay Atheist White Male (I’m guessing, but I really could give a shit less, even if you were a Straight Catholic Hispanic Male with three dicks… actually, that’d be kinda interesting, scientifically)? You really think that fat old Uncle Timmy is oppressing you (oops, ageism. my bad)? You haven’t been oppressed until you’ve tried being gay somewhere outside of Israel in the Middle East. Or atheist. Or even white. Being a male there gives you a leg up, naturally, but hey — not everyone is as enlightened as you are. You can lead the masses there to the greater good!
The truth of the matter is, if you shine a light bright enough and squint your eyes hard enough, you’ll see racism in everything. If there is a price to be paid, it is not to be paid by me or anyone else. It should have been paid, tenfold, by our ancient ancestors.
Quite frankly, your so-called “victim card” is a tired old method to try to win an argument through political correctness. Your disconnection with reality is kind of sad, and your lack of knowledge in the arena of current events and civilization as a whole makes me weep for our country’s future.
Not a single human being is perfect. It’s impossible to be so. But to castigate someone because an individual cut-and-pasted certain comments completely out of context (including, I’ll add, the racist joke that everyone is in a tizzy over — which had first been featured in the St. Louis Craigslist… ah, Craigslist) is quite pathetic.
I hope this helps you, really. I doubt it will, because you’ve skimmed to the end, made your notes about what you found offensive, and are already drawing up your rebuttal to call me a “pig racist bastard” (only the “bastard” part is true, for the record). But if you’re going to attack someone and call them names, at least know what you’re talking about, and think for yourself, instead of parroting hate speech (yes, you labeled Uncle Timmy as a White Male — he’s Anglo-American, TYVM).
(edit 5/23/2014 : I was mistaken. Uncle Timmy is not Anglo-American, he is Irish/Italian-American. See? Nobody’s perfect.
I’m new to *all* of this, wandered in, kinda. But wanted to tell you I want to copy and paste your post, in it’s entirety, with your permission and whatever attribution you ask.
Be my guest. Just make sure that everything links back here and attribution is given. 🙂
Molon Labe
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Jason, thought I’d let you know I did a link back to this blog article from my own blogging on same.
http://stephanie-osborn.blogspot.com/2014/05/archon-does-itself-disservice-by.html
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