Is Austin really a liberal bastion? (Dallas, Portland: daycare, restaurant, deal)

[nomore07]

Originally Posted by TexasGirl@Heart

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs!

Everyone is entitled to their wardrobe (where appropriate)

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by nomore07

Everyone is entitled to their wardrobe (where appropriate)

I agree.

[TexasHorseLady]

I really wonder where all these people who foist their faith (or non-faith, for that matter) on others are, as I NEVER have that experience and I've been here a long, long time.

Now, I don't go around wearing clothing that is confrontational or nor do I foist my belief or lack thereof or demand that others acknowledge whatever my particular sexual proclivities might be, and that might have something to do with it, but I keep hearing on this board (but nowhere else, oddly enough) of how this happens, and I don't consider myself to be so scary (little 5'2" pushing 60 lady that I am) that someone would be afraid to approach me just like they would anyone else about it, but it just never happens.

The waitress was out of line. However, the shirt did, indeed, invite comment - that would seem to be its main purpose, as the purpose of most shirts that have something written on them other than the name of the manufacturer usually is.

[carolinajack]

i wonder if anyone should have the right to wear any t shirt they want would work in the Northeast USA? I live here and i can tell you a white person where a racist t shirt or a homophobic tee shirt would be either attacked or at least made to feel they didnt belong in a place. so i wonder why some are entitled to offend with proclivity while others are not.

the waitress was wrong, but i think the husband was doing it to draw that sort of ire.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

No matter what you wear, it's your right. Same as tattoos--you can ink on yourself whatever you deem, it's your body. Now if you come up to me and shove it down my throat verbally, then I will have something to say back. Wear whatever you want. If I want to walk around with a shirt that says GOD on it then I should be permitted and not receive any back lash over it from non-believers.

Same as sport teams....I'm in Dallas and am wearing a Pittsburgh jersey... It's my right and I shouldn't receive any back lash over it. Same goes for a Cowboy fan coming to Pittsburgh and wearing a Cowboy jersey here. He shouldn't receive back lash over it--again it's his right to wear whatever he wants to wear.

I really don't get the big deal over the t-shirt. Maybe I'm missing something... but for the waitress to say "You're lucky I'm not your waitress, I wouldn't have served you."......... Maybe he was trying to incite some anger---I guess he did. But doesn't all controversal clothing, tattoos, etc.. attempt to incite someone's wrath?

It's how you respond. You can't control others but you can control how you react. If you react then they accomplished what they set out to do. If you don't react, then they are the losers.

[TexasHorseLady]

Well, sure, you can wear whatever you want, it's your right. However, when you choose to wear an item of clothing that is clearly confrontational, you can't then be honestly weirded out if it has the effect that it's clearly intended to have. In fact, I'd think that the kind of person who'd wear an item that is confrontational in that way would be disappointed if it didn't get a response - after all, that's the entire point of wearing it in the first place!

Unless, of course, the point is to provoke a confrontation so that you can then talk about how confrontational the person who responded to your confrontational item of clothing was.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Well, sure, you can wear whatever you want, it's your right. However, when you choose to wear an item of clothing that is clearly confrontational, you can't then be honestly weirded out if it has the effect that it's clearly intended to have. In fact, I'd think that the kind of person who'd wear an item that is confrontational in that way would be disappointed if it didn't get a response - after all, that's the entire point of wearing it in the first place!

Unless, of course, the point is to provoke a confrontation so that you can then talk about how confrontational the person who responded to your confrontational item of clothing was.

Exactly!!! Then the wearer looks like the jerk, not the waitress! It's how you react to confrontational sublime messages!

[TexasHorseLady]

And then we get into the whole area of, "Well, since the person wearing the confrontational item of clothing clearly wants to provoke a confrontation, is it rude or unfriendly not to give them one?"

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

And then we get into the whole area of, "Well, since the person wearing the confrontational item of clothing clearly wants to provoke a confrontation, is it rude or unfriendly not to give them one?"

Well, they do want a reaction, and when they aren't given one, they're highly disappointed. The smug factor is gone then! So if they clearly want a reaction, then most times, more often then not, they will voice something confrontational. That's when you BLAST them!

[readymade]

How come wearing crosses or other items of christianity is not "provoking a reaction?" Ironically, when my husband sees one, he sometimes says (jokingly, to me) "Look, the mark of the beast!"

Why are christians the only ones "allowed" to proclaim their faith on a t-shirt/jewelry? He honestly wasn't trying to provoke a reaction. He thought the t-shirt was funny because it was made to look like a sports team. When she asked him if he was really an atheist, he replied that he was an apathiest because he didn't really care one way or the other.

It's funny that TexasHorseLady mentioned
"However, the shirt did, indeed, invite comment - that would seem to be its main purpose, as the purpose of most shirts that have something written on them other than the name of the manufacturer usually is"

because he also has a t-shirt that spells out "Democracy" with all corporate brand logos. He DOES wear that to invite comment (people love that shirt). He felt fairly comfortable wearing the "Atheists" t-shirt BECAUSE Austin is "supposed" to be a liberal bastian, and I suppose as a reaction to the many people wearing crosses. Maybe a way to say to the world "there are all kinds of different faiths out there... not just Christianity." I, and he, don't expect people to agree or anything... but to have someone be so rude about it was pretty shocking. He actually thought when she asked about the shirt that she would be all "right on!" about it because she was smiling as she asked him about it.