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Saying "you weren't there so you can't have an opinion" is a typical answer I'd expect to hear from some in Scranton. In that case let's let the Scranton P.D. shoot ANYONE commiting ANY crime under the premise of "he/she/it charged right at me", and then it will stand because "we weren't there" to offer a counter-argument.
Very well said.
People at least need to realize that this standard they're adopting is very deferential to perpetrators of violence. We've seen it in the Schuylkill/Hispanic murder case and now in the police shooting. Even after a trial with facts in the form of testimony on record, people were still saying we couldn't discern the ultimate truth of the situation because, you guessed it, "we weren't there." No, at some point you can draw a sound conclusion based on the available facts. Hopefully the police report will provide that basis in this situation.
To be fair Scranbarre I think that you need more than one week to get a "true feel" for your new area.
Or a few hours... LOL. Last time I was in D.C. we were on what I guess would be the main local road going north. It parallels the zoo coincidentally about 3 or 4 blocks over. We were stopped at a red light and some dude walked behind the van and tried to open the hatch. I'm assuming to rob us.
A lot of people are outraged by this incident, as there are already about three dozen comments posted on the web site of the Times-Tribune. About 1/3 support the officers while the majority feel as if excessive force was used.I'm inclined to agree with the latter. :
"As I said I CAN NOT form a judgment one way or the other yet without knowing all of the facts involved."
So which is it? You say you don't know all the facts - yet your knee-jerk reaction is to post several paragraphs here criticizing the officers involved and implying that they used incorrect judgement? And of course, making sure you insult the intelligence level of the residents of NEPA by implying that we are all a bunch of racist, homophobic hillbillies.
Last edited by greentown; 05-31-2009 at 11:37 AM..
Reason: add
Unlike NEPA here in DC diversity is everywhere I look. I've seen gay couples holding hands in public, and nobody bats an eye. If my partner and I were to hold hands while walking down a typical street in Pittston I'm sure we'd be in for an earful (if not worse)."
To be honest, you constantly berate the people of NEPA as being a bunch of homophobics, yet I have NEVER, in over forty-some years, seen anyone make a public comment to any gay person. I'm beginning to think that you are somehow provoking these people. Maybe you should examine your actions.
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I've heard more languages spoken here in one week than I had during an entire lifetime in NEPA. Today, during my first-ever trip to the Smithsonian Zoo, I met a number of my co-workers who were Asian-American, African-American, and Middle Eastern in descent, along with me to represent the LGBT community. Every other vehicle down here has either a McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden bumper sticker, indicating that people here are truly well-versed in politics (unlike those in NEPA who blindly vote for a straight ticket time after time because they are too lazy to fully research the candidates' backgrounds).
You mean to tell me you have never seen any of those "diverse" groups in NEPA? Or do they not count because they were not part of the "LGBT community". I for one will not apologize for liking NEPA the way it is. It is more of a family-oriented area, rather than attracting and promoting the gay lifestyle. It is what it is and most of the residents are happy with it. If you were to travel the country a bit more, you would find that the majority of smaller cities and towns mirror the attitutes in NEPA. It is the larger cities that attract the more diverse lifestyles. You know this, yet you feel that the entire area should turn into some uber-metropolitan haven for a small minority that wants it that way.
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While at Target tonight buying some household products I had an engaging conversation with a recent immigrant to the country, and she was very excited to be in NoVA.
Big deal. I know two immigrants to this country and the Wayne County area in particular, that are very excited to be here and have no intention of leaving. Can you imagine that some people might actually want to live in a rural area or is that beyond your conprehension?
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I'm sorry to say this, but I don't see any reason now to ever want to return to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after getting a true "feel" for a new area. I never realized how much far BEHIND the rest of the nation that part of NEPA was until I left. People in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre still "fear" commuter rail service, loft apartments, same-sex civil unions, people of color, people who are non-Roman Catholic and dare to challenge Bishop Martino's politicizing from the pulpit, etc.
As someone else mentioned, you have a true "feel" for your new area after just one week? And you know for sure that NEPA is behind the "rest of the nation" how? Have you been to the rest of the nation, or are you in just one small part of the nation that just happens to suit your lifestyle better? I'm glad for you that you found somewhere that you can live the lifestyle that you wanted, but maybe you could show an ounce of respect for those of us in NEPA who are working, raising our families, and living our lives and are happy to live here.
I'm beginning to think that you are somehow provoking these people. Maybe you should examine your actions.
Sure, blame the victim.
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Originally Posted by greentown
I for one will not apologize for liking NEPA the way it is. It is more of a family-oriented area, rather than attracting and promoting the gay lifestyle.
Whoa, so the "gay lifestyle" isn't family oriented? That's a bigoted statement. And you're assuming there is one monolithic "gay lifestyle?" That's a stereotype.
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Originally Posted by greentown
I'm glad for you that you found somewhere that you can live the lifestyle that you wanted, but maybe you could show an ounce of respect for those of us in NEPA who are working, raising our families, and living our lives and are happy to live here.
Well, among my fellow Scranton expat friends and I, the joke is that former classmates who have no intention of ever leaving the area are "Scranton Lifers." It has a nice, delightfully mocking ring to it, doesn't it? The point is that among all the cities in all the states in all the countries of the world, it's safe to say that Scranton shouldn't be on anyone's top 10 places to live.
Whoa, so the "gay lifestyle" isn't family oriented? That's a bigoted statement. And you're assuming there is one monolithic "gay lifestyle?" That's a stereotype.
Well, among my fellow Scranton expat friends and I, the joke is that former classmates who have no intention of ever leaving the area are "Scranton Lifers." It has a nice, delightfully mocking ring to it, doesn't it? The point is that among all the cities in all the states in all the countries of the world, it's safe to say that Scranton shouldn't be on anyone's top 10 places to live.
Sorry if you misunderstood. This area in general does not have a large gay population. Scranbarre has often mentioned that he felt like he was being stared at and called names. As a white female, if I were to walk into a black or hispanic dominated neighborhood, I suppose I might get a few stares or comments. Would that make me a "victim"? I don't think so.
I am completely aware that there are families with gay parents and have no problem whatsoever with it. In fact, they probably fit into this area quite well. What Scranbarre appears to want for this area is complete acceptance of all facets of LBGT life, with not so much as a sideways glance from anyone, lest they be called a homophobe. I don't see it happening anytime soon, so it's probably best that he moved. I'm sorry if you consider me to be a "bigot" for pointing out the obvious.
I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not, but I don't live anywhere near Scranton, so you can make all the jokes about it and it's residents you want and it really doesn't affect me at all. But you must feel really superior to all those Scranton residents that you and your friends mock with your little inside joke.
What I find funny is that Scranbarre moves away, yet still finds time to post threads that deliberately provoke these types of responses about NEPA and how it's residents are hopelessly backward, behind the times, uneducated, Catholic, homophobic and racist, yet in one of the NOVA threads he talks about how friendly everyone in NEPA was, and that they always smiled and waved at him. IMO, he's a bit of a hypocrit.
for many CDF posters that dont like cops, there is never any other factor than race, ever.
on the lighter side
driver to cop
you didnt pull me over bek i ran over that old lady
the real reason you pulled me over is bek of my race isnt it.
Sorry if you misunderstood. This area in general does not have a large gay population. Scranbarre has often mentioned that he felt like he was being stared at and called names. As a white female, if I were to walk into a black or hispanic dominated neighborhood, I suppose I might get a few stares or comments. Would that make me a "victim"? I don't think so.
I am completely aware that there are families with gay parents and have no problem whatsoever with it. In fact, they probably fit into this area quite well. What Scranbarre appears to want for this area is complete acceptance of all facets of LBGT life, with not so much as a sideways glance from anyone, lest they be called a homophobe. I don't see it happening anytime soon, so it's probably best that he moved. I'm sorry if you consider me to be a "bigot" for pointing out the obvious.
I'm not sure if you are aware of this or not, but I don't live anywhere near Scranton, so you can make all the jokes about it and it's residents you want and it really doesn't affect me at all. But you must feel really superior to all those Scranton residents that you and your friends mock with your little inside joke.
What I find funny is that Scranbarre moves away, yet still finds time to post threads that deliberately provoke these types of responses about NEPA and how it's residents are hopelessly backward, behind the times, uneducated, Catholic, homophobic and racist, yet in one of the NOVA threads he talks about how friendly everyone in NEPA was, and that they always smiled and waved at him. IMO, he's a bit of a hypocrit.
Wow, greentown! Don't hold back now or anything! I've known for a while now that you didn't particularly care for me ever since you blew up at me last year for bringing up Scranton politics too much, but I never knew you harbored such deep angst. Doesn't if feel therapeutic now that you've let it all drain out of your system like a natural catharsis?
Look, I'll maintain that nobody down here who has learned of my alternative sexual orientation has given it a second thought whereas I DID have people scream anti-gay slurs at me out of car windows on occasion on my runs in NEPA (how these people knew I was gay since I was a complete stranger is beyond my realm of comprehension), was threatened and harassed by a few anti-gay thugs in both high school and my Freshman year of college (until King's observed what was happening and put the brakes on it), and had to endure times where my ex-partner and I were treated less-than-ideally when we were out on dates and indicated we wanted to be on one check. I'm still harboring a grudge against an ex-Lowe's manager of mine who, in order to secure a sale, proceeded to slam "fairies" right in front of me, in addition to other occasions where I overheard him making anti-gay slurs in casual conversation with other co-workers while I was nearby. I had grounds back then for a law suit against Lowe's for employing someone who exhibited such intolerant behaviors to create a hostile work environment, but I didn't want the publicity that would have accompanied that law suit to make me even more unpopular amongst NEPA's right-wingers than I already am. I'm also still angry at how teenaged males in NEPA would call each other "f*g" to put one another down as I was standing right next to them. Would they call someone a "n**ger" next to an African-American person to in an attempt to "jest" their buds? While I can't speak for the high schoolers down here in NoVA, I DID spend some time meandering around campus at GMU in Fairfax, VA as I scope it out for graduate school and didn't hear ANY slurs used in casual conversations as I eavesdropped. It was refreshing---the young heterosexual males in NEPA seemed to have an odd fascination with gay people with how they would constantly say "that's so gay" or call one another that dreaded three-letter word. If their parents didn't correct them when overhearing such language, then that doesn't say much about parenting skills either.
It's easy for you as a right-wing white family woman to sit back and claim you know what it's like for a minority, but often times you are mistaken (and are here once again as well). Down here I saw a same-sex couple holding hands in public the other day and was so encouraged I nearly gave them a thumbs-up for their bravado. I had lunch out on the town the other day with a gay friend I've made, and as we were leaving he hugged me unexpectedly on the sidewalk (as he said he does with all of his friends). I can only imagine what sorts of jeers, sneers, stares, etc. such behaviors would have elicited back in NEPA, the place where heterosexuals can freely practically make out in public without a care in the world while if gay couples so much as hold hands while walking down the street they're the target of staring, pointing, etc. (Once again I should know this NEPA double-standard from experience as I HAVE seen MANY younger straight couples canoodling in public while some of the very same people who would have shielded their children's eyes from my partner and I holding hands near them said nothing).
You're calling me a hypocrite while you have the audacity to imply that being gay is "anti-family" (i.e. your comment earlier about NEPA being a good family area the way it is without having to worry about the presence of the "gay lifestyle," as you put it) while then saying you have nothing wrong with gay people raising children? Which is it? Is it okay for two women to get married in PA, adopt a child, and then push it down the sidewalk in a stroller as they walk hand-in-hand, or is that an "attack on the family?"
No, people down here in NoVA are NOT as "friendly" as they are in NEPA. I'll give you that one. There's a definite aura here of "dog-eat-dog" and "rush and get out of my way" that I wasn't quite fully expecting to hit me like a ton of bricks, as evidenced by the fact that so few on my runs will return a "Good morning" greeting as I pass them (and people on the NoVA sub-forum actually have the nerve to suggest they are "too busy" to say hello). People here are concerned very much with making as much money as they can so that they can outdo as many other people as they can so they can buy a $2,000,000 McMansion in Great Falls, VA and be "top of the heap." I find that to be disgusting, and as expected pointing out the rampant materialism down here hasn't garnered me many Internet friendships on that particular sub-forum, where people generally aren't comfortable with the pot being stirred for ANY reason, let alone one that makes them reflect upon themselves. Too bad. I'm not going to hide my true feelings about the area because anyone considering relocating here should know ALL facets of life---from the celebration of diversity as a good thing on down to the worship of the Almighty Dollar as a bad thing. If people don't like hearing both great and not-so-great things about their region, then tough cookies!
I'm still harboring a grudge against an ex-Lowe's manager of mine who, in order to secure a sale, proceeded to slam "fairies" right in front of me, in addition to other occasions where I overheard him making anti-gay slurs in casual conversation with other co-workers while I was nearby. I had grounds back then for a law suit against Lowe's for employing someone who exhibited such intolerant behaviors to create a hostile work environment, but I didn't want the publicity that would have accompanied that law suit to make me even more unpopular amongst NEPA's right-wingers than I already am.
Nope!
No lawsuit. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (amended in '91; and its PA equivalent, the PA Human Relations Act) quite simply does not protect sexual-orientation discrimination or harassment in employment. It's something we're all working on changing with the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in Congress (And the PHRC is also advocating to include sexual orientation under the PHRA). But right now you're simply out of luck.
Well, to be fair, I have been called a ***, *****, gay, etc, and I'm not gay. Also, this has happened everywhere I have lived (4 states, 2 countries). I think you will see in time that everyone is not as accepting as you think, even in NoVA.
As for NEPA, I agree that it has some backwards, ridiculous excuses for people, but there are still a bunch of nice people who just don't give a **** what you do or who you do it with.
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I've known for a while now that you didn't particularly care for me ever since you blew up at me last year for bringing up Scranton politics too much, but I never knew you harbored such deep angst. Doesn't if feel therapeutic now that you've let it all drain out of your system like a natural catharsis?
