That reminds me of when I was doing observation house for my teaching degree. One kid (mind you, this is a class of third graders) had a t-shirt that said "Can't we all just hit a bong?" and had a nice little illustration said device on the front. Third grade!

Later that day, the principal called me in and said that he was just wading through his last few weeks to hit retirement, and that he could not say enough to warn me away from teaching in this day and age. Incredibly discouraging, but the guy was being brutally honest. He was an old-school disciplinarian, and knowing how I would be in the classroom, too, I took his advice and canned the whole line of study.

I know, off topic... sorry.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

Welcome to Slippery Slope, population us. I'm staying out of that one!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

Not to add fuel to the already out-of-control wildfire this thread has become, but what purpose would that serve? Life is harsh anyway, so the circumstances that have ultimately placed that person in that position is probably just as harsh...deliberate or not. Or perhaps they are quite content where they are.

Life is crappy enough sometimes without having to deal with folks who take pleasure in pushing someone's face into their misfortunes on occasion. All of us have a boss/coworker/customer that seem to serve no useful purpose than to just stir up hell during our pathetic attempt to create some comfortable existence on earth.

I try to meet and greet anyone I exchange eye contact or transactions with a courteous gesture...be it the CEO of some company, or the guy with the pushbroom...many of us are just a couple of paychecks and bad timing away from joining the clerk anyway.

So if the guy was black, would he have been a chicken leg-chompin, watermelon slurpin' mofo? The two statements contradict themselves.

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That was kinda the point.

I feel that if the guy had been black and a couple of "good ol boys" had asked him if he wanted fried chicken and watermellon to go with his gas purchase, or some other racial tauntings WITHOUT the physical contact, you bet many people would be up in arms. Or how about if we had a couple of skinheads doing the Seig Heil thing to Jews, again without physical contact? Think anyone would be upset? I think so. However, in this case, it is a couple of muslims vs Joe American so maybe, he should take the high road. Next time we see a couple of those black creatures getting spat on or dissed, we need to tell them to take the high road too.

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The smart thing for that man to do is take the high road, but somehow I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. The difference between your scenario and busybenz's is that your hypothetical situation involves classes of people with a long, ugly history where one class wrongfully asserted dominance over the other. I'm not sure that should make a difference to me, but I have to admit that it does. Interesting question.

True. However we have always been at loggerheads with muslims since the creation of the state of Isreal so that would also be valid to say that it is in the same ballpark.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Not really...it goes way way back to the creation of islam .......

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
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1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

There was a time when this was settled like men, you fought and the loser was wrong. Thats it. Then hippies came, and all of the sudden you should take the high road.... is that a pun?... anyway, the only thing I see you did wrong was let the prick, and I dont care what color, touch you first! Shoulda just kicked his ass as soon as he started getting smart. 450SL's are kinda quick just dont go back, nothing would have happened to you. How about this one, I was at the gas station at 10:45 and they stupid WHITE girl closed she tells me this through glass that has a sticker on it says hours 8AM-11PM, right in between our faces! I got ready to tell her my carefully thought out and organized opinion on this, then the cops showed up...

I don't know that it's a matter of what's fashionable. It is more a matter of prejudice. Because of the history of race relations in this country, I am prejudiced against the rednecks in the hypothetical. I don't think I have any similar prejudice against either side in busybenz's situation. It is probably that prejudice on my part that makes me want to give the black victim a pass while not giving busybenz the same leeway. IMHO, being prejudiced is a normal human condition. The difference is that some people fail to recognize their own prejudices while others try to overcome them.

This may be the first and only time I say this, but I agree with you entirely.

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

With heightened awareness to world events involving Muslim people, including middle easterners, Binladen & Co., Maybe I did exact prejudice, but regardless of these observations, it did not matter what color of their skin was, white, black, red, dark, I wouldn't have reacted any different than I did at the time of the incident. Only after having posted this thread have I realized that my opening thread monologue was racist, and wrong. And I apologize for that. But with what has been going on, and more recent, London bombings, It was too quick and easy for me to assume, to prejudge, and blame everything that happens on middle eastern people assuming automatically they are followers of Islam, like Binladen who is after all, middle eastern!

Are there others here who have under laying feelings similar to mine, or am I alone with my insecurity of such?

No, there are many who do....that just don't admit it....and it all boils down to the Muslim communities reluctance to critisize other muslims...in a general sense....there are a few who do.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Probably so. Without having been there, it is easy for some of us to say that you should have risen above it. Like I said before, I don't get mad very often, but when I do, the anger tends to take me by surprise. After it's over I think to myself, "Where did THAT come from?" Because, you see, when I think to myself, I don't mind ending my sentences with prepositions.

Used to be that things like logging and mining and commercial fishing were the most dangerous occupations. Workplace violence is steadily advancing with convienience stores at or near the top of the workplace violence list.

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Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
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