Eight Things You Just Can't Say In The U.S.

Of course I don't support the troops...why would I support people going off and killing people they have never even met?

And I suppose people would be happier if the troops met the enemy first and had a few rousing rounds of gin rummy before killing each other?

-Dave

ps. 31st ammendment - Devil's advocate.

And I suppose people would be happier if the troops met the enemy first and had a few rousing rounds of gin rummy before killing each other?

Reminds me of DeNiro and Pacino in Heat before the action got going.

Hello, Celestina. I peeked in on your battle last night. How is your head feeling this morning?

"What is unthinkable, think it. What is unutterable, utter it. What cannot be spelt without a dash, fill in the dashes with doubts. What is obscene, dream it, in all its tones and seamy detail at indelicate length. What is too horrible to contemplate, describe it, with cool and indifferent interest as though peeling a peach. You will not be the first, for the unthinkable has already been thought."

          — William H Gass

Surya, I like the way you think.

I prefer the enlightened monarchy, but only if I get to be king ;-)

Democracy is a lousy, stupid form of government. An enlightened dictatorship would be much better.

I totally wrote that article! People said I have bad ideas.

These are certainly some of the best...i loved them all. and they are all so true.

Hey Suya, such good sense. Didn't get round to reading the rest of the article but loved your suggestions for a better world. Keep telling it as it is.

What? you mean she was joking?

Monogamy is sinful.

Amen, brother! *looks over shoulder anxiously for wife*

Thieves are better people than robbers.

Both regard taking as an end in itself...don't care for either.

The poor deserve to be.

Only rich people say this, but they say it a lot...helps 'em sleep.

The rich are greedy.

Many are...that's how they got and stay rich! Yeesh!

Contentment is ignorance.

...and vice versa, eventually.

Ignorance leads to happiness.

See previous comment.

Cannibalism is the ultimate source of protein.

...and recycling!

Without bad there would be no good.

There would still be good, but no one would know that it was good.

Problems create work.

Problems are also opportunity. Often, what is percieved as trouble is really the state of flux when a situation changes, even when it is changing for the better.

Walt, you missed my main point, Cannibalism isn't recycling, recycling is eating S###.

recycling is eating S###.

Ouch! I think we have a winner!

Cannibalism is the ultimate source of protein.

Not just regular cannibalism, sheesh. The ultimate source of protein is fetuses, full of stem cell goodness.

Brian,
Oh, Right On Man, that was excellent! Cracked me up...

I dunno. I think if a teacher or any of the current Presidential candidates or my 17 year-old cousin said that someone would probably make a big deal over it.

Some unfortunate souls don't seem to like sex.

You can only say you like sex if you're in a married, opposite-sex, monogamous relationship.

Everything else is sin.

There is of course one instance when you are absolutely mandated to like sex. It's when she says "So ... was it good for you too?"

I would be inclined to say: "Was what good for me? Did I have something?" :o)

I sure hope I don't get quoted out of context.

Hahaha. I'm adding these to my "unfairly use against Scapegoat in case of future argument" list.

You keep an Access database, too?

Hahaha. I'm adding these to my "unfairly use against Scapegoat in case of future argument" list.

Drats! Foiled again!

Spacegoat

Your stuff reminds me of Reggie White

Each race has certain gifts, he said.

"When you put all of that together, guess what it makes: It forms a complete image of God," White said

Your stuff reminds me of Reggie White

I find Reggie's stuff kind of offensive, and I'm the white guy. I hate to think what the Hispanics think about it. Good at putting 30 people in a home?

I find Reggie's stuff kind of offensive,

As I recall lots of folks were offended.

People said "You just can't say that kind of thing."

unfairly use against Scapegoat

That's the most amusing misspelling I've seen in ages. It's fair to use anything against the scapegoat :)

That's the most amusing misspelling I've seen in ages.

meh, happens all the time. I'm even fooled when someone uses the word scapegoat properly. Makes me feel important.

From now on, whenever you see the word scapegoat, you will think of me. Pop over to my column and take a look at my avatar for an extra mnemonic device. See "scapegoat", think spacegoat! I'm hoping to make it the next big meme.

"Hispanics were gifted in family structure, and you can see a Hispanic person, and they can put 20, 30 people in one home."

Well, don't exaggerate.

I just had the family reunion and housed 16, chocolate w/churros for breakfasts, lunches and dinner.

It was fun, nevertheless all the work.

4. Whenever I hear a woman say something along the lines of, "Where have all the good men gone?" I immediately rely, "They've gone wherever all the good women are. It's interesting that you don't know where that is."

Quoted for truth.

It seems any time I hear a woman say that, she is a drama/gossipying/uncaring-queen. As in: totally undesirable, or a "bad woman."

4. Whenever I hear a woman say something along the lines of, "Where have all the good men gone?" I immediately rely, "They've gone wherever all the good women are. It's interesting that you don't know where that is."

I LOVE that Wheel. I have always felt that we get what we expect in life and if we can't find any good men, it's because we don't expect to find any!

This posting is really giving some interesting comments. Thanks Celestina.

henry 7

You forgot fluoride in our water.

(See teeth above.)

I would also add another.

Pedophilia is a mental state, just as depression is a mental state.

It's odd how one makes a person a sick, terrible person - while the other is considered an epidemic.

What would that make a tidal wave of depressed pedophiles? A pedemic?

Pedophilia is a mental state, just as depression is a mental state.

It's odd how one makes a person a sick, terrible person - while the other is considered an epidemic.

When someone's desired activity is not socially acceptable he has a mental disease -- it's really that simple. When his disease causes him to do socially unacceptable things to others, he's a sick, terrible person. The logic really applies to everything and people who practice any activity fall somewhere on the continuum from "normal" to "sick, terrible person". In ancient Rome, pedophilia was socially accepted, so they weren't sick, terrible people by the standards at the time. Now we look back and say and think it's unbelievable. Cannibals, rapists, etc... all have needs -- and were acceptable at one point in history or another. Those needs are just not good for the rest of us right now, so we label them as terrible people who need to be locked away from society.

When someone's desired activity is not socially acceptable he has a mental disease

I didn't realize diseases were swayed by social acceptance. Tell me, if you catch the flu - is it because you are not socially acceptable?

In ancient Rome, pedophilia was socially accepted, so they weren't sick, terrible people by the standards at the time.

Cultural Relativism for the win?

Henry, what Ben is trying to say is that deviant behaviour is always defined by the cultural mores and attitudes of the time. That is why we emphasise certain things during certain ages because it all depends on the consensus of what is deemed socially 'acceptable' then.

For example, 50 years ago, many kids suffered being sexually abused by their parents because that was deliberately ignored, regarded as what many people did and kept under wraps. Kids were not seen to have 'rights' then. The same with domestic abuse. Women were regarded as the 'property' of their spouses who were entitled to beat them if they wish. It is barely 20 years ago that a policeman in the UK would not intervene in any domestic incident! But how times have changed in that regard now.

So, one age's 'normal' activity is another's pariah.

Yes, but pedophilia is a state of mind - not an act.

It's both, Henry, because if someone is a paedophile and does not put it into action, then are they a paedophile? We can't judge by intention, or one's mental state, only by actions.

Welcome to New World America, where thought crime, is indeed a crime...

...if someone is a paedophile and does not put it into action, then are they a paedophile?

Yes. In the same way, if someone is gay and they never have sex with another man - that person is still gay. Actions have nothing to do with mental conditions.

There's a very wide range of normal when it comes to the human psyche. Every person's reaction to a stimulus will be slightly or greatly different than another's. Where "normal" and "deviant" fall on that continuum is almost strictly a social construct - and likewise where the level of deviance indicates disease. Many many cultures still go with the idea that once a girl is reproductively ready, she's fair game -- laws on the books in many US states set the age of consent at 16 or even younger. Are the men who take 13 year old brides pedophiles?

No, they would be ephebophiles. That said, you're also an ephebophile if you are attracted to anyone between thirteen and nineteen. To be a pedophile, one must be attracted to children that have not yet reached puberty.

Word of the day - cool!

Everybody loves Raymond, though.

Actually, I've thought, for a long time, that America runs from the North Pole to Tierra del Fuego, and everyone who lives there is an American. I don't care for all of those borders, but quite a few of the national anthems are nice.

Everybody loves Raymond, though.

I have long been convinced that the title of that show is some kind of Jedi mind trick. a) Everybody loves Raymond
b) Hey, I'm part of everybody
c) I love Raymond :)

I can't think of any other reason it was so popular.

Nobody likes to be nobody.

spif

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But please, not on my threads.

Half of America is below Equator.

Actually, I've thought, for a long time, that America runs from the North Pole to Tierra del Fuego, and everyone who lives there is an American.

To most U.S. citizens, EVERYONE south of San Diego is a "Mexican."

To most U.S. citizens, EVERYONE south of San Diego is a "Mexican."

And they friggin' won't stop trying to illegally immigrate.

I think it's a great shame we haven't (as a broader pluralistic culture) been willing to learn more from them. About compassion and community, for example.

... and about honouring the earth and nature.

It's considered perfectly polite in the bush (countryside) - at least amongst the less conservative people - to stop whereever you are and simply turn aside and pee. No one bothers to go behind a bush, male or female, unless there are "elderly relatives" or similar nearby.

The rest of the world is so civilised, and we are so pretentious, unnh!

One of these days a sailboat is going to show up along your coast, and we will meet. This world is only as large as the wind and waves that tickle its surface.

You will always find a welcome here Bob! It's a wonderful part of the world and I encourage you to visit. On the other hand if that proves impossible I hope to get to your end of the globe one day :)

You're welcome any time.

# Parents should have the option of killing disabled infants at birth

Victims again.

I think this depends on what one perceives to be the crime and who is perceived to be the victim.

# Some people are just born smarter than others, and they will always be smarter than others.

Why would this be controversial? Some people are just born taller than other, some people are just born better with their hands, some people are just born able to sing or dance, etc. It's just one human trait among many, and rather overrated

Why would this be controversial? I hope you're kidding. The idea that everyone is created equal is a cornerstone of our political ideology in the U.S., no matter how flawed. NCLB is based on the idea that all children should do equally well in school despite differences in academic ability.

The controversy arises when people think that being given equal opportunity or equal rights is the same as actually being equal. As you stated, Brian, people are not equal; however, this doesn't seem to fit the belief system set forth with, "all men are created equal..." (I find it strange that so many forget the definition of this famous quote in the next clause: equal means endowed with the same rights).

-Rob

Anyone commenting here ever been close to a terrorist attack?

Trust me, It's @!$%#ing terrifying.

I was in Northern Ireland years ago, going to the orthodontist,
just walking past a car dealership and a bomb went off about 2 streets over.
Blew out a lot of windows and when I picked myself up I had a few glass cuts
on my hands and had a little less hearing that I'd had 10 minutes previously.

Terrorism is a war waged against the mind. Not the body.
However, it's always the average Joe Soap (Eddie Punchclock for the Americans)
that gets screwed. Is it right to target (debatable) innocent civilians to wage war on a concept?

War on drugs, war on terror... war on communism, war on fascism, war for freedom.
Justify it whatever way you want. It's an enormous game of masturbatory chess.

It was Orwell that said (I'm heavily paraphrasing) It doesn't matter if we're at war with Eurasia or Eastasia. Governments need to destroy resources to display power.

My father once made a good point. It was in relation to some arbitrary large number.
He said something along the lines of "That's like people that count water"
(200,000 thousand litres, 1 million litres, does it matter?)
Nobody can fathom 60,000 troops, or 12 miles of front line taken, or 3 million bullets.
It moves from the realm of the real to the realm of conceptual.
And at that point, innocent lives begin to be lost.

More recently in America the phrase "I don't vote" is probably high on most people's lists of things you can say.

So here it is. I don't vote. I refuse to participate in a corrupt system. There it is.

Is there a current social taboo in America about drinking? I've heard there is.

-Dave

# Not all child molesters are bad people.

Can't get behind anything with victims.

Ooo, I'll bite.

'Child molester' has way too nebulous a definition. If a 17-year-old boy can go to prison for getting a blow job from a 15-year-old girl, or a 25-year-old woman can be arrested for having sex with a 17-year-old boy, then at some point a reasonable person really has to step back and say, 'Okay, yeah, just because someone's labeled a 'child molester' doesn't make him automatically a bad person, or a victimizer.'

We do not live in a sane, rational society. We know this. We live in a society that's so overly-litigious and so wrapped up in the 'OMG protect the children!!' panic that sometimes crazy @!$%# happens. I mean, when you were fifteen or sixteen, if a really hot adult of your preferred gender had totally wanted to have sex with you, and you were into him/her, would you have felt like a victim? Or a total stud-monster?

So yeah -- can't just assume a victim just because somebody's labeled a child molester.

I'll throw out a few (not necessarily my opinions, of course):

You can't just legalize pot. Either decriminalize drugs, including crack and heroin, or don't bother.

Government ought to listen more to the wealthy, to corporations, and to industry. They pay the majority in taxes, and that's what funds the country.

It doesn't make much sense to believe in evolution and be a vegetarian. Make the little bastards evolve.

I enjoy watching people have sex.

People shouldn't be allowed to adopt children of a different race or culture, because children should always grow up with parents who can teach them about their culture's history and roots.

It's okay to drive drunk sometimes.

People who live in cities are smarter and better-educated than people from small towns.

'Child molester' has way too nebulous a definition. If a 17-year-old boy can go to prison for getting a blow job from a 15-year-old girl, or a 25-year-old woman can be arrested for having sex with a 17-year-old boy, then at some point a reasonable person really has to step back and say, 'Okay, yeah, just because someone's labeled a 'child molester' doesn't make him automatically a bad person, or a victimizer.'

I don't think the term "child molester" is used in those cases. For underage sex with teenagers, it's usually just statutory rape or if a teacher is involved then add in sexual harassment for the person in a position of power taking advantage of someone under their power.

Child molestation usually deals with pre-teens and younger.

Genarlow Wilson was charged and convicted with aggravated child molestation.

I wasn't speaking in legal terms as much as just we as a society think. How many people think a 17yo doing a 15yo is child molestation? Even including the real prudes? They may think it wrong, but do they really think of it as child molestation?

If that is true, then this societies sex views are even crazier than I thought.

I certainly understand the parents of the girl parents if they think of it as child molestation.

Give me a break... 17 and 15 years old. Boyfriend and girlfriend at the time. If her parents believe he is a sexual predator (based on the act he was prosecuted for) they are delusional at best.

This poor man needs to be released immediately.

But my point was that 'child molestor' has a nebulous definition. How do we, as a society, define it? I mean, generally, we define it by the law: if someone has been convicted as a child molestor, then he's a child molestor, with all the social stigmas that entails. So Genarlow Wilson, who had perfectly consensual oral sex with a friend less than two years younger than him, is a child molester. The law says he is.

And here's the crux of my point: if you and your family move into a new neighborhood, and you go to one of those awful websites that list the names and addresses of anyone ever convicted of a sex crime to see if any of them live near you, do you bother to see their side of the story? Do you bother to see if one was having perfectly consensual sex with someone in his own age group, but just on the wrong side of the Age Of Consent line? Or do you see 'child molester' and accept it?

Because most people will just accept it, without caring that -- as Celestina's taboo thought said -- not all child molesters are bad people.

Child molesters are bad people.

The fact that not all people convicted of 'child molestation' are actually child molesters is a separate issue. If there is no victim, there is no child molestation. The presence or absence of a victim is what you use to tell the harmless cases of 17 yo boyfriends and 15 yo girlfriends apart from the cases of actual child molestation. We all know the legal system is capable of complete tomfoolery but that doesn't somehow mean that child molestation's not a problem.

@David Mc Girr

Is it right to target (debatable) innocent civilians to wage war on a concept?

I wouldn't say it's righ,t but I'll say one thing. Ever since 9/11 everyone seems to have a lot more interest in whatt he terrorists have to say and the various ongoing conflicts in the middle east.

I think they've achieved goal number one.

If only we'd bothered to take an interest before it came to this.

Just as a quick side note, where was the war on terror when the IRA and UVF were bombing and shooting the crap out of each other in Northern Ireland from the 60's to 1994?

Pretty big no no I'd say would be;

America makes bad decisions. Especially the government.
But to be honest, not all Americans are going to Harvard.
(@!$%# Yale!)

Discern the sarcasm from the sincerity there.

-Dave

Well, at that point the war on terror was on someone else's doorstep, not ours. But then, we started caring a lot about N.I. when Clinton got so involved over there...and, to his credit, made a lot of positive progress.

Now we don't really pay as much attention anymore, and now those poor bastards have to deal with Ian Paisley running the show. Yeeeeeesh. Makes me glad to only have Bush/Cheney.

I don't believe Paisley is running anything.
And you should probably count me in as one of those poor bastards.

I love Northern Ireland.
I keep getting @!$%#ed over in the republic.

-Dave

How universal?

Many other nations raise and eat dogs for food. I'd eat pretty much anything if it meant the difference between living and dying. I might draw the line at family members...hmmm ;)

In the US I meant. The occasional story about Asian immigrants killing dogs for food is always met with outrage here.

People seem to feel the same way about eating tortoises (not turtles).

I think we shouldn't eat manatees. Not sure about the organic ones.

I once saw an article somewhere on the 'net about how plants scream when you cut them...and how it is cruel to eat vegetables. At first I thought it was satire, but apparently the author was serious.

Just to be clear:

People are not entitled to their opinion.

The clause: "I'm entitled to my opinion," is typically used by people who can't make a cogent argument for their beliefs. Or, it is used in reference to another's opinion in an effort to avoid offense when people actually want to say, "Wow, that's ridiculous. What's the evidence."

I think it's pretty funny that this exact phrase is used above.

-Rob

My friend's brother had a teacher just tell him "Your opinion is wrong". Then again he did pick the most outlandish things to debate about and take a stand on...

Opinions are essentially ideas, and they can be wrong.

I prefer the notion: "Everything you know is wrong." Saves time later.

My favorite silly shirt there is "I stole this shirt from a homeless person (why he was wearing a shirt that said this I have no idea)".

MartinEZ ... this is actually (in my humble opinion) a very important philosophical point. In fact just before I came back to check this discussion I was wishing I'd put something like this in my list. Mine would be something like:

You were born. You are living a life that may end up being completely meaningless. Then you will die. You will not go to heaven. You will not be reborn. This is it.

Now I'm not saying these statements are necessarily true (except perhaps that you were born) ... what I believe is that if one seriously contemplates these unthinkable ideas, it has a potentially liberating effect on you and your life.

Exactly Surya. Contemplating that idea has made the happiest person I know.

Ugg, proof reading while pressing Post Comment is not recommended...

Exactly Surya. Contemplating that idea has made the happiest person I know.

Should read:

Exactly Surya. Contemplating that idea has made me the happiest person I know.

I am comfortable anywhere.

I am comfortable anywhere.

I take it you're not in Iraq.

Almost... Then my mother cried me out of enlisting. After all, the only value I truly feel I have is in those that love me, not in myself.

So, since you brought her up, your mother does not share your same compassion for the plight of others? Or she values her own plight more should she lose you?

The latter I believe. My mom was a "fixer-upper" to put it crudely. She had, while peaceful, a "tough" life before me. The youngest girl in a family of seven children. Drug problems, etcetera. She met my father, had me, and doesn't look back much.

Something I didn't add...

I am sure she had an even harder time after I was boring.

Lol...

Born.

The Academy Awards actually does represent the best assessment of movies as art

Nooooooooooo!!!!!

7) Everybody's biased, and liberals are no better - they just condemn other things

Hmm... should read "bigoted", not biased...

Oh, and another one:

Female circumcision is a local custom, and it is wrong to interfere with that.

3) Ancient Greece proves that all humans are gay

Damn it we invited Lesbians. They come from Lesbos. I am not joking about the south Park episode. there really is a Lesbos.

Yes...Lesbos is where the word lesbian comes from. It's a reference to Sappho, the Greek poet from Lesbos who wrote lyric poetry on the love of women.

Drugs and prostitution should be legalized.

This is actually one of the major positions of my political party, so I don't know that we can say it's a taboo. Close to half of america favors at least limited drug legalization (pot).

Yeah, you got me on that one.

How about all prisoners of victimless crimes should be released immediately.

Redruby,

Some of your examples are not taboo, just common sense.

Yeah, as Walt said. I mean, several of the Democrats are currently running on this:

Healthcare and education should be free

I'll have to try harder next time. lol

I actually agree with this, Redruby, you just articulated it better than I could:

All thirteen year old girls should have contraception implanted. Boys should be included in this as soon as a male contraceptive is available that can be implanted. Everyone should be required to have a license to give birth that was dependent upon passing classes on parenting and child development. License allows you to remove contraception. Anyone over 50 or incurably ill should be able to kill themselves.

Anyone over 50 or incurably ill should be able to kill themselves.

I would also say they should not be allowed to have children. Families with obvious genetic deficiencies should not be allowed to breed...

obvious genetic deficiencies

like what for instance?

I would also say they should not be allowed to have children. Families with obvious genetic deficiencies should not be allowed to breed...

Wow. Good one. I actually typed up a whole negative-eugenics rant in response to that before I remembered what seed I was on. You got me!

Wow. Good one. I actually typed up a whole negative-eugenics rant in response to that before I remembered what seed I was on. You got me!

Lol...

Seriously though, I don't which one specifically. Obviously it's a ridiculous proposition.

Myk ... these are great! I could write an entire article on each one ... if ever I had time to write an article. Thanks for the brain food.