"I'm not sure what you're saying, Ian."
Sure you are. I was saying you were drawing attention to their sexual orientation when you don't do that for straight people. It's as if their dating has something to do with their lack of taste. The identification of Obama as the "african american" candidate when McCain is not the white candidate, the identification of the gay noose display when the racist one was not a straight display is a double standard, just like how you were saying its unfair to white women that noose displays with them in it aren't as upsetting as ones with black people in it.
"The parties in question here made it a point to communicate they were gay."
They did this... by appearing together? Did Palin make it a point to communicate she was straight by not hiding her husband? Is McCain or Obama making a statement about their orientation by appearing with their wives? Or are they just being themselves? And is this a second case of the double standard from the guy charging hypocrisy?
I watched both the videos and they don't say a thing about their sexual orientation. Seems like a lot of the neighborhood was also probably gay and offended by it, however. New thread on the tide of gay disapproval of tacky political displays that cheapen the history of lynching victims, anyone?
Say, do you remember the McCain supporter who brought a stuffed monkey labeled Obama to the rally? Where's the outrage?
"Umm... No empathy for a female here, Ian? Maybe you should have spent some time with my wife who regularly counseled rape victims in C'ville. She used to run around with a beeper so she could head to the ER when yet another woman was assaulted."
I'm.... not sure what you're talking about, Bill. I'm talking about lynching. Lynching is something that is overwhelmingly understood to be white on black violence and a symbol of organized oppression. Sexual assault is a completely different thing. THERE, if there were some kind of a comment about a woman getting date raped, it would be the male on female violence that would invoke a well known history of intimidation, closed ranks at the frat, and so on--and the female on male date rape joke would probably be less attention grabbing because historically, that's just not something men fear. Interesting how you tried to take my comments on the violence resistance of the civil rights movement and make them look as if I was indifferent to the rape of women, especially since I helped staff a sexual assault helpline in Cville, interviewed assault victims in the ER there and in Boston, and made resource cards for residents who didn't know what services they could be referred to, and made realistic rape avoidance a feature of my UVa Uechi class.
"No empathy for ANY charismatic public figure being dogged by crazies? As if the world needs another reason for some unbalanced character to make a name for himself by offing somebody..."
Now come on, Bill... I made it clear I disapproved of the display and made the distinction that the guys who put the noose up by the black students CAN intimidate or attack them, whereas we all know Palin isn't shaking in her boots about the dweebs in WeHo and their supposed intimidation (though those guys are up for prosecution under any rules which govern threats against candidates--I assume that since it's been up for weeks, the secret service isn't impressed). That's a legitimate point and it does not justify your charge of hypocrisy nor a reminder that political figures can be attacked. When they are, it's not by these guys. They're most likely to slam her on a mismatched outfit.
Meanwhile, there were more serious, albeit pretty goofy, plots against Obama (see separate thread).
