Ah, well, keep on drivin' and other stories

[Ruanaidh]

I strikes me that some of the reactions are ingrained in the language. 'La falda escocesa' - feminine pronoun. Therefore, by extrapolation, in their juvenile minds...

I really don't think it's that. Grammatical gender has nothing to do with masculinity or femininity. After all, "la verga"* is feminine.

*verga = stick, rod, pole; I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out what the slang meaning is.

[Martin S]

[QUOTE=Ruanaidh] Grammatical gender has nothing to do with masculinity or femininity. After all, "la verga"* is feminine.

Quite right, and another example of intercultural misunderstanding.
Don't forget that what Northamericans call Hispanics are the inheritors of an ancient cultural trait of Mediteranean countries, where the only thing that counts in life is sexual acitivity, and where the only way of hurting a man's pride is to suggest he might not be a heartless woman-f**ker.
Such monomaniac machism is still very much alive in North Africa and southern Spain & Italy, from where its poison was taken to the colonies in the New World.
In such societies, it is automatic to react loudly against anyone that steps out of line, and to use some gay-type word as an insult on any occasion.
The other traditional insult is throwing doubt on a man's sister's virginity, hence the famous headbutt at the end of a recent football match, involving an Italian and a Northafrican.
Personally, it beats me that any insult can hurt if it bears no relation to reality (for example, if the insulter has never met or even heard of my sister),
but for people who have been brought up to find these things important, logic is not part of their philosophy.

Is it logical for us educated, modern, open-minded men to feel a word like "gay" is an insult?

Martin

[Alan H]

Is it logical for us educated, modern, open-minded men to feel a word like "gay" is an insult?

Martin

No, and I don't find it to be an insult, myself. Mostly I think it reveals the level of sophistication and intelligence of the person delivering it.

In the case of the guy on the street who was going ballistic on me for no apparent reason, my annoyance was more of a reaction to his general nature than to the actual words. I couldn't care less what he thinks of me, and I drove on quite happily, though annoyed, without really giving the incident much thought until later.

In the case of the kids at school, I truly couldnt care less what they think of my sexual orientation, either. However, it's only one or two steps from flinging the word "******" or "gay" around to having six guys beat up another kid at school for being "different". They were being disrespectful for no other reasons than they're immature and they're unable to respect differences. I just rammed down their throats that "different" isn't always something you should make fun of. With these kids, usually, more gentle and adroit forms of education don't work.

[Frank McGrath]

My wife and I teach the new members class at church. So last Sunday I decide to wear the kilt. I often wear it to church, because Its more comfortable than those other things. Well, this sunday must have been stupid question day in the church calendar. "Whats the occasion" my answer, everything wlse was dirty. "are you ging to a festival". No. Are you Irish? McGrath...figure it out. One woman pulled me out of class and wanted to take my picture. And then wanted me to stand there while she ran for batteries. Some Lutherans have the worst time accepting diferent cultures. I was sitting in the pew and one woman walking by just about lost her teeth when she saw the klt and the look on her face....I'm just glad my wife did not see her. All these andcdotes, mine and others, just reinforces the idea that America is a true melting pot. It's just that some have been stuck to the bottom for too long. What a country!

[davedove]

It ain't about what they did, bro, it's about what you did.

Now that sounds trite and silly---but I've believed in sillier things in my time, and still do.

So true.

There is a line from a Garth Brooks song (I don't know if he got it from somewhere else):

"I don't do these things to change the world; I do them so the world does not change me." (I'm paraphrasing here)

[McClef]

Reminds me of the parable of The Good Samaritan

[Martin S]

My comment (is it logical to regard "gay" as an insult?) was quite general and in no way aimed at you, Alan.
I hope you did not take it badly.
In fact, I have very much appreciated your tales of the way you deal with the younger generation -- not an easy task, I know.

Martin

[Pour1Malt]

Alan-

guid stories! ta fur those.

bit o' whisky info fur ya...


whisky frae Scotland is spelled "whisky"... Irish an 'merican arr "whiskey"

ya shuid purchase "whisky" fur a Burns Supper

ai think ya meant "Macallan" 18 yr auld... an "Aberlour" 10 year auld...

baith great choices!


slainte mhath!

[Schultz]

I've actually responded to the "Hey, man, you gay?" question by saying, "Why? Are you looking for a date?"

This particuarly worked well when I was just a few blocks from Mt. Vernon, the neighborhood in Baltimore known for its gay nightlife. I merely pointed down the street towards The Hippo (it's a dance club) and said, "You can probably find one down that way" and walked away.

From the snickering I heard from the guy's friends, I think it worked.

Some people just don't have any manners and trying to teach them manners on the street isn't going to work. Then again, nor are snide comments, but they make me feel better sometimes. ;)

[switchblade5984]

I've actually responded to the "Hey, man, you gay?" question by saying, "Why? Are you looking for a date?"

haha thats great im telling you alan i would have loved a halfway decent sub....