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Life after 44 years in prison
LawdeedawYou must have missed the part where he recapped what he loved/missed, and how he gave those things up for whatever reason he did (Such as peer pressure, societal judgment, poverty, anger, etc.) The fact that he didn't make excuses truly gives me respect for who the man is, but an indomitable will means not faltering and he did in the past. It was a mistake, and who hasn't made a mistake--even a grievous one? By comparing this great man to what he once was is an injustice to what he has become, and I wouldn't slap him in the face as that comparison ironically has.
Now, he could have had a great will, good will, worthwhile will, but the word indomitable is vastly different from those puny words. He could have tried his best and failed. But again, that is different than staying strong against the others rather than forfeiting the things you most love for the lifestyle that is incompatible and with those precious things.
What gave you the impression that he didn't feel/think that way when he went in? I didn't hear him talk about how he felt/thought before being convicted, only how he feels/thinks now that he's out.
Did I miss something?
Life after 44 years in prison
LawdeedawYes, true that many people don't consider ex-convicts' plight, and this is sad, but if we so choose to think deeper than just the surface issue it's not philosophy from him, rather philosophy from us.
This video is a documentary of what has changed in society that might make people think about his/her needs upon egress from jail/prison (Unlikely since people are often shallow and stupid.) Is it nice to watch, and then apply our own reflections to the content? Absolutely. That's why I upvoted the video (After careful considerations.)
It certainly sounds to me like that's EXACTLY what you mean to do, from your comment.
Many people never consider what being in prison for decades does to a person, or how they see the world when they are released, and instead expect the convict to jump right into society and be a productive citizen from day one. For those people, this video might give insight into how a person might be completely incapable of even understanding the world today, much less being a productive part of it without some kind of help...help he's not asking for BTW, but help that he requires if he's to be productive or even just to understand today's world.
Emotionally manipulating commercial that I liked...
LawdeedawNo, capitalism is cynical and manipulative in general. It also promotes freedom in general, ie., the antithesis to community. Is it no wonder we bemoan the fact that kids are more into their ipads then the dinner table? But we promote that as entitled, and how dare someone tell you how to live. Etc., so forth and so on.
And btw, sleazier ads sell better than wholesome ads. So "they could have done it better" is actually only your opinion but makes very little economic sense. I used to say the same thing about Jerry Springer, then I looked at the dumbass audience that watches it...
So it's capitalism that makes grandpa manipulative and his children too wrapped up in their own daily lives to visit him?
The message this ad is sending is 'It's ok to fabricate drama to get your relatives' attention'. What the admakers want to communicate is that 'Edeka is a part of your home, your family life'. They're not really successful at it, the ad doesn't work as good as it could've. It would've been better if the children made grandpa believe that this year, again, they won't make it home for christmas but then, surpise, they show up anyways. With products bought at Edeka.
The loneliness of old age is a good theme for advertising but you have to get it right or you'll appear cynical and manipulative. Like grandpa.
Life after 44 years in prison
LawdeedawI wish he had realized his spirit was so strong before he got to prison. I am glad though that the years he had to learn in the system, that unlike so many others, he did learn.
Life after 44 years in prison
LawdeedawI don't mean to detract or lessen this, but the only philosophical material here was the last 20 seconds where he basically said "Don't blame and don't hold grudges." Otherwise, the entire video was like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store. It was not really all that stark, and kind of reminds me of an Amish that decides to leave his enclave. Perhaps the quality people see is the dreaming they believe they experience? Perhaps it is the fact that free people waste more on hate and frivolous, benign shit than this guy did locked up. Perhaps the video is really just pointless without our injection of a point.
beat me to it. *quality life philosophy here
Emotionally manipulating commercial that I liked...
LawdeedawThen you don't know what capitalism promotes, do you? Money = not wasting time. Ie., what Edison said when he improved the light bulb...
If you have to fake your own death to get your 'loved ones' to visit, you're doing something wrong.
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawThank you Chaos. When I read the reply the first time I was like...oh this fucker did not say that line spouted off by "Americanists," that one can do anything imaginable, but if they don't it's only their fault. This truly helps with understanding where you were coming from. I am grateful.
Ok, I think this got out of hand. My apologies. I wasn't talking about the abuse.
You said "Hers is that faith alone. Take it away and she would either A-shut down, or B-more likely kill herself."
My reply was specifically about "that faith". I didn't mean that she would get through the abuse with the help of friends and family, I meant she would get through leaving the church. And yes, this has happened. Thousands of people left the catholic church in Ireland after the child abuse scandals, many of them lifelong devout catholics.
I would never suggest that anyone simply "get over" that kind of abuse, but I can see how you might have misinterpreted my post, so I apologise for that.
That said, people do get help for abuse without churches. There are plenty of secular options available (counselling, support groups, etc).
As for the rest, I still maintain that my direct experience of abuse or lack thereof has no bearing on the argument. I could tell you all kinds of things, but you wouldn't even know if they were true, to say nothing of a betrayal of trust on my part.
Or would you expect rape trauma counsellors they have to be raped to help victims?
As for the black man example, again, you know nothing about what discrimination I may or may not have faced (hint: the Irish didn't have too flash a time of it for a long time). I would never be so condescending as to say that I know ANYONES life, but that doesn't mean I can't empathise with them. Even if I've never been shot by a cop, I'm damn sure it's something I wouldn't like.
Jenny
LawdeedawI think you'll like it @eric3579
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawSo then again, what is a "need" for humans? We have already went over the fact that water, food, etc., those are not "needs", as suicides definitely prove. In essence, humans, as thinking creatures, need nothing. The word "need" then becomes a useless word that we need to throw away
And the abuse thing came about one of two ways. Either Choas had very bad timing and wrote a response directly to my post about my mother in law "needing" her church on accident, or he did it on purpose. Either way it was a direct reply, and I simply asked him how he knew what she could or couldn't do. I feel that is like a person telling rape victims to get over it--with help of course...yeah...um...not cool...believing the magic cool aid that we can do anything if we just believe hard enough is logically fake. Like a big man in the sky who sends his flesh to free us of sin.
B) What I was saying is that if he had been through abuse, I would respect his past and stay quiet. But if not, he has no right to tell other people how to live their lives, deal with their problems, or get over stuff.
So, first, lets just notice that your position was A. you had abuse, I won't discuss it with you then or B. you had no abuse, I won't discuss it with you then. Right? ;-)
EDIT: I'm not sure how the topic of abuse came up, or weighs into this argument though.
As to your point here, yes, if I felt any "need" at all for faith, and I don't, I would absolutely need that faith to be based in logic and provable fact if I'm to believe it, and that disqualifies all faiths today.
EDIT: No, it's not a "need", it's a want...or more correctly a condition.
I was my own help with my brother/abuser...so I guess yeah, I always walk with help...I AM HELP! Odd that I'm so often unhelpful then, huh?
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawA-Where did you speak about abuse?! I told a story of abuse (My mother in law being forced to have sex with animals, beaten burned, raped, etc.) And your direct answer (to her reliance on the church DUE TO THAT ABUSE) was "c) get through it with the help of family and friends like literally millions of others have done. " Ie., her abuse CAN be gotten over in your expert opinon. I say fuck that. It cannot be gotten over more so than a physical injury like brain damage, since it started so young and destroyed her thought process in life. In a way she is a socialized feral child (In a way, but I know there are huge differences.) People like me and Newt, thankfully, didn't fully get brain-fucked and so can work on social issues.
(Irrelevant topic; did you know abuse can cause schizophrenia without genetic factors? Amazing... (Carlson 2011).)
B-It is not unreasonable when you get into a public conversation on a topic that you comment directly on.
C-Yes, tell rape victims you know their plight, I am sure they will acknowledge your lack of knowing...I mean I can understand Doctors with years and years of study. Or here is a better analogy. Pat a black man on the shoulder who's child has been shot by a racist cop and say, "I know the feeling bud."
D-If you have to explain why what you said was different than those examples, it wasn't different enough.
What are you talking about? I said NOTHING about abuse.
I was talking about people leaving a church, and yeah, that is something that I have experience of.
Besides, one doesn't have to have personal experience of something to comment on it. In fact, it's often helpful to be able to address an issue without the emotional baggage. There's a reason we don't allow crime victims to set the sentence of criminals, for example.
It is utterly unreasonable to ask people about their private lives in a public discussion. If they choose to volunteer that information, fine, but it's not a prerequisite to participate in a discussion.
Start Getting Used To Saying President Trump
LawdeedawI only take issue with the one statement, which is that all politicians are liars. That is the pussy, cop-out way of not caring. Bernie Sanders = 99% less liar than Hilary. Hilary = more morals than Trump. So forth and so on. Just because they all are something doesn't mean it doesn't matter.
But as far as lying goes, too, there are levels of lying and those must be taken into account. Fiorina lies about everything just to get attention. Hilary lied about being in a combat situation and her emails, among many other lies that elevate her above others. I can't stand lies about being in harm's way...
On the third note, many of Hilary's emails as Secretary of State were later classified. This meant that Clinton had sensitive material, but was to stupid to care. Even the state of Florida has tough standards on emails and shit in sensitive jobs--FUCKING FLORIDA, the State where Stand your Ground is a real law! So Hilary being dumber than Florida does concern me.
Edit added:
And no, for the record I didn't say you said "It doesn't matter." I say that to everyone.
To address your points:
>> Bush: Disaster. Remember, remember the Patriot Act?
GW is not up for re-election and to the best of my knowledge Jeb had nothing to do with writing the Patriot Act. He supports it, but almost all the candidates do. I'm not a huge fan of Jeb, but he actually seems like the smart one in his family. Would still prefer him not to be president.
>> Clinton: Lying, manipulative, currently under Federal investigation by America's FBI department. Really?
@newtboy already addressed the so-called "email-gate" or whatever. As for "lying, manipulative"? You're kidding, right? She's a politician. They're all lying and manipulative. Ultimately, I think Hillary will probably get the democratic nomination and while I'm not a huge fan, she's an order of magnitude better than any of the republicans.
>> Bernie Sanders: Self-purported Socialist. Lovely.
So what? "Socialist" is not a bad word. Many of the highest ranked countries for citizen health and happiness are socialist. America needs to grow the fuck up and get over it's childish clinging to McCarthyism. A bit of socialism would do it the world of good.
>> Ben Carson: I have no particular qualms, by all means intelligent, however, doesn't say anything beyond the bloated party line.
Ben Carson, "intelligent"? Are you fucking kidding me? The guy's borderline insane. How he ever got to be a surgeon baffles me.
This is a guy who thinks that "Joseph built the pyramids to store grain", that doesn't understand fucking magnets, er, gravity and believes evolution was ‘encouraged by’ Satan. He's a fucking moron.
>> That brings us full circle back to Trump... He has a real, tangible plan...
to fuck everything up? Seriously, Trump is an idiot and would be the worst thing to happen to the USA (and by extension the world) in decades. His ignorance is matched only by his ineptitude.
>> As for Obama, and I include him because many seem to think he is great for some reason..
a) I don't think he's great, he's been a huge disappointment and
b) he's irrelevant to this debate
but anyway...
>> His healthcare plan failed(look it up)
I did and it hasn't.
>> America is now over $18 Trillion in debt.
I wonder if the previous president starting two wars has anything to do with that?
>> And he insists on throwing pebbles at ISIS while the EU does all the fighting
Way too big a topic to address here. Post on another video if you want to discuss it further.
>> I am not necessarily saying that Trump is a good person, or would make a good President, but he would me loads better than the other shrimps for candidates...
He's not, he wouldn't and better than an invertebrate with a brain only barely recognisable as such is not a sufficient bar for the presidency.
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawAnd something I just noticed...so you "NEVER" considered turning to an imaginary friend for help...not once? (And I am in the same boat as you are on that one my friend.) But oh that sounds funny...almost sounds like the fact that you cannot do with God under any circumstances, that would imply NEEDING a more logical faith than imaginary God. For you it is a must, no? Or do you not get the Socratic logic behind that "need" of yours?
But as you and Chaos said, you obviously choose this need of logic, so it is not a need at all? You can just walk away with help, as Chaos said, right?
Don't know about @ChaosEngine, but I did suffer that kind of daily abuse for 15 + years from an older brother who beat me daily, locked me outside in the winter rains at night, burned me repeatedly, cut me repeatedly, took advantage of my claustrophobia by wrapping me in blankets and sitting on me until I would pass out, killing numerous pets of mine, etc, and I NEVER considered turning to an imaginary friend for help...not once....and my friends and family were completely useless helping me with him, so I'm awaiting your rant with bells on.
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawYOU were the one speaking as though YOU knew the topic of abuse. So YOUR statements were irrelevant and none of our fucking business, so stay the fuck out of that topic please since you don't obviously want to debate it on fair grounds. Because that is the case, don't pretend that you can speak for people of abuse. You're like Doctor Google, no degree, yet beg like a dog to be believed.
My past is a) irrelevant and b) none of your fucking business.
So attack the argument on its merits or not at all.
Lewis Black reads a new ex-Mormon's rant
LawdeedawAw, you wait with bells on. You are quiet cute little Newt, but you forget that I said I would not rant if abuse did occur...now you did have abuse, so I can't rave...so guess by your own statements go ahead and keep waiting bud, because I was A-Pretty God damn clear, and B-you made yourself obsolete. Ha, irony.
Don't know about @ChaosEngine, but I did suffer that kind of daily abuse for 15 + years from an older brother who beat me daily, locked me outside in the winter rains at night, burned me repeatedly, cut me repeatedly, took advantage of my claustrophobia by wrapping me in blankets and sitting on me until I would pass out, killing numerous pets of mine, etc, and I NEVER considered turning to an imaginary friend for help...not once....and my friends and family were completely useless helping me with him, so I'm awaiting your rant with bells on.
adam ruins everything-gerrymandering and rigged elections
LawdeedawSadly, Florida made this illegal. FLORIDA! THE BATSHIT crazy state!