DU, Time To Spit Out The Binky of Bigotry

[omega minimo]

............. "Demure, my ass." ...................................."Macho. I don't wanna be MACHO!!"


Come on, give it up. You can do it. You know you can. That's right. You knew this day would come.

We are born naked into this world and naked we depart. Perhaps in the meantime, we learn to be comfortable in our own skin. Or not. We go from wailing or cooing to communicate, to "No" to "Mine" and "It's not FAIR."

During those years of development, we go from being encased in wholeness, birthed into harsh light, cocooned in welcoming arms ... to learning to walk, to noticing differences, experiencing separation, perceiving The Other.

Exploring others at a young age includes all the senses. Then if the flow of new information stops and only certain types of humans are experienced at an impressionable age, the doors opening to what is "normal" may close.

With the development of language and mimicry of older people's behavior, the patterns of a lifetime may set in.

When we're young, still malleable enough to accept new experience with some openness, we view the unfamiliar through all the senses. The pink palms and soles on black children's hands and feet; the black child's curiosity about straight, white hair; different foods and customs of different cultures; the chatter or melody of languages; the immigrants, old and new in the U.S.A.

We absorb, through hearing the attitudes of elders, the rude comments or corrections of them. Depending on where we live, we may be exposed to other cultures at school, in public, in cuisine and cultural arts -- and we are the lucky ones.

The lucky ones are exposed to enough diversity, early on enough, that a monotone culture seems as bizarre as a multi-cultural experience may seem to those raised in segregated environments.

We all have our individual experiences, upbringing, cultural awareness and personal confidence that determines our awareness; our openness to the FACT that human beings are human beings, no matter what. We are one race, one planet and we truly are interconnected.

That message was central to the progressive movements of the past and particularly the environmental movement, as long as 40 or more years ago.

Bigotry in any form (and they are all the same) is learned behavior.

Will DU spit out the Binky of Bigotry and start moving, together, in a direction?


................"Hang up and DRIVE!!!" ........................"Pastels are for SISSIES!!"


.................................... "Damn Unions!!" .................................................."Sorority PRINCESS!"


"Bankster!!"


"Who smelt it, dealt it."


......................"Dibs!!" ........................................................................"Hey, Baby."

Bye Bye Binky. Stop SUCKING.

[NYC_SKP]

1. K and R.

Excellent OP.

And damn cute babies and captions.

LOL Baby Bankster.

:thumbsup:

[omega minimo]

4. Really

He was the most believable one, wasn't he? :evilfgrin:

[Jackeens]

2. Brilliant, thank you for this.

:thumbsup:

[omega minimo]

6. Well thank you.

If you and I can make peace, after the bizarre dustup over a catchphrase (falsely accusing me of being a racist), all peacemaking is possible.

Happy New Year and new attitude. :toast:

[Jackeens]

11. LOL....don't remind me, we'll only fall out again.

I don't think either of us did ourselves proud in that thread. :shrug:

Happy New Year :toast:

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Donnachaidh]

3. umm okay, in my house a binky was a blanket

And NO ONE in my house sucked on a binky! Honestly!

But I do get your point :rofl:

[omega minimo]

8. A bainky?

That in itself is HIlarious, considering how Merkans and other English speakers switch their A's and I's ........... Binky, Banky, Beinkey, let's call the whole fing off.

:hi:

[JohnnyLib2]

5. Terrific!

More, please.

Rec.

[omega minimo]

15. Too kind

Only when I am pushed to the edge ........


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o8TeqKhgY

[Cerridwen]

7. But, if I do that, over whom will I feel superior?

Oh...wait.

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[omega minimo]

74. Dammit

You had it right, eh? Spot on yesterday here and elsewhere, Cerridwen. Nice to see you :toast:

[onehandle]

9. My wife and I are so glad that our friends and family have kids.

Once in the while we can join in the fun and not have the responsibility.

Three cats and one sweet dog are plenty, thank you very much.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Your picture captions are ludicrously bigoted.

I don't know what your point is, but you failed at making it.

And seriously, I don't find bigotry to be much of a problem here at DU.

[Jackeens]

14. I'm guessing they were intentionally so, to make a point.

Taking the piss out of stereotypes, no?

[omega minimo]

18. Thank you

If they were less ludicrous, someone might take them seriesly :eyes:

[Kitty Herder]

12. Fabulous post!

Love the babies!

[omega minimo]

20. TY Kitty Herder

Happy New Year! :toast:

[LakeSamish706]

13. Your OP was awesome and so were the little ones... I could give a crap what

their heritage is, little ones are absolutely beautiful. It's to damn bad that they grow up and learn from others what they should never know.

[Quantess]

16. Nice OP. Cute photos. Just one thing though...

I'm not going to stop using the terms douchebag or douche, if I feel the occasion warrants it. I don't consider those slang usages to be sexist or degrading to women, which is something we may disagree on.

Other than that, I like the general idea of your OP.

[omega minimo]

19. That's cool

Here's the thing:

Yeah it's now watered down and people don't think about it and wanna be flippant and not get schooled, so be it.

It's just a shocker when a thread about bigotry, includes sexist bigotry, so who exactly is invited to the chat -- only the good ole boys in the garage drinkin beer and watchin football?

"I don't consider those slang usages to be sexist or degrading to women, which is something we may disagree on. "

You're right, you're wrong. If it EXCLUDES others, if it sets up a barrier, it's bigotry. It means what it means. Jon Stewart and Colbert can be brilliant, sexist douchebags. If it's degrading, it's degrading. Doesn't matter how many fools repeat it.

Bigotry is bigotry.

People who use "douchebag" are douchebags. :evilgrin:

[Quantess]

27. But I'm a woman, and I don't see how it's degrading to women.

Thanks for letting me know you consider me a douchebag, LOL. That's really sweet. I can't decide for you, and you can't decide for me how sensitive women should be about the usage. So I suppose it was pointless of me to even bring it up, because I know this will go nowhere.

So what if "it's watered down now". It wasn't degrading to women even when it was newly coined, it was just funnier. Now "douche" has lost most of its' pizzazz.

Literal douches and literal douchebags are not anything to embrace as a cherished symbol of femininity. Or is the problem that a few women feel mortified at the reminder that douches even exist? I have heard the explanations of why it's supposedly degrading to women, but I am at a loss to understand the emotions behind why we're supposed to feel insulted.

[omega minimo]

28. Someone provided this:

"It's a term related to an outdated view of women's bodies (particularly their vaginas) as nasty and forbidden. Particularly when the term is used toward a man (which it usually is) it defines the man in terms of feminine language that is perceived as degrading, in the same way sissy or cocksucker would be."

[Quantess]

29. I know. I'm familiar with the rationale that someone provided you.

But I'm just not feeling the outrage, as disappointing as that may be. Does that make me less of a woman?

Calling a man a "sissy" is far less sexist than calling a man a "pussy" or saying "runs/cries, etc like a girl".

Maybe the reason why I don't feel insulted by the slang douche or douchebag, is because I don't associate literal douches or literal douchebags with my identity.

[omega minimo]

32. That's funny.

I thought someone else's words might help bridge the gap at this point.

"I'm familiar with the rationale that someone provided you."

"provided you?" SCuse me?

[Quantess]

33. Whats so funny? I've read it before. I already know the reasoning behind the supposed outrage

about non-literal usages of douchebag. You don't need to be insulting. I am well aware of how I'm supposed to feel about it, mostly according to you.

[pipi_k]

35. What if we use the term "enema bag" instead?

Everyone has an asshole, so it's not sexist.

[omega minimo]

45. Good idea

[rocktivity]

21. Don't suck on it--and don't steal it, either.

http://www.squidoo.com/grand-theft-binky

:headbang:
rocktivity

[Odin2005]

22. AWW, BABIES!

:D

[varelse]

23. wow

K&R

I'm sharing this one with some non-DU friends too :)

[omega minimo]

25. All right. The more the manier.

:toast:

[smalll]

24. "Perhaps in the meantime, we learn to be comfortable in our own skin. Or not. ---

We go from wailing or cooing to communicate, to "No" to "Mine" and "It's not FAIR."

In other words, you contend that if we train children up well enough, we can kill selfishness, and produce Homo Sovieticus -- the New Soviet Man.

Sorry, been tried before. Didn't exactly work out so well. :shrug:

[omega minimo]

26. Nope. Sure didn't

:hi:

[Political Heretic]

30. nice post, hitler :)

:thumbsup:

[omega minimo]

31. Wasn't his mustache a bit

binky like? :shrug:

[Number23]

34. You are one weird, wonderful chick.

Kicked and Rec'd. ;)

[cali]

36. this could have been a good post. too bad it's a failure

and a self-aggrandizing one at that. Most DUers are not, as your op suggests, bigots. It's ironic that you ask DU to pull together while calling DUers bigots.

[BurtWorm]

37. I have to agree with you there.

I wonder when it will be time to spit out the binky of sitting in judgment.

[cali]

38. lol. not going to happen but good point.

[omega minimo]

57. says the

Queen of Sitting in Judgment :spray:

[cali]

60. lol. says the poster who just admonished DUers for being bigots.

:rofl:

[omega minimo]

61. That's false. I encouraged all of us to eliminate ALL and any bigotry that shows up here, pronto.

:puke:

[omega minimo]

43. There were two good/awful examples of DU's tolerance for bigotry yesterday. You think it's nil?

This OP suggests we just get there, spit out all those examples as soon as they appear -- and achieve the self aggrandizement you and cali (who witnessed, posted in and OPed about one of them) already believe in.

[cali]

48. no, I don't think it's nil. I think it's (thankfully) a very, very small number

of people.

[BurtWorm]

64. You're being a little too cryptic for me.

I have no idea what threads you're talking about. I gather from other posts in this thread that one of them had to do with the use of an epithet you object to?

I'm just reacting your insinuation that all of DU is tainted because a few DUers used language that offended you. I prefer an environment where people agree to tolerate each other's human imperfections. If you're offended by someone's post or language, of course it's legitimate to tell them. But I think some battles are more urgent than others. Some do nothing but stir up bad feelings all around.

[omega minimo]

65. No, it wasn't the bagism

:spray:

One was very bigoted toward gender, one was very bigoted toward African Americans (and our president). The latter was offensive from the get go and was defended or downplayed by some and stayed open a remarkably long time.

I don't accept your misinterpretation of this OP. I am not suggesting the behavior is prevalent or "all of DU is tainted". I am suggesting that we eliminate, sooner rather than later, all signs of such bigotry when they occur, as a group, supporting each other, commenting, alerting, whatever works, to make ANY vestige of this behavior unwelcome and unacceptable.

Not open for discussion as if "some people just don't see it that way." Well, it's there. Some people need to open their eyes. How 'bout setting the bar a bit higher? -- or actually no higher than the principles of DU already provide for?

To allow blatant bigoted comments or OPs to stand unchallenged or unlocked certainly "does nothing but stir up bad feelings all around."

IMHO it is time for this sort of awareness and active involvement and movement to occur in the Democratic Party or new progressive movement. Why not start at DU?

[BurtWorm]

67. Isn't that what the alert button is for?

I'm not here to be a policeman. I'm here to discuss things with people, as reasonably as I can. (depending on my mood.)

[omega minimo]

68. It helps

but not always.

Yesterday being an example. Please understand:

-- One was very bigoted toward gender, one was very bigoted toward African Americans (and our president). The latter was offensive from the get go and was defended or downplayed by some and stayed open a remarkably long time.

-- I am suggesting that we eliminate, sooner rather than later, all signs of such bigotry when they occur, as a group, supporting each other, commenting, alerting, whatever works, to make ANY vestige of this behavior unwelcome and unacceptable.

So it doesn't stay up for over an HOUR.

--To allow blatant bigoted comments or OPs to stand unchallenged or unlocked certainly "does nothing but stir up bad feelings all around."

It took quite a clamor to get the thing shut down. Like others before it, it is then closed with the reference to DU Rules. Why not scrub it when it appears?

[omega minimo]

53. You are welcome to "sit in judgment" of bigoted comments/OPs and spit out

and reject their presence on DU, actively, sooner rather than later. The pressure will create fewer future attempts to raise them in the first place.

[omega minimo]

51. "Most DUers are not, as your op suggests, bigots."

I did not suggest that. Those defensive about that might ask themselves why.

"It's ironic that you ask DU to pull together while calling DUers bigots."

Not that either.

I don't underestimate the audience. And it's worth suggesting that we eliminate all bigotry, altogether, all together.

Notwithstanding your efforts to sabotage.

[liberalhistorian]

69. You're right, but that's par for the

course for this particular poster. Too bad h/she'll never recognize that themselves.

[omega minimo]

70. She's wrong and you're supporting a gross misread of the OP

One would think a "historian" would have better reading skills, if not necessarily a sense of humor. :shrug:

[Codeine]

39. I wish DU would spit out the binkie of Omega Minimo. nt

[omega minimo]

47. Use Ignore

[Codeine]

50. I don't do Ignore. nt

[omega minimo]

54. Just snide.

[niyad]

40. k and r

[Confusious]

41. Don't Really like a broad blanket statement

Calling me a racist.

You don't even know me.

Unrecommend.

[omega minimo]

44. The "broad blanket" suggestion is that DU reject all bigotry, not that all DU is bigoted.

That's a bizarre response. Maybe you don't notice it when it's right in front of you. Got very blatant yesterday.

[Toasterlad]

52. On the Contrary, I'm Very Sensitive to Bigotry.

I don't know what happened yesterday that you seem to feel warrants a scolding to all DU about not being bigoted, but without that context, your OP is what's bizarre.

[omega minimo]

55. "Scolding?"

:rofl:

"A scolding...." with baby pix!! :rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl:


Untwist your damn knickers, TL, esp. as the OP covers your pet issue, too. :toast: Don't be hatin'

[Jamastiene]

98. What "pet issue" is that? n/t

[Confusious]

102. It's not scolding

It's the bigotry of self-righteousness.

[omega minimo]

103. and yours

is the Ignorance of Ignorance.

Objecting to what you've misunderstood, rather than attempt to understand, what is the motivation for that? Willful ignorance?

[Confusious]

108. More weasel words

I don't get the right point of what you're talking about, so I must be ignorant. Or not trying to understand. I could TRY to understand people who speak in tongues, but why? It's nonsense.

No, it's none of that.

It's just you not wanting to admit you called everyone a racist, and when you get called on it, you claim someone is picking on you.

[omega minimo]

110. You can't be

that stupid :spray:

[Confusious]

112. Insults now?

How very "open minded" and tolerant of you.

Whether you like it or not, or even what the dictionary says....

Bigot = Racist.

[omega minimo]

115. You're still not making sense.

How about you sleep on it and read the OP when you're feeling fresh and can think clearly.

[Confusious]

117. Learn how to read with an open mind

Problem solved.

Eh, I'm bored of this anyways. It's like arguing with a fundie. They only see what they want to see.

[Confusious]

101. Learn how to write then

"DU, Time To Spit Out The Binky of Bigotry"

Suggests that we're all racists.

What's bizarre is that you don't see that.

[omega minimo]

104. Learn how to read with an open mind

Problem solved.

The OP title and the opening lines have a sense of play and humor to them. If you are continuing to act seriesly like you're so confused and pissed off and offended AS IF someone said something that NO ONE DID, that's YOUR problem. Continuing to come down on me about it: pathological.

[Confusious]

107. Again, learn how to write

Weasel 1 : Open mind
Weasel 2 : I was joking!

Your topic does not come across as humor, and I take people making that charge ( of bigotry ) seriously. I don't find it something to joke about.

"open mind" has nothing to do with this.

"Continuing to come down on me about it: pathological."

Oh, please. You're just trying to avoid responsibility for calling everyone here racists.

[omega minimo]

111. Again, go away

:hi:

[Confusious]

114. How very "inclusive" of you.........eom

[Confusious]

109. So I supose you get up in front of

Vegans, and tell them to stop eating meat?

Luddites, and tell them to stop using technology?

Athletes, and tell them to put down the chips and get off the couch and exercise?

Christians, and tell them to start worshiping Jesus?

[omega minimo]

113. So I "supose" (sic)

you pretend there is no bigotry at DU?


"Silence equals complicity....." Know who said that?

[Confusious]

116. You haven't posted any proof

I would never take the say-so of someone online.

Most times, I don't even take the say-so of someone I know face-to-face.

Trust is earned, not given.

[Toasterlad]

42. Um....What?

I wasn't aware that DU, as a whole, was a particularly bigoted place. Care to let us know just what's got your undies in a bunch?

[omega minimo]

46. Does "binky" sound like "as a whole" to you?

Please see reply above your post.

The defensiveness here is more bizarre than my premise, that's for sure. It does require reading the OP, though -- maybe you skimmed it.

[Toasterlad]

56. Uh...No, I Read It.

And if it was supposed to explain why you felt it necessary to scold DU about bigotry, then I must inform you that it did not succeed.

A "binky" is a pacifier. So no, it doesn't sound at all like "as a whole". But then, you are the one making that completely bizarre and totally meaningless connection, not me.

Instead of clarifying your position, your responses to the thread have done a spectacular job of completely obscuring your message. Perhaps what you're reading as "defensiveness" is simple exasperation from people who are trying to figure out just what the hell you're trying to say.

[omega minimo]

58. Many people got it - -quite clearly

before the petty patrol arrived, TL. None of the late arrivals asked for clarification, they dumped and insulted and -- no surprise -- they usually do.

There was a question in there somewhere? NO, just bitterness, more bile, personal attacks, sour and complete lack of nuance/humor/intelligence and complete lack of the benefit of the doubt that I give DU: to NOT take the OP the wrong way and act like stubborn assholes.

In fact, if it had occurred to me that folks would get defensive about it, I would have worded something differently. Maybe I should know better by now, but so be it.

I don't underestimate the DU audience. The pretense that this is a blanket accusation is absurd. If you or anyone wanted clarification, they would have asked for it. If they did, I answered it.

[Toasterlad]

62. Well, We Certainly Agree On One Thing: You Don't Understand the DU Audience.

For one thing, you apparently assume that everyone reads every single thread posted every day, so if you see something you don't like, it's okay to just make a cryptic reference to it in another thread a day later, and everyone will know exactly what you're talking about.

There is no one - NO ONE - who's posted on this thread who's been more defensive than you.

If you have something to say, fucking SAY IT. In case you didn't get the message by now, most of the people on this thread have absolutely no idea what the fuck you're talking about.

[omega minimo]

66. Everything in your post is untrue (and the word is "underestimate")

Perhaps you just need to work on your reading skills. "I don't underestimate the DU audience." Maybe you don't know what that means.


Toasterlad, you have always treated me this despicably so get over yourself and your lack of comprehension, whatever your problem is, put me on Ignore and quit being so damn toxic.

[Toasterlad]

71. Understand Is A Much Better Word.

THAT is what you do not do. You don't UNDERSTAND the DU audience.

You are a very strange person with a very strange world view. I'm afraid I find you too fascinating to put on Ignore, so if you don't want to hear from me, I'm afraid YOU'LL have to Ignore ME.

[omega minimo]

73. Don't hate what you don't understand.

[Toasterlad]

78. Oh, Sweetie, I Don't Hate You.

[omega minimo]

90. You shoot

your own pet issue in the foot

[Jamastiene]

99. What "pet issue" is that? n/t

[MindPilot]

49. Please excuse my ignorance

but what is a "binky"?

[Codeine]

77. Another word for a baby's pacifier.

A brand name, actually, but one that has morphed into generic usage over time.

Get it? We're all babies, dependent on the comfort of our bigotry to soothe ourselves. In other words typical Omega Minimo bullshit -- childish, nasty, obfuscatory, and painfully self-important.

[omega minimo]

80. It's astonishing how badly you've misread the OP, how much you hate your misread and how much

you want others to believe it. No wonder you're miserable. Misery loves company, eh?

[Codeine]

84. Not hate or misery involved.

Rather a fine mix of pity, contempt, and amusement.

[omega minimo]

86. That's miserable.

And completely misinformed.

[burning rain]

59. Funny stuff.

Often the progressive movement seems sort of like two people running a three-legged race together, who don't like each other in the first place, and can't agree where they want to go.

[MilesColtrane]

63. Setting aside the finger wagging and broad brush with which you paint DUers...

your metaphor of a bigot as a baby sucking on a binky is in direct opposition to your position that babies are blank slates and non-judgemental beings.

Word Salad.

[lunatica]

72. .

[omega minimo]

75. .

[lunatica]

76. Too cute!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

79. I didn't read your post but those sure are cute kids.

[omega minimo]

81. I can still see you and the pitchers are for the purpose of illustration of

something ..............................

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

83. The pitchers are for holding beer or throwing baseballs.

[omega minimo]

85. FMD, nobody's fule

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

89. That certainly depends on what we are drinking.

And that happens to be peach moonshine tonight.

[omega minimo]

91. didja brewit?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

96. Oh no. This is from way up in the mountains, banjo music and all.

A Christmas present from a friend in the Appalachian mountains.

[anonymous171]

82. Hatred of bankers is not bigotry. nt

[apocalypsehow]

87. With all sincerity, due respect, and no snark: what, ummm, in the world are you talking about?

:shrug:

[omega minimo]

94. Potential for peer pressure to stop bigotry on DU as soon as it starts, flush the toxic assholes

We all have our individual experiences, upbringing, cultural awareness and personal confidence that determines our awareness; our openness to the FACT that human beings are human beings, no matter what. We are one race, one planet and we truly are interconnected.

That message was central to the progressive movements of the past and particularly the environmental movement, as long as 40 or more years ago.

Bigotry in any form (and they are all the same) is learned behavior.

[flvegan]

88. You thought this was just brilliant when you first came up with it, didn't you?

Good Lord.

[omega minimo]

92. All the usual

haters show up and hate.

[goclark]

93. Superb!

[omega minimo]

95. Thanks

[CampDem]

97. K & R

Omega

I just wanted to thank you for this post and would like to address the douche bag conversations from the other day.

In many countries vaginal secretions/functions have been deemed bad/shameful, especially near menstruation. It is this fear that has led to some sickening practices that limit freedom for girls/women there.

This mindset is related to the invention of the "douche". It may be watered down, but still is visceral misogyny IMHO.

For me, I wince if I see the word used as a slam against someone.

Again, thanks

[omega minimo]

100. TY

Thanks CampDem. Appreicate it. Happy New Year :toast:

[Canuckistanian]

105. Couldn't agree more. Time to put on the Pampers of Perspicacity

Or the Huggies of Humanity.

[omega minimo]

106. TY. Trying to figure out how anyone is upset by "Binky of Bigotry"

:rofl: