I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist. • Hacker News Board

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#91

Post by grecy » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:15 AM UTC

ftwinnovations wrote: post #37

ceejayoz wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting that you think "look at you funny" and "called me a terrorist" are equivalent.

I wonder what they would do in one of those countries that attacks and kills people at embassies or sends jihadists off to crash planes into buildings. Probably a little worse than look at you funny or call you a name.

I wonder why you choose to compare your country to "one of those countries" when you clearly indicate you think they are not as good as yours?

You are like the coach of a sporting team pointing out all the teams that finished lower than yours on the ladder and saying "We did great compared to them. Good job. Keep it up."

Surely, if you were actually interested in improving your team, you would point out the teams that finished above you on the ladder and say "We can do better. Here's where to improve."

Somewhere along the line, America was so busy congratulating itself that it has forgotten it should be striving to do better.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#92

Post by rgbrgb » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:15 AM UTC

Kopion wrote: post #60

I was walking through TSA about a week ago and someone about 5 people in front of me was wearing a hijab, and of course they didn't have to take it off while I had to take off 2 of my layers and then be patted down. I wouldn't have had to do any of that if those same people who wear hijabs hadn't taken many American lives over the years. I'm pretty sure I have a right to have my well reasoned and justified prejudices…

All the Nazi's marched like ducks so I always spit in ponds.

"well reasoned and justified prejudices"

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#93

Post by lucb1e » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:16 AM UTC

jh3 wrote: post #83

lucb1e wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People don't believe in a religion because it's convenient. If it were simple like that, everybody'd be atheist, there are no rules attached to that whatsoever. People have a belief because they believe. Or perhaps because they think a certain lifestyle is a good one (isn't that what bhuddism is? I know too little about this...).

> People don't believe in a religion because it's convenient. How is it convenient _not_ believing in a religion?

I'm sorry, my sentence was ambiguous and unclear. What I meant was that the reason people believe in a religion, is not because it is convenient. Also read the rest of the reply, it should make sense now ;)

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#94

Post by guylhem » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:17 AM UTC

wpietri wrote: post #82

guylhem wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry if this is rude, but this post feels like a bleeding hart white liberal voluntary experiencing with discrimination caused by obvious self sabotage - and then discovering that discrimination exists indeed, and blogging about her discovery. The obvious next step is converting to some religion or faith which requires unusual clothing or body painting, to "make a statement"/ taunt/provoke and then complain about ho…

It's rude, and also poorly thought through. You're spinning imaginary scenarios and then getting your balls in an uproar about them. Relax. Ela did not "play the victim"; she is not asking for sympathy. She did not sabotage herself; she is whole and unharmed. I also am dumbfounded that you think it's offensive to victims of discrimination to try to understand them by experiencing discrimination.

I'm sorry it got me in an uproar, but I really think what she did is offensive.

She made a change, noticed the negative difference - end of the story.

Some people may want to make a change (even if they know it's vain to try and conform to other people expectations) to try and experience a positive difference - but they can't.

What is offensive to me is how unfair it is for some people to complain about they own choices why other suffer from their lack of choice.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#95

Post by gtech » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:19 AM UTC

Evbn wrote: post #78

mgkimsal wrote: post #15

Total western white-male stereotype-infused ignorance here but... Perhaps people avoid muslim women because we don't want them to get in to trouble. I'm surprised to see women dressed like that out in public on their own, because I've been led to believe they need male escorts, and assume that one might be around. if I make eye-contact, I might be contributing to an honor-killing, or perhaps some acid-splashed on her…

It is pretty easy to get punched by a white guy by talking to a girl in a bar in the US, where there will never be a religious Muslim.

Have you or a friend ever been hit? I can say from personal experience approaching thousands of girls with guys nearby that it's actually pretty hard to get into a fight. I think this is an urban myth predicated on the fact that most guys don't make the move very often.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#96

Post by icebraining » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:20 AM UTC

dgesang wrote: post #89

icebraining wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what? Is being "not as bad as fundamentalist states" enough?

No it is not enough, but it could be worse. And for most regions in the world IT IS worse. Stop implying such bullshit into others statement. All I said was that in those countries people treat foreigners much worse. I didn't justify or judge either side.

There's always worse. I don't see what the point of bringing that up if not for making the discussed issue seem less bad.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#97

Post by guylhem » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:27 AM UTC

icebraining wrote: post #66

guylhem wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excellent point. But "if the result of happiness_from_identification_with_current_religion + happiness_from_how_people_make_me_feel" is negative, maybe a) you are unhappy, b) it's not an untractable problem because c) there is something you can change in the equation, and there is something you can't change. You know the saying - you can't change the others, only yourself.

Some things are worth being unhappy about. "The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became."

I guess it all depends on one's utility function.

If you think that in life, suffering is a good thing, or that some things are more important that your own happiness, yes they are.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#98

Post by icebraining » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:31 AM UTC

LockeWatts wrote: post #80

wpietri wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Terrible analogy. People aren't discriminating because they think hijabs are unfashionable. They're discriminating because they correctly interpret the hijab as a religious marker. Did you notice that your advice basically amounts to "do your best to look like a straight, white, middle-class Christian"? And that you are basically blaming the victim? Both strike me as terrible advice.

How about we just look like people, not religious entities? Never understood why people like wearing symbols of oppression.

What you wear -or don't- sends a signal just like hijabs do. Just as you see one and consider the wearer looks like a "religious entity", someone else will see you in jeans and consider you a "consumerist drone", or see your cellphone and consider you a "decadent bourgeois".

That you don't consider that part of "looking like people" is not the hijabs' wearer problem.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#99

Post by flyinglizard » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:32 AM UTC

grecy wrote: post #81

flyinglizard wrote: post #42

Some Muslims wanted us to fear Islam. I guess that worked.

I honestly believe America is captivated right now by fear itself. It could be nuclear fallout from Japan, or Islam, or H1N1, or drug cartels in Mexico, or Canadian healthcare, or communists, or the Arab Spring, or any number of other things that for all intents are purposes are almost entirely non-threatening to the average citizen on the street. The focus of the fear is completely irrelevant. The primary goal is pe…

Funny thing about Americans; if they mind their own business, other nations laugh at them for being stupid and ignorant only concerned about their trash TV and oversized drinks.

On the other hand, if the average American does show some interest in international affairs or political ideas, people say he's in perpetual fear and mind controlled by politicians.

You just can't win.

Re: I went to the mall, and a little girl called me a terrorist.

#100

Post by ktizo » Sun, Oct 21, 2012, 3:32 AM UTC

guylhem wrote: post #97

icebraining wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some things are worth being unhappy about. "The more we gave in, the more we complied with that kind of treatment, the more oppressive it became."

I guess it all depends on one's utility function. If you think that in life, suffering is a good thing, or that some things are more important that your own happiness, yes they are.

Perhaps there is a bit more to life than a 'utility function'.