More on Fang.

[scottyt@emedia.net (Scott Totten)]

<<It's not my fault that other people are stupid. Their parents owe them an
apology, not me. So far, nobody has been able to validate a legitimate
grievence. If that day ever comes, I'd be more than happy to apologize...

I have not called you stupid, or even attacked you personally-why do you
need to attack me personally?  Although we met at J&R, you don't know if I
am stupid or not.  I merely posted that I found your remarks offensive.

 <<I can only hope she's brighter than you are. My comments were "describing"
certain people pacing "to and fro" by a concert line. Can you explain (in
detail) how you extrapolated this "derogatory characterization of blacks"
from my remarks? Do you have a vivid imagination? I find it fascinating that
you could dirive all of "this" from my comments. Apprently you have some
unresolved personal problems that you need to deal with.

Hmmm...I don't want to copy your exact sentence here again, but let me
remind you that you said EITHER these black men would be scalpers, OR they
would say your-now-infamous-offensive-line.  First of all, you left NO
possibility that there might be some respectable black people there.
Secondly, you left out the possibility that there might be some WHITE
scalpers-or yellow, or whatever.  As a matter of fact, Mr. Weiner, before I
became a full-time musician, I was a ticket "scalper".  I rarely stood
outside hawking tickets, but I could be found outside the Garden
occasionally.  As a point of fact, I can tell you that nearly 100% of the
ticket broker companies are  are owned and run by whites.  Of course there
are black scalpers, but there are far more white scalpers.  There are of
course black criminals, but thare are also white ones.  There are black
"ne'er-do-wells", but there are also white ones.  So, you see, by saying
that a black man who is not a scalper WILL say your odious phrase, you seem
to be stereotyping-and I am offended.

<<A complete stranger communicating by computer isn't
going to cause me pain. However, I find having to  "explain" something that
needs no explanation "painful". It's an indictment of our educational system
that people are not taught to think. Oh, you can read and write, but what
you've written shows no thought or reasoning. I can't apologize for that, nor
should I.

Actually, I believe that all of my replies have been thoughtful,
insightful, non-threatening, and totally lacking in personal assaults.  On
the other hand, you have called me stupid, incapable of thought or reason,
and perhaps even mentally imbalanced.  That several people on this list
were offended is a fact.  If we misunderstood, why don't you calmly and
politely clear the matter up for us?  There's no need for name-calling.

<<Again, completely irrelevant. Without any thought, you're making awfully big
assumptions. It's obvious a little pinball machine went "bing, bing, bing" in
your head when I wrote, "Hellow dare!" Did I say or imply I don't like or
respect black people? Did I even generalize beyond the "scalping scene"? Or,
is it perhaps YOU think that the "gentleman" who tried to sell me "mushrooms"
in Tower Records was a "typical representive of his race?"

I don't recall you ever writing "Hellow Dare" to me, so I'm afraid I don't
understand your point.  As for whether or not you like or respect black
people, I don't know.  It sounds like you don't, not only from your
original scalper's post, but also from your follow-up in which you said
that the offended parties should stop living in Fantasyland and get a taste
of the real world.  It would seem as though in YOUR "real world" blacks are
to be avoided.  If this is not the case, I would have no way of knowing,
because you have yet to say one positive thing about blacks or black
culture.  Instead, you attempted to defend your unteneble position by
misquoting and skewing Who lyrics!  Shame!  This, I believe, shows how
shallow your actual knowledge of the Who really is.  I realize that you
know all there is to know about every release date, format, track length,
etc., but you know nothing about the music.  I'm sure you know that
Eyesight To The Blind (which Mr. Townshend still enjoys playing) was
written by Sonny Boy Williamson.  With your extensive collection, do you
have a copy of the original?  Ever even heard it?  If not, aren't you
curious as to why the Who chose to cover it?

<<As for your "It's A Wonderful Life" scenario, I'd say you have way too much
time on your hands. Rather than reading this list, I suggest you do something
worthwhile...

Great film.  If I had the time, I'd go watch it right now.

<<What I find even more amusing is the comments like "I am deeply offended!"
from persons who rarely/never post to the list. Are these comments supposed
to mean something? Would "you" people like to come out of your little closets
and share some more thoughts with us? Is there a reason these comments (or
you) should be taken seriously? >>

The fact that no one on earth posts more to this list than you does not
make you or your posts more important or significant than anyone else's.
Do I need to have credentials to be taken seriously here?
I am a Who fan.Not enough?

Scott Totten