# Over the top sensitivity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704 "2001-09-25T15:28:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/21 "2001-09-26T14:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Let me go get my spike heels and red nailpolish. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I love this message board like I do. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/22 "2001-09-26T14:39:08Z")
Cranky: YES. Steal it now. Its a wonderfully quotable and useful statement. Snag the second half as well for the entire effect. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/23 "2001-09-26T14:40:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > **spontaneous lesbianism** may be our only consolation at a time like this. :eek: 😃 **BAND NAME!** ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/24 "2001-09-26T15:02:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > \*\*Let me go dig through for some of that pre-mommyhood lingerie I have around here somewhere… > > \*\* Well if you want to send me a white elephant package… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/25 "2001-09-26T15:20:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > **spontaneous lesbianism may be our only consolation at a time like this.** Thank you for helping put our mysterious crap circles in a better light. ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/26 "2001-09-26T16:00:58Z")
**jarbabyj** While some of your points may be quite valid, I think it is a little unfair of you to expect people to react and recover from the WTC attack the same way or on the same timeline you are. I know that is not exactly what you said. However, could it be that this radio commentator is dealing with things differently? Could it be that his feelings were geniune? I agree that the WTC attack does not make anyone’s personal tragedy any less valid. I also **do not** agree with the commentator as far as future usage of the word “devastating.” I don’t presume to know why he said this and I certainly don’t ascribe some of the less than savory motives others in this thread have suggested. I know that **you** had a particularly intense reacton to the attack. Some (not me) may gave have described that as “over the top.” Maybe this commentator is just having a hard time dealing with it. Maybe he lost someone or several people very close to him. Maybe to him, everything really does seem trivial in comparison right now. We can’t know one way or the other. I think that it is unfair to judge him without knowing this. I know that I am seeing a lot of things as being less important to me now than before the attack (especially office politics). I don’t say this to attain some kind of morally superior position. I just know that my heart hurts so much still for all of the victims that it truly is hard for me to put things back into their old perspective. I don’t want to judge anyone as less sympathetic to the victims who is not reacting the same way that I am. I don’t believe that at all. It is just that **I, personally** am affected in this particular way. It does not mean you or anyone else is hurting any less. It just means that I am dealing with it differently than you. I hope that people can respect that without ascribing motives to my reactions. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/27 "2001-09-26T16:05:38Z")
tevya, the difference between your response or my response or Mike North’s response is that I know I freaked out…but I did not DEMAND that others freak out with me. (And I _was_ over the top, my reaction was counterproductive and stupid, I admit that. I would never want anyone to react like I did.) If Mike North said “I don’t think I’ll ever use the word devastating again”, all would be well…but to demand a retraction from another sports writer for using a word HE did not approve of is ridiculous. And again, I’m not implying that anyone “get over it”. I’m saying a national tragedy does not require removal of certain words from the American vocabulary. jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/28 "2001-09-26T16:23:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*tevya, the difference between your response or my response or Mike North’s response is that I know I freaked out…but I did not DEMAND that others freak out with me. (And I _was_ over the top, my reaction was counterproductive and stupid, I admit that. I would never want anyone to react like I did.) > > If Mike North said “I don’t think I’ll ever use the word devastating again”, all would be well…but to demand a retraction from another sports writer for using a word HE did not approve of is ridiculous. > > And again, I’m not implying that anyone “get over it”. I’m saying a national tragedy does not require removal of certain words from the American vocabulary. > > jarbaby \*\* I can definitly agree with you that we shouldn’t be removing words from our vocabulary. I also agree that his demand was both inapproprate and outrageous. I just wonder if it was because he is dealing with the tragedy differently than you and I rather than the other motives ascribed to him. People respond inappropriatly sometimes when they are grievinig. I’m just asking that we maybe give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he is oversensitive, but how do we determine just how sensitive someone should be? I realize that is a question without an answer. I also really do know that you are not trying to dictate how people should respond and that you are not saying “just get over it.” I just wanted to add a differnt voice to the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/29 "2001-09-26T19:24:28Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by tevya \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \ > I can definitly agree with you that we shouldn’t be removing words from our vocabulary.\ \*\* How about removing scenes from movies? Removing entire episodes of tv shows from syndication (as previously noted)? Digitally altering existing movies? What’s the next step, asking people to destroy any home movies or pictures they’ve taken of the WTC in the past? Where does sensitivity end and overreaction begin? ---
**Author:** ![Muslim\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Muslim\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muslim_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/30 "2001-09-26T19:36:50Z")
Bob Dylan said it best: > [@](#): > > _I know that you have suffered much > But in this you are not so unique_ ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/31 "2001-09-26T19:39:16Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by featherlou \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tevya \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \ > > I can definitly agree with you that we shouldn’t be removing words from our vocabulary.\ \*\* > > How about removing scenes from movies? Removing entire episodes of tv shows from syndication (as previously noted)? Digitally altering existing movies? What’s the next step, asking people to destroy any home movies or pictures they’ve taken of the WTC in the past? Where does sensitivity end and overreaction begin? \*\* I don’t advocate any of these and you are right to think they are overreactions. I was not implying that people should take the commentator’s demand as a valid request. What I was trying to convey is that perhaps he is overreacting and acting inappropriately out of a profound grief. I was suggesting not bashing the guy too much for overreacting. It is still a recent event. It is too soon to assume that he is only doing this out of some perverse need to appear morally superior to everyone around him. So here is where I stand: \*\*Altering vocabulary, movies, pictures, etc.: \*\* Against. \*\*Cutting people some slack on overreaction. \*\* For. I hope that clears up my position. ---
**Author:** ![Kaotic\_Newtral](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@Kaotic\_Newtral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaotic_Newtral)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/32 "2001-09-26T19:49:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\* > Thank you for helping put our mysterious crap circles in a better light. \*\* **lieu** …this line made me laugh for 5 minutes. I don’t know if it was intentional or not…but jeez. I can’t get the picture of sneaky ‘X-files type’ crapping dogs outta my head. lol ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/33 "2001-09-27T17:45:17Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by tevya \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by tevya \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \ > > > I can definitly agree with you that we shouldn’t be removing words from our vocabulary.\ \*\* > > > > How about removing scenes from movies? Removing entire episodes of tv shows from syndication (as previously noted)? Digitally altering existing movies? What’s the next step, asking people to destroy any home movies or pictures they’ve taken of the WTC in the past? Where does sensitivity end and overreaction begin? \*\* > > I don’t advocate any of these and you are right to think they are overreactions. I was not implying that people should take the commentator’s demand as a valid request. What I was trying to convey is that perhaps he is overreacting and acting inappropriately out of a profound grief. I was suggesting not bashing the guy too much for overreacting. It is still a recent event. It is too soon to assume that he is only doing this out of some perverse need to appear morally superior to everyone around him. > > So here is where I stand: > > \*\*Altering vocabulary, movies, pictures, etc.: \*\* Against. > \*\*Cutting people some slack on overreaction. \*\* For. > > I hope that clears up my position. \*\* Oops, sorry **tevya**. I didn’t make it clear in my post that I was addressing the issue, not your post, which I had no problem with. I meant to use your quote as a starting point for stating my own opinion, not as a response to your post. Bad featherlou. Bad. ---
**Author:** ![toshirodragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e68b1a/32.png) [@toshirodragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toshirodragon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704/34 "2001-09-30T17:42:24Z")
Hi jarbayj I had a similiar experience. My Mom died Sept 8. For me this was DEVASTATING! My best friend and closest confidant gone forever… Then some asshole clod on my ICQ yells at me about how he is in NYC and how horrible it is and how dare I tell\*\* HIM I **had a hell week! Hey I feel for all them but shit this was \*\* MY MOM!** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/over-the-top-sensitivity/83704.md?page=1)