No, because the swearing is in the course of a conversation that the third party is not privy to. Thrusting yourself in someone’s face to say “I’ll pray for you” is rude and intrusive. If you don’t like the conversation , don’t eavesdrop.
She can shout to Jesus all day long and I’ll just ignore her. It’s the getting in someone else’s face and “I’ll pray for you” that is uncalled for.
It is amazing that none of you have ever heard the phrase “mind your own business.” Don’t pester other people into behaving the way you want them to.
That’s so gay. I guess it’s so, like, there’s a nigger in that woodpile somewhere, but everytime I try to explain that fucker, I’m just a fat lady’s cunt hair off, do you know what I am saying?
But the third ain’t, so there’s no point in putting it there and fat isn’t a racial slur.
Cunt may get problems…
And your putting random words “OF SATAN” to say, from what it sounds like, BS!
Now, it looks like you can get a job from strawman burner to strawman maker!
From previous experience, I KNOW I’ll sound like a dumbass…
But there are times when it’s impossible for the eavesdropper to avoid eavesdropping. Like when you’re on a crowded train and there isn’t another seat to move to when the bench in front of you is occupied by loud, sewermouthed jerks, for example.
Not that I’d ask them to knock it off. When trapped like that, I just do my best to shut it out. It’s not pleasant, though.
Well, yeah, when you;re trapped ro when silence is the rule, as in a movie theatre or a chrch, then yeah, the offender should be shushed.
But the old lady in the OP was not trapped. She harrassed a stranger walking down a public sidewalk because she didn’t like his speech. She could have walked away or simply ignored it as he walked away since, as already noted, the OP was moving on a public sidewalk!
And Shodan, either you are too stupid to understand the difference between profanity and hate speech, or you are just enjoying the opportunity to air your private feelings when you know you won’t get called on it.
If you bothered to read everything I said, you’ll notice I agree with you. The “I’ll pray for you” is uncalled for. All’s I’m saying, too, is: Is it so much to ask that people-- when out in public and minding their own business-- not have to be exposed to vulgarities and profanities?
I’ve asked myself a similar question: “Is it so much to ask that people-- when out in public and minding their own business-- not have to be exposed to others’ proselytizing?” Of course, it’s not too much to ask. I would hope you would agree about the vulgarities and profanities.
Yes, if you hear someone saying “goddamn” or anything else offensive while on the street you can just walk away. But why should anyone have to be exposed in the first place?
But let me ask you this: If the woman had just said,“Please watch your language. I find those words to be offensive,” would you still be getting your knickers in a knot over her “getting in someone’s face”? OR is it the fact she brought religion into the mix? Because I can’t tell from your arguement whether your really pissed about the religious aspect or the “in someone’s face” aspect.
Either way, my point now, as it’s been all along, is that the OP was just as much in the wrong about using offensive language (and being out of line in a public environment) as the lady. You shouldn’t make excuses for offensive behavior-- whatever form it might take.
Call it manners, etiquette, rules for decent society, protocol, or whatever. It seems to be lacking on both sides in this situation.
Bullshit. You know what, the lady who came up to talk to him was wrong, she was listening to his conversation, fuck her.
If they had been talking about how all gays are evil faggots, I’d still stay clear of them, not because I agree with them, but because they were having a conversation and didn’t want me to butt into it.
These people were on a public sidewalk, talking amongst themselves, not shouting apparently, and this bitch comes up to them after listening in on their conversation. I’d say thats pretty fucking offensive.
If you find it offensive, piss off and don’t eavesdrop, theres a difference between walking down the sidewalk and being stuck in a crowded place.
Since I repeated “in someone’s face” about three times, I would think it was obvious which aspect I’m talking about. Frankly, I’d love to see some prissy bluenose try to get some of these schoolkids in DC to watch their language. I find their swearing annoying but confronting them only makes things much worse.
I thought the difference between profanity and hate speech was what this discussion was about.
What would you say was the difference?
My little example wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular. Yet you apparently found it offensive. Is the distinction you want to draw that profanity is anything that is offensive to you, even if it is not aimed at you or anyone else, but anything that offends someone else is OK?
And what happened to all that stuff you were preaching about how we can’t expect to control other people’s speech in public. Did you not really mean it? Here I post something, not aimed at you at all, and in public, and you feel moved to call me names and accuse me of secret racism.
Is that better or worse than offering to pray for someone?
A straightforward reading of gobear’s statement would not conclude that gobear was personally offended by your statement, Shodan. The same straightforward reading would also conclude that gobear thought you were either stupid or racist.
I, personally, simply think you are stupid, but, heck, gobear could be right here.
Who said I was personally offended? The point I was making and that seems to have eluded you is that there is a qualitative difference between profanity, which is ugly and unpleasant but is not meant to denigrate anyone–well maybe God, but He doesn’t need you to defend Him–and hate speech, which is intended to hurt specific groups and individuals belonging to those groups. Moreover, you seem to have skipped over the woman’s freedom not to listen. If the incident related by the OP had happened in a subway car or a restaurant or a movie theater where one has no way to move, then asking the offender to tone it down would be justified. But on a public sidewalk, one can move away and choose not to listen. Acting as a self-appointed speech cop and accosting strangers in public spaces is a good way to cause more trouble than the incident is worth.
And let me put another problem to you, Shodan. Let us say that I and my partner were to hold hands as we walked on the sidewalk. Would the old lady in the OP be justified in asking us not to be so blatant in our demonstration of an orientation that offends her sensibilities?
Your continued use of vile bigoted words with a vast history of racial and sexual orientation based discrimination, violence and death in such a glib manner and in such a poor comparison to garden variety curse words with no such history such as “fuck” or “shit” make you both a shithead and a moron. You should be ashamed, but are probably too stupid to realize it.
Of course, especially when the insulter’s guiding principle ostensibly is to return insult with kindness. In other words, just be what the insulter is hypocritically invoking.
Oh, that clears it up. It’s ok to curse God, as sacrilegion isn’t anywhere near as bad as racial or sexual discrimination…except to a religious person, but who cares about that. See, if you are the latter, then it’s ok for someone to be in your face about how they disagree, but in this case, unlike the lady’s case, it’s ok. And of course it’s much better to call someone stupid for the comments they make instead of saying something like I’ll pray for you. And maybe I’m missing something, but didn’t the OP have the same opportunity to walk away and choose not to listen?
Oh, and how did someone saying I’ll pray for you become someone getting in the OP’s face and saying it, or are they the same thing? Seems ‘getting in his face’ is a little more offensive. So was this lady ‘in your face’ or did she just make the statement?
Oh please. This lady intentionally sought someone to smugly insult them.
And yes, racial and sexual orientation discrimination impacts are a million times worse then the horrors of someone saying “goddamn” on a public street. It is rather pathetic that you cannot tell the difference in your fervor.
Your subjective horror doesn’t really matter, it is the objective results that the simple persual of a fricking history book whould give you that matters.
The OP (while a bit of a foul mouthed idiot) was intentionally insulted by the ugly little pray insult. It is the same thing as me posting “Svt4Him your ignorance of history and lack of perspective is so great, that I will pray for you that the scales of stupidity are lifted from your eyes”.
See an insult barely cloaked in religious terms. You can also do it this way (southern style). “Svt4Him is a little slow, but she still keeps posting God bless her heart”.
Just insults with a semi-religious topping. Maybe that person ought to crack open that bible and re-read the sections on judge not lest ye be judged and forgiveness.
Perhaps many of the people who actually come out and say “I’ll be praying for you” are unaware that it comes across as self righteous, smug, and just really really cheesy. Perhaps it is actually meant as a positive comment, to show the person in question that someone cares about them. Perhaps it is intended as a shock tactic, as in "Hey if this complete stranger on the street thinks I’m going to hell I might need to rethink the way I live my life.
However, the people on the praying end should realise that, however kindly meant, it translates as “I’m better than you, I know it, and I’m getting a kick out of it”. Surely the praying will work just as well whether they broadcast it or not?
