I agree wholeheartedly.
Take for example the homosexualist vs. homophobe/heterosexualist debate.
People immediately start with pro and anti arguments.
That was fun for me as a new member too, and I don't want to deny new members the experience of sharpening their viewpoints in robust debate.
But, is this partisan play of action/reaction really helpful?
Is it really going to change anyone's opinion?
I'd like to see an attitude for a change which says: Straight people, tell me what YOU see wrong with your YOUR scene. What guiding light (if any) are
YOU to the gay minority?
What could YOU improve as straight people that you would like gay people to follow?
Vice-versa: Gay people, what do YOU see wrong with YOUR scene? How could it be improved to make living safer for younger gay people, and to make
straight people more at ease?
There are lots of things wrong, and interesting conspiracy angles which people could share by sweeping in front of their own doors.
I've considered wording such a thread where gay/straight positions may only reflect internally, and never oppose the "other".
But currently I don't feel comfortable with it, because as soon as I criticize the gay scene or politics as a gay man, it will just give the
homophobes ammunition. We're not mature enough, I think.
I think there are issues of over-sexualizing society, while losing the sacred purpose behind sex and sexual identity.
The Western gay scene still has unbalanced rates of HIV infection. The straight scene has astronomical rates of teen pregnancies. (In SA we have high
HIV rates for both, plus the teen pregnancy epidemic.)
We have youngsters on both sides exposed to club culture where adults take advantage.
We have drugs and organized crime.
We have people throwing away opportunities for "pleasure".
We have mass religions offering unrealistic answers and compounding the problem with a focus on forcing marriages and procreation above all else
(often suggested as "competitive breeding" with other religions).
Who benefits?
No really, lets be honest - homosexuality is not going to disappear; the straight majority is not going to disappear.
What use is it to say to one group: "Stop flaunting your sexuality", when sexuality is flaunted everywhere?
With all this finger-pointing the issues are never addressed.
Everybody is covering up from a defensive position.
Isn't it time to say this is a problem in MY community, and wow, I'm surprised it is an issue in YOUR community too? Now what can we propose to do
about it?
We are being played like a fiddle.
However, I think ATS just reflects the divide and rule manipulation with which people arrive at the threads.
The same goes for many other issues, such as race.
The fact is that most people know darn well that there is scandal and evil behind their positions, as much as it is behind that of their foe.
But alas, will that hidden evil ever be brought to the table?
Who will shoot off their own foot first?
edit on 25-3-2011 by halfoldman because: (no reason given)