Why do you love this board?

[Kirby]

This week, I got to meet one of my favorite cartoonist and writer, Joe Sacco, at a reading at Powell's. His graphic novel, Palestine, received an American Book Award in 2001, and his latest work, Footnotes in Gaza is a follow-up to that. His style is comics-journalism, and the Palestinian conflict lies at the heart of his writings. He factually reports the situation, but his stories profile mainly the Palestinian Muslim experience. It could be said that most of his fans are pro-Palestine and anti-Isreal.
During the Q&A, one older gentleman asked and accused, claiming a pro-Isreal position, that Sacco takes the situation out of the context of a surrounded, vunerable Isreal who had faced thousands of years of persecution, and that further, does so in a style similar to anti-semitic propaganda the Palestinians supposedly give to their children.
Most in the crowd of about 200 started booing and catcalling, and although I tend to be more pro-Palestinian myself, I was offended at the boos. Here was a room full of mainly intellectual book lovers, shutting out a point of view simply because it was contrary to the popular opinion of the room. The old man was obviously educated, he spoke eloquantly, with an advanced vocabulary, and displayed keen knowledge of the situation. And he got booed?

I love this board, and the people on it, because I never get booed.

[michelle]

Booooooo



Sorry, you had to know that was going to happen. ;D

[sarah]

Michelle, I so wanted to do that, must be our inner smarta**

[Kirby]

Well, BOO! to you too.

[Josh]

I love the archetypical diversity we've acheived.

[Josh]

Sarah and Michelle (you naysayers!)- I think you owe it to kirbstomp to at least answer his question ;D

[michelle]

Jan 14, 2010 21:33:06 GMT -8 sarah said:

Michelle, I so wanted to do that, must be our inner smarta**

I don't know what you are talking about.










BTW, it took me a while to figure out what smarta**was. I thought, "smarta? what the heck is that". OH BOY!

[michelle]

I love this board because I am a member of Aletheia and I have to.

[Josh]

BTW, it took me a while to figure out what smarta**was.

Me too. I kept looking for a footnote for the asterisks ;D

I love this board because I am a member of Aletheia and I have to.

That's more like it!

[christopher]

Why do you love this board?

It's in my job description ;D

Actually, I love it because it represents a fundamental and positive shift in attitudes and open mindedness IMO.

This board is not entirely unique (although not entirely common yet either), there are many others like it where the members hold up open and respectful dialogue and a diversity of opinions as the most core values. I think this is a product of a post-modern generation that assumes nothing and questions everything.

What I love about this forum (and others like it) is that it challenges my own presuppositions and helps me to free myself of untrue things I've always believed, and also helps me to strengthen my confidence in my beliefs that are true.

I sense a general trend in this direction, both inside and outside the Church, and I think it is a very positive one. This board is a sample of that in my opinion.

[sarah]

I love this board because it allows me to eavesdrop in on conversations without breaking any social taboos!