real life "altercation" that happened to me yesterday/what would you do?

[BoarSpear]

Anything political is always a good way to start an argument. :-) Maybe next week we can try religion.

Whats wrong with stating your beliefs? (and listening to someone elses?) unless you are afraid your arguments wont hold up under scrutiny, you should welcome debate. Most people who wont debate these things i find are insecure in thier belief system or afraid of ridicule. By debating, both sides have to think (excepting the "did you forget your meds crowd"), and things are often brought to light for both sides of the argument....nevermind those on the sidelines unsure what to believe can now perhaps get some debate on the forbidden subjects of Politics and Religion. Thats the easy way out, dont talk about it! no matter that it controls your life, dont discuss it... things might get uncomfortable

Its funny in a country founded on a belief in free speech and and belief in god and our political system we still cant discuss it....It seems we have the right to, but not the balls to discuss them, what a shame...other people have died for the right to discuss religion and politics. Americans have the right but lack the gumption....

[shaolin-warrior]

Although we as individuals may not agree with our government and its foreign policies, the important thing to remember, is to please support our troups. Alot of the soldiers over there bought a bill of goods from recruiters promising tuition and benefits in exchange for a weekend a month and two weeks during summer vacation. They are all " a mothers son" or someones loved one. Some are mothers and fathers or homeowners pulled from a full time job in wich the pay was much more than that of an active guard or reservist.
Their families are faced with the ongoing horrors shown by the media on a daily basis. And the grim reality of not only loosing a loved one, but financial ruin .(many cant make their mortgage payments).
This being said, and in the face of grief and anger, justifiably aimed at our government, Every mother has the right to protest. BUT AT WHAT COST?
If I could speak with that woman in Texas, I would offer my thanks for her sons sacrafice, and that would not ease her pain or bring him back. I would tell he that her son was a hero, and that would not ease her pain or bring her son back. I would then ask her " what of the other families of fallen heros? Would you reach out to them for mutual comfort or is your anger so strong that you would fight to prove a point that would diminish in the eyes of the world and the enemy this great sacrafice that these young men and women have made. They made it for a cause that they believed in so strongly that they would pay the price with the tears of there loved ones. Not just mothers and fathers but wives sons and daughters.
War is something I pray my son or daughter will never have to paticipate in.
But if the day should come that they pay the ultimate price for their beliefs, In grief I will cling tight to the neatly folded flag from their military issue coffin, I will display it proudly, and I will try to find comfort in the fact that they had the conviction to stand firm in their beliefs. I will cry, I will blame the govt., but I would never give comfort to the enemy, or cause other greaving families heartache by going to the national media. The price they paid was already way to high.
I apologize in advance if in any way I've hurt the feelings of a family member of an active duty soldier ar a fallen hero, or a vet.. I remember all those touched by this and every war in prayer.

[Oraenor]

This has been a bad week, found out I'm finished as a figher at 28, on monday ran into a chick I used to mess with at a mall on thursday and I got into a little thing over parking on friday.Ok the ymca by my house is redoing their parking/we can't park there any longer,so 1 of the cars I drive has to be parked on a public street, I go to park the car(welcome to jam rock song blaring at like volume 10 outa my ride) I park, when suddenly a guy comes out of his house he asks "are you with the ymca"(I have a duffel bag with my boxing gear on my shoulder) I say "no" he says "this is a private street and you can't park here". I say while walking up to him "excuse me are you telling me that this isn't a public street"(which it f****** well is and he dam knows it) he says "no it's only for the people who live on the street".I'm losing it now and really want to say shut up b*** and left hook him in the jaw, but there's a problem, I have a copy of psalms and proverbs in my pocket and he's wearing an usa t-shirt in red white and blue, so it would be wrong to commit an act of violence on someone while have the scriptures on your person. It would be unpatriotic and beat someone down in a usa t-shirt so I say "you know what I'm not going to get in an inncodent with you today so I'll move the car" which I did, I'm proud of myself for handleing it that way. Btw this guy often parks in the ymca lot instead of his own driveway, what a bulls*** artist lol. The guy thanked me for moving the car and explained that his girl had her car broken into a number of times.What would you do?

Question: Are you REALLY finished as a fighter or are you REALLY finished as a boxer?

[Nutz]

the "move your car" option sounds civilized, but at the same time it is allowing him to get away with being an asshole and chances are that he will do it to someone else next time. Yes, he can mess up your car after you leave. That's why the police option sounds the best.

Ditto. There are already far too many assholes ruining this planet. Why let one more get away with being one when you don't have to? Forget the car, sometimes people like that just need to be taught a lesson in civility, only its best left for the police to do so.

Him calling the cops and embarassing himself would have been the option for me. Plus if something did happen to the vehicle there's a record of the prior altercation to go back to. In civil court those can go a long way towards restitution. Criminal court, not so much.

However, we must consider the opposite side of the coin. Did anyone consider that maybe he really did think the road was zoned for private parking (or may have even been fact and not his mistake at all)? Some streets are really that way...if you don't have that special sticker your car can be ticketed/towed.

[treelizard]

Some guy just got shot dead for not paying a $14 camping fee at Elephant Butte State Park in New Mexico.

"Here lies Joe Dumbsh*t. He got shot in the head 46 times because he didn't want to move his car."

[Nutz]

Some guy just got shot dead for not paying a $14 camping fee at Elephant Butte State Park in New Mexico.

http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/News_Killed_ParkFees.htm

Dumb ass [probably drunk] camper. Looks like the park ranger is up shit creek though (okay, bad pun).

[BoarSpear]

Alot of the soldiers over there bought a bill of goods from recruiters promising tuition and benefits in exchange for a weekend a month and two weeks during summer vacation.

if they were sold a "bill of goods" and killed then they didnt die for the cause, they died because they believed a sales pitch.

Those people were naive enough to believe the military has another purpose than war.....

And protesting a war based on lies is not giving comfort to the enemy... however, giving certain middle eastern countries kid glove treatment in the name of diplomacy IS giving comfort to the enemy

[shaolin-warrior]

once they enlist, there is doubt, but basic training (brain washing to become the perfect soldier) pumps them up. They become part of the machine. They don't just believe in the cause, but feel that they can make a real difference. I agree with you on that issue 100%.