Gay tourist healing after Caribbean island attack

Miami Herald ^ | 5/9/2006 | Steve Rothaus

[Ingtar]

First SUV's that cause accidents and now islands that beat people. What is the world coming to?

[MikefromOhio]

It should yes...

[FormerLib]

I'm not the one being embarrassed by this exchange, but you can keep reading illogical conclusions into other peoples statements all that you like.

Just expect to be called on it.

[FerdieMurphy]

...so why don't you just stop embarrassing yourself?

Au contraire, mon ami.

(A little French lingo there to show I bear no animosity towards little froggies or homosexuals for that matter.)

Mike, it is you who becomes an embarrassment. You're picking a fight over absolutely nothing. You see "homophobics" (love that term) that are non-existant.

I stay out of bars on Castro Street.

[Sans-Culotte]

I agree with the post in #30, that pointing out how one's behavior can provoke violence is something worth noting. It does not excuse or condone it, but it is worth noting.

However, you win the "Mr Sensitive" award for this thread. You can keep posting the same reply, thus proving you are 180° degrees removed from homophobia, but we already get it.

[FormerLib]

Mike is oversensitive.

That would appear to be a polite way of putting it.

[conserv13]

a near-fatal gay bashing

Thats exactly what is was.

[FormerLib]

They already have that information but it does them no good after the fact.

[Antonello]

No one suggested that you should, but it is important to know that there are people out there who will react in that manner and that one should not do things to provoke them.

Does that apply to knowing that there are people out there who will react to publishing certain cartoons of a certain religious icon as well? Should one not do that since it may provoke them?

[Jimmy Valentine]

This does not sound quite right. They were on the French side of St. Martin, which is the relaxed, tolerant, very European side.

Either they were someplace they should not have been (native bar) or they were getting up to some serious hanky.

Crime on the island is more of the "steel your wallet" type, not serious violence.

[Sans-Culotte]

LOL, I posted before reading all the "sensitive" posts.

[conserv13]

what assault does he and the rest of his cohorts do to the country, especially our children?

You are right! Just the other day 'he and his cohorts' bashed me and my children over the head with a tire iron just because I was straight!

My kids are still recovering but I'm doing fine, thanks!

[FerdieMurphy]

The first story in the Miami Herald stated that the two were kissing and fondling at the bar. Not the healthiest thing to do when in a foreign country and you haven't had a chance to understand what is considered the "norm" by the locals.

All St. Maartin bars are as full of "natives" as they are of tourists.

[FormerLib]

Does that apply to knowing that there are people out there who will react to publishing certain cartoons of a certain religious icon as well?

Actually, I would choose not to publish such a cartoon just because it accomplishes no good while being provocative.

[CheyennePress]

It just figures that someone on FR would try to justify this....no I don't agree with their lifestyle but I'll be damned if I try to harm anyone over it.

The poster wasn't trying to justify it.

I don't think overreaction is fair here. You and I both know what's going to happen to one of us if we walk into a mosque in the Middle East and urinate in the ritual purifying fountain. No questions asked.

[Bahbah]

Thats exactly what is was.

It was a physical assault on a gay man. A reporter describing such an event would not say, for example, that the assailant "bashed" the victim with a tire iron. He would say he "struck" him. The term "gay bashing" is used to describe a much wider field of activities. This is agenda journalism, not an attempt to stay with who, what, where, when rules.

[catmanblack.]

Next people will say that the man boy love thing is normal age should not matter. Why not allow sheep in bars to, kinda bring your own mammal thing. Aids is really a cia disease(you know manufactured), stay away from strait people are you might catch it!!!!!!

[FormerLib]

But I did get a good chuckle out of your post.

Not that you should assume that I'm justifying anything by my having done so, you realize.

[Conservative4Ever]

Their behavior in the bar does not deserve that. I'm not condoning their lifestyle, but the attack was barbaric.

[Bahbah]

a near fatal attack doesn't draw as much controversy

That is, in part, exactly the point I was trying to make.