busySo the Baptist protesters showed up to find ... a fannish counter-protest. A horde of fans, mostly in costumes and waving magnificently creative signs, demonstrated in favor of diversity and whimsy and good plain fun. The Baptists quickly left. There was no violence -- the fans simply weirded them away. Highly conservative people evidently are not comfortable with brightly colored spandex and signs that say "God Loves Gay Robin."
One of the guest speakers also posted an account of the convention, with a mention of the protest and counter-protest.
Two interesting things occur to me here:
1) On a practical level, this counter-protest worked. It is therefore worth remembering in case other groups need to stage a counter-protest later.
2) According to Huna, or Hawaiian shamanism, "Energy flows where attention goes." Comics are popular; lots of people read them. Many of the characters are based on archetypes. A few are even based on deities. (Note the Thor sign reading "Odin Is God.") A prevailing theme in comics is justice: the idea of fighting to make the world a better place. Suppose we consider for a moment that there might be something to the idol-worship concept. We have a bunch of people pouring their attention into symbols of justice, valor, and good; those symbols can sometimes take on a life of their own and deliver a boost when invoked. When challenged, those comic fans dressed up like their heroes and stood up for what they believe in. So in other words ... they did something heroic. And it worked. And nobody got hurt. That is made of 100% gold-plated WIN.
Thoughts
July 23 2010, 20:15:46 UTC 10 years ago
I believe in the right of self-determination. They call themselves Baptists. I don't believe they are very good Baptists; some other Baptists are embarrassed by the fact that they call themselves Baptists. But they identify as Baptists.
I don't like it when people try to deny some aspect of my identity; frex, it offends me when someone says, "Oh, you're not really a witch." I am similarly put out when people try to negate transsexuals with, "You're not a man; you're just a woman pretending to be a man." Or whatever. If I want the moral high ground to condemn that kind of behavior, then it means I need to respect other people's choice of identity label. I can fairly say, "Those folks don't seem to be living up to the described ideals laid down by Christ," but it's not fair for me to say, "They are not Christians." Or not Baptists, in this case. Baptists are, that which people-who-call-themselves-Baptists are and do.
July 23 2010, 22:34:05 UTC 10 years ago
Yeah. My brain exploded a bit over that one. O_o
Well...
July 24 2010, 00:04:07 UTC 10 years ago
Usually, though, it doesn't take long for folks to figure out that the universe I inhabit is a great deal weirder and more magical than average, and that this is an area effect. Those who are polite to me get warnings, because I wouldn't want them to get hurt. Those who are not polite sometimes become warnings as I stand smiling with my hands behind my back while weirdness punctures the walls of their reality tunnel.
Re: Well...
July 24 2010, 04:18:04 UTC 10 years ago
Re: Well...
July 24 2010, 05:54:04 UTC 10 years ago
Fairies: "Dis guy botherin' you? Can I have his lunch huh huh can I?" *grab* *spill*
Karma Tribbles: "Oh, a jackass! We LOVE jackasses!" *purrrrrrr* *CRASH*
Pet Black Holes: "Shiny car key! Shiny jewelry!" *nab* *search hunt wail*
House: "Ah, a book. A shoe. Underwear. Someone might need these later." *zorch* *search hunt wail*
Not to mention assorted ancestors, totems, deities, the house ghosts, elemental spirits, characters who live in other universes but have figured out how to get into this one, et cetera ad infinitum.
There are reasons why I was about eight before I realized that when other people said things like, "Well, it didn't just grow legs and walk away," for them that was an accurate description of the world as they knew it. So when they came into my house and that rule suddenly didn't apply anymore, they had a reason to freak out.
That's not to say nobody ever gets away with offending me or screwing me over. But it's a risky business long before one gets to the point where I myself contemplate whether or not to retaliate ... and if I happen to be slow on the subliminal "No no don't!" damage-control, fertilizer can impact the rotating blades. Plenty of things like me, and some of them have little or no impulse control.
It makes life interesting.
Re: Well...
July 24 2010, 05:58:59 UTC 10 years ago
Re: Well...
July 24 2010, 06:16:43 UTC 10 years ago
Given that description, and based on interactions with other folks, I would suspect that you're capable of damping down at least some of the effects. This can be very, very useful. It's especially useful in a car, since one of my other field effects is warping spacetime. But if your attention slips, or I get excited enough, or I've gotten into caffeine and/or sugar, or something has charged up my energy level ... weirdness can ensue. Especially in a car. There are several folks who are pretty reliable dampers for me, but nothing is perfect. Having extras is handy.
It could be fun to meet up, sometime.
July 24 2010, 22:45:07 UTC 10 years ago
It's the Faerie Mafia!
(Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)