The Cantina and Diversity

M

munk

Joined
Mar 22, 2002
Messages
15,742
You know, I've never asked anyone. I mean, we go by words on the screen in front of us. The ultimate race and religion blind slate. We're past the point of being proud we are so 'accepting'; I don't think anyone here even looks at this time old question that way. It's just not there. Who cares if one has darker skin and celebrates ancient Celtic tradition? (talk about juxaposition) Priding even handed treatment is still a form of patronization. The Cantina is even handed because that's the way it is; we judge men and women by their intentions of the heart and their actions.

But I was thinking; does the Cantina have any Blacks at all? And women, why do we have so few?
We know we have more than a few Aliens, even with Josh gone, and Zombie sympathezers- yep, they're here alright, biding their time. NDN's, Hindus, Baptists, Atheists, Republicans, Mexicans, Europeans, even someone from FRANCE, and that's as far as it goes. Are there any Americans here, or other nations, who are also referred to as 'Black'?

Just wondering.


I'm a Scots-Irish mongrel myself.


munk
 
That's weird. I've never thought about it. Not sure I want to.

It's ok if you do Munk, not saying that.

I don't really have a picture in my mind of how folks here look, except the ones who have posted pics.

One of the great things about the internet, is that you can share in something, like khukuris, and leave all of the baggage like race, etc. behind. You can be just "folks".

It may just be my non-confrontational nature, but it scares the hell out of me to even bring up the question.

Steve
 
You know I was just thinking about that, Munk. That's one thing that struck me as "odd" when I was fledgling to the knife community. This is a diverse crowd. Not just in the Cantina, but across the board. When I started coming to BF to research a knife purchase I was fully expecting a barbarian horde of rebel-flag-wavin, "colored"-chasing, go-out-'n-keelt-me-sumpthin degenerates. How utterly and stupidly wrong I was. How absolutely self-rightious I was to think that I was the only person on the earth interested in knives that had higher than a 3rd grade reading level. Actually, after a good stint of searching and lurking I found that I was probably on the lower end of the IQ and wealth curve compared to many. This place, especially the Cantina, opened my eyes, and I have never felt like I more like I belonged anywhere than I do here.
I do remember a post some time back in the couple of years that followed 9-11. I believe that Bill posted up something about a person that wanted to join in our discussion, but felt that because he was a follower of Islam that he might be verbally abashed. I don't know if he ever joined our talks, but I think I remember at least 20 something posts saying "Yes, please join us! We want to hear what you have to say. We want to know more about your practices."
I never thought about it, but I never even think to try to imagine what y'all look like. I've seen a lot of you via pics and videos. Some of you are one of the beautiful people, others of you look like average Joes like myself. The point is that your merit here in the Cantina is the first and foremost thing that I notice.

Jake
 
I recall listening to two exchange students, one "French" and one "German." argue about which "race" had the superior culture - French or German.

All I can remember thinking at the time is that the Franks were a german tribe named (IIRC) by the Romans for their throwing axes. So we had two germans arguing over which sub-group of germans had the "superior culture" -- based on which had absorbed the most OR the least from the Italians???
 
Humans first.

Steve, I was uncomfortable and finally decided it would be OK I was surprised there was a mental barrior.


About Knife folks:

I found this forum while looking for a throwing hawk. I was researching knives- the steel mostly. Trying to find the 'best'. It was over my head immediately. That's another subject; how simple tools can or are complex. Guns I thought complicated. Actually, they are straight forward machines. The steel type is fairly standard- there are three or four common steel types and that's it. No one goes into a gun shop and asks how much nickel is in the steel. Anyway, for the most part, I thought the knife people friendlier than the gun folks. Today I'm not so sure, but that was my first impression. Even the 'expert's were willing to share. There is at least one forum on BF that unless you are 'in' you won't get much response. It's not HI.

I was thinking that knife folks were likely to be confederate flag waving, race baiting, beer swilling, ninja in comic books attaining Fat Heads. Wasn't the case.

munk
 
I was thinking that knife folks were likely to be confederate flag waving, race baiting, beer swilling, ninja in comic books attaining Fat Heads. Wasn't the case.
Click to expand...

You're damn right!
I dont drink beer!
 
Was listening to Neal Bortz before the holiday's and he said that there is a study going on that White people are a genetic mistake...just food for though


Southern white male here, although..I
1..Do not drink beer

2..I refuse to watch nascar

3..I do not own a "battle" flag much less a Confederate flag...I made some belts that had it on there though a couple weeks ago:D

Yup i am your average southern angry white male!;)


DavegeneticfreakB.
Azrael's Custom Leather
 
I was thinking that knife folks were likely to be confederate flag waving, race baiting, beer swilling, ninja in comic books attaining Fat Heads.
Click to expand...
My politically correct friends made me fold up the ol' Stars and Bars; the doc said I had to give up beer swilling; even with bifocals I can't read the print in them there comics no more; 7 5/8 is just an XL according to the size chart. But bait racin', now, that's something else - line you up some night crawlers and poke 'em with a stick, see who crosses the line first - oh, wait, you said... Never mind:o
 
I have never stopped to think about it. Anyone is welcome with this bunch. Y'know statistically, we are a small small bunch on the net. There's probably not a large enough population sample to gather a largely diverse group of users. I do know of one or two African Americans, that I regard like brothers, that do some lurking here. They are around and welcome. you know who you are.

Reminds me of a story. My grandmother opened the first restaurant in East Tennessee, and possibly the state that would serve anyone of any race, in the regular dining room tables. I guess this was 50's or 60's, I am not sure. She was a kind woman, Cherokee and white. Grandfather was full, but he never acted like an Indian, I'm digressing.. Anyway, fast forward to some of my martial arts teachers of my youth. I studied under an individual that taught my father, he was like a legend in our little town. He was an African American man that came up in the martial arts fighting discrimination in that arena as well. It's strange, learn martial arts from Asians to discriminate against blacks here in the US. I never understood this. Anyway, fast forward to my twenties when I was about to embark on my FIRST attempt at that beautiful endevour called marriage, and I was honored to have my teachers at my wedding. I will always remember standing proudly by my teacher and hearing him say to me..."Who is that?" I was looking around for a bridesmaid or someone, anyone except the person he was pointing out. That? The older woman there? Yes. That's my grandmother. He said, "all this time.. all this time" and he asked me to introduce him. I was puzzled, but I introduced her. I had no idea what was going on. She had a warm smile and greeted him with kindness, as she did everyone.

Later he told me the story about what happened. Before he joined the Army and went to Okinawa, and came back and became the legendary martial artist of our little town, he was working at a factory or somewhere. He was in his teens, and remembered going to the back doors of restaurants because that is the only way they could get food from them. His people were "not allowed" to go to the front, much less eat in the front with everyone else.
He said that of my grandmother's little restaurant, that it was the first time he could go into a restaurant, sit down and eat in the front and feel like someone normal. He went there about every day and always remembered the kind woman that ran the restaurant, even when she grew old and wrinkled with grey hair.

I would like to say the story had a happy ending. With the little Indian owned restaurant that served anyone of any race or color or religion, came death threats, including to the children and I had the impression there were some other ugly things that the family would not tell me. The restaurant, although successful, was closed down after some time.
 
I'm pretty big on editing posts to correct misspellings partly because I don't want to make the forums look like they're being populated by some of the stereotypes that Steely and Munk mentioned.

As far as women on the forums, I know that we have Morgane, Yangdu, Red Flower, and Mamav (has she been posting much lately?). I think that the main reasons for lack of more gals on the forums are that fewer of them are into knives/khukuris and fear of being hit on by perverted dweebs.

Bob
 
On the surface, I'm your typical downtown Toronto girl: Too skinny, too pale, wears too much black. Though I try and keep it to a minimum, sometimes my utterances get me in trouble with my urban queer pals. Thinking exessive gun control is a bad joke has gotten me disinvited to some nice cocktail parties, and I've lost a few more friends and lovers when they found out I want to go hunting again too.

The average woman can think of 400 wiser purchases than a khukuri at any given moment, so it's not a terrible shock that there aren't more women on the forum. It's too bad, because some of the knives here are more useful and just plain better than a lot of the knives we use every day. We're not getting these khukuris at Wallyworld either, we're doing something called Fair Trade or or Value for Work when beads, a hemp sarong, or The Body Shop is involved.
 
My friends,
You make me hopeful for the human race.
Munk, good thread.
Lions Roar, great story.
Morgane, you sound interesting.
Berkley, you crack me up.:)


Steve
 
Me? I'm a human stew-pot! :D only race I don't have is black.(that's my bloodlines not racism)

I have believed since I was younger that no matter what race;religeon or creed you may be you're human and God made you,so that makes you a brother or sister period.
 
YOU MEAN THAR MITE BE BLACKS RUNNIN' 'ROUND HERE?? AND....AND...OTHER M-Y.....M-Y-N-O-O-RRR......MIN.....AW DAGNABBIT!!! I MENT TO SAY FOLKS WHAT AINT WHITE AN' DON'T LIKE BOCEPHUS!!??

Dangitall!! ah wuz jus' a feexin' ta' invite everywon over to my shak in the swamp for some fresh cot katfish,gatortail,an'crawdiddies!!

(anyone even remotely tempted to take the above posting seriously, please note my location in Alaska...where we don't have catfish, alligators,crayfish, or swamps):D
 
As most of you know I was given a Sweatlodge and the privilige/right to run it and It has always been an open Lodge as far as race, color, creed, religion, or whatever is concerned. One night we had a new white lady show up with some friends.
In the course of conversation she asked me what I thought of white people.
I told her, "Why I have nothing against the whites, some of them are my best friends."
All the skins and extended family got "it" and laughed. She never did figure "it" out. ROTFLMRRAO!!!!:thumbup: :D :D :D :D

And there have been folks of all colors from several parts of the world in our Lodge. Prayers have been offered to Unelanvhi the Cherokee Great Mystery to Allah and all in between, after all they are all headed to the same place.:thumbup: :)
 
Shoshoni/Seminole/Irish/Italian here, looks like we still didnt find what we were looking for. :D
 
No swamps or crayfish in Alaska, RWS? Crayfish in one species or another have a huge range, almost all of every continent. Sure they're not just hiding?
 
Morgane said:
No swamps or crayfish in Alaska, RWS? Crayfish in one species or another have a huge range, almost all of every continent. Sure they're not just hiding?
Click to expand...

Swamps....hmmmmm....it could be a matter of perspective. But certainly a far cry from the good ole Okeefenokee anyways.

Crawdads....well....I guess I was wrong in a sense....


http://147.72.68.29/crayfish/country_pages/state_pages/Kenai_crawfish_2004.htm

Off to swill some more cheap beer, kick my pitbull and feed 'im some more gunpowder. Gott git 'im sec-yer-ity trained ya' know....;)
 
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