How Politically incorrect is this? VJ day in RI!

[lovecraft68]

I live in RI (am I the only lit author that does?) and we are the only state that still celebrates VJ (Victory over Japan Day) I love it! Not only because it is a three day weekend for yours truly, but because it is considered politically incorrect to do so.

Every year some dink brings up that it is wrong to celebrate this day. How it glorifies killing people.

Yeah heaven forbid we celebrate the day that we got even for one of the most cowardly attacks in history.

We were pretty much minding our own business until Pearl Harbor. They ambushed us and we kicked their asses. Now we should be ashamed of ourselves.

I ask people who bitch about it all the time that if I punched them in the mouth wouldn't they punch me back? I suppose today they probably wouldn't they would run to their therapist.

And how does this make the brave people who fought the Japanese feel? They are now supposed to be reviled? Please.

So I would just like to tip my cap to my politically incorrect little state for not bowing down and kissing ass.

If you're Japanese and offended oh well, you should be ashamed of what your people did, not angry at us. If you are American and offended. There's a plane waiting to take you to Japan. I hear the nuclear plant is hiring.

 

[Handley_Page]

Please forgive my ignorance, but where is RI ?

 

[lovecraft68]

Please forgive my ignorance, but where is RI ?

Rhode Island. as east coast as you can get in the USA. Smallest state in the US and founded by Roger Williams.

 

[Stella_Omega]

My mother was raised in RI. And it's so funny-- I assume she lived in some town or city there, but she never mentions it-- it's always "Rhode Island."

 

[3113]

I ask people who bitch about it all the time that if I punched them in the mouth wouldn't they punch me back? I suppose today they probably wouldn't they would run to their therapist.

Spin off into hyperbole much? I was going to try and explain, but really, there's no point in discussing it with you if you're going to go stomping around screaming "I wanna celebrate killing evil monsters and I don't want anyone raining on my parade!" Or if all you want is to argue with someone--because there is no one to argue with there and damn it! You've got some good points to make! Or if you're going to resort to calling the other side names or insisting that people living in Japan now, most of whom weren't even born when Pearl Harbor happened ought to be ashamed Please. Are you ashamed of what America did to the natives? Do you want someone in your face telling you that you should be? You didn't do it. Why should you be ashamed?

I'm guessing that all those questions of "why? why? WHY?" were facetious and you really have no desire to understand the rational of the other side...why ruin a good three-day weekend? And I'm guessing that you're just fishing for people to agree with you--and luckily for you, the usual suspects here will heartily do so. Down with those evil politically correct folk! Right?

I just hope you weren't really expecting to convince or convert anyone who does understand the other side, because really, those tired old arguments you used didn't make a dent...and they came across to us as protesting a bit much. Enjoy the weekend.

 

[oggbashan]

At our local Remembrance Day events we had welcomed former German soldiers and entertained them at our British Legion and Ex-Servicemen's clubs. We have even had friendly contact with former Japanese soldiers despite having many veterans who had been prisoners of war treated appallingly by their Japanese captors in Burma. It doesn't happen now because the survivors are so old.

When I was in Australia in the early 1960s there was a newspaper-fuelled row because a RSL (Returned Servicemen's League) Club had accepted former German soldiers but not UK British because they were 'Pommies'.

Eventually it was discovered that yes, the club had accepted former Afrika Corps Germans and much earlier Turks who had fought against the ANZACs at Gallipoli and had later emigrated to Australia, but not one ex-UK serviceman - because he was a 100% asshole as well as being ex-service.

The ordinary soldiers found that they had more in common with each other than with the governments and politicians who sent them to war against each other.

The British Legion does not celebrate war. It's aim is peace because the price of war is so high and those who start wars don't fight them.

 

[TE999]

My mom and her family were Providence, RI natives and spoke of it fondly. Tales of 'Little Rhody' always came up in conversation whenever they'd get together. I lived there for the first eleven years of my life until my folks moved to Florida to start a business.

 

[lovecraft68]

Spin off into hyperbole much? I was going to try and explain, but really, there's no point in discussing it with you if you're going to go stomping around screaming "I wanna celebrate killing evil monsters and I don't want anyone raining on my parade!" Or if all you want is to argue with someone--because there is no one to argue with there and damn it! You've got some good points to make! Or if you're going to resort to calling the other side names or insisting that people living in Japan now, most of whom weren't even born when Pearl Harbor happened ought to be ashamed Please. Are you ashamed of what America did to the natives? Do you want someone in your face telling you that you should be? You didn't do it. Why should you be ashamed?

I'm guessing that all those questions of "why? why? WHY?" were facetious and you really have no desire to understand the rational of the other side...why ruin a good three-day weekend? And I'm guessing that you're just fishing for people to agree with you--and luckily for you, the usual suspects here will heartily do so. Down with those evil politically correct folk! Right?

I just hope you weren't really expecting to convince or convert anyone who does understand the other side, because really, those tired old arguments you used didn't make a dent...and they came across to us as protesting a bit much. Enjoy the weekend.

Oh I'm not as irrational as you think. We just go round and round with this every damn year here and it goes up my ass. In fact several years ago the RI Government made a declaration that they are celebrating the end of WW and not the death and destruction of millions of people to "take the edge off"

I hold nothing against the Japanese or anyone else until they start whining about something. Good point about he native Americans and I will go you one further. I don;t like the idea of apologizing for slavery as we abolished it years ago. However my main reason I am tired of hearing about that is it comes from "African Americans" who have to go back how many generations to get to when they were brought over here?

My point is it's a holiday her and get over it. I don;t believe in God but don;t protest Easter or Good Friday or Christmas. Just let people have their fun.

 

[lovecraft68]

My mom and her family were Providence, RI natives and spoke of it fondly. Tales of 'Little Rhody' always came up in conversation whenever they'd get together. I lived there for the first eleven years of my life until my folks moved to Florida to start a business.

So you know about "New York system Hot Wienies!" Amazing that they are only a New York and RI thing. My wife grew up in Boston and never heard of them. Damn things will kill you though.

There are more Rhode Islanders in FL then there are original Floridians at this point.

 

[lovecraft68]

My mother was raised in RI. And it's so funny-- I assume she lived in some town or city there, but she never mentions it-- it's always "Rhode Island."

What city was she raised in if you don;t mind my asking? I was born and raised in Providence but currently live in Pawtucket, one block from Mass so I can run across the border if I have too.

Oh no wait the in laws live in Mass. Damn.

 

[Stella_Omega]

What city was she raised in if you don;t mind my asking? I was born and raised in Providence but currently live in Pawtucket, one block from Mass so I can run across the border if I have too.

Oh no wait the in laws live in Mass. Damn.

She never mentions it...

 

[jayce1066]

A couple of years ago I was in Springfield, MA to deliver some training. Hopped over to Providence one evening for dinner (mainly because RI was the only state in the lower 48 I'd not visited). One of the Springfield people recommended an Italian place. Being a long time Lovecraft fan, I was delighted to discover that it was in the Federal Hill district. Didn't see any tentacled horrors slouching down the street though.

 

[TE999]

So you know about "New York system Hot Wienies!" Amazing that they are only a New York and RI thing. My wife grew up in Boston and never heard of them. Damn things will kill you though.

There are more Rhode Islanders in FL then there are original Floridians at this point.

Heh! My mom called hot dogs 'weenies' and 'wieners' all her life. We'd always stop off and eat some 'Noo Yawks' before or after our excursions to Roger Williams Park.

All the Floridians are in North Carolina and Tennessee running gift shops and restaurants.

 

[lovecraft68]

A couple of years ago I was in Springfield, MA to deliver some training. Hopped over to Providence one evening for dinner (mainly because RI was the only state in the lower 48 I'd not visited). One of the Springfield people recommended an Italian place. Being a long time Lovecraft fan, I was delighted to discover that it was in the Federal Hill district. Didn't see any tentacled horrors slouching down the street though.

No you have to go down to Kennedy Plaza in downtown to see those. There is great walking tour done every year on LC's birthday that takes you through the east side and to several of the buildings that some of his stories took place in.

 

[lovecraft68]

She never mentions it...

I wouldn't either. If I ever leave I'm going to make up a cooler place to have come from. BTW Stella read the story you put on lit. Very hot and glad to see you are going to post more.

Question though, I have never written in that category and I noticed your score did not seem that high. It was a good piece are they usually that tough over there?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Slavery.

In my collection of family records is a memoir of Union General E.Parker Scammon. He was a West Point classmate of my ancestors brother, and befriended by my ancestor in 1839 when Scammon was ill and left behind by the US Army in Florida during the Seminole War. George Ward brought Scammon home and cared for him till he recovered.

In his memoir of the Seminole War Scammon talked about life at Wards plantation, and indicated that Ward took good care of his slaves. Ward owned 200 slaves. Scammon contrasted and compared slavery with wage slaves up north; planters were generally stuck with slaves till they died whereas wage-slaves were usually fired when their youth and vigor were spent. Family letters document that Wards daughter, my ancestor, was caring for elderly ex-slaves 25 years after emancipation. She worked as a teacher to support them. Her daughter, my ancestor, indicated that most of them were blind.

Contrary to popular mythology slaves were generally treated well before the war, but seriously abused by employers after the war. Planters didnt have the luxury of abusing slaves cuz most were collateral for loans, expensive to buy, and necessary to cultivate and harvest cotton, rice, and indigo. After the war no one had an investment in slaves and black labor was plentiful. The state could pluck a man outta his corn field and send him to your mine or cotton plantation or forest without an iota of legal processing. The real horrors of slavery occurred from 1865-1925 when slavery no longer existed.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I wouldn't either. If I ever leave I'm going to make up a cooler place to have come from. BTW Stella read the story you put on lit. Very hot and glad to see you are going to post more.

Question though, I have never written in that category and I noticed your score did not seem that high. It was a good piece are they usually that tough over there?

Thank you!
Men mostly don't think it's fappable, and that's the only reason they go to the lesbian section.

Women love it, though, which is why the score is as high as it is.

I see some flaws in it, personally... it's a really old story that I did some repairs on, but maybe not enough.

 

[lovecraft68]

Thank you!
Men mostly don't think it's fappable, and that's the only reason they go to the lesbian section.

Women love it, though, which is why the score is as high as it is.

I see some flaws in it, personally... it's a really old story that I did some repairs on, but maybe not enough.

Yeah I have weird turn of mind. For as obnoxious as I am, the wife insists I think more like a woman in a lot of situations. I suppose she maybe right as my series is written from a female POV.

So your score is considered high over there? I'm spoiled by incest category where it is easy to get a 4.5. They are an easy to please crowd.

I once read an essay by Asylum Seeker who commented that if you couldn't score a 4.3 in incest hang it up. Sad to say he is right.

Well I look forward to more of your old/new stuff.

 

[Stella_Omega]

If I'd written it for men my score would be higher.

That's one reason I took my stories off of lit in the first place...

 

[stephen55]

The ordinary soldiers found that they had more in common with each other than with the governments and politicians who sent them to war against each other.

Wars are fought between nations. They are started by politicians, not by soldiers.

They are started by (almost always) men who will never be shot at, bombed or burned and who have friends in the arms industries who get paid $$$ to make the weapons.

Dubya and Dick come to mind.

Mission accomplished!!

...our mission...

 

[stephen55]

Slavery.

Contrary to popular mythology slaves were generally treated well before the war

This explains why blacks were voluntarily lining up at the slave auctions.

 

[3113]

My point is it's a holiday her and get over it.

Does this mean that you'd be okay if the Japanese started celebrating Pearl Harbor Day with barbecues, a day off, parades and the waving of Japanese flags? Oh, and calls to the U.S. saying, "Sunk your battleships, bitches!"

Just curious.

I'm willing to celebrate this weekend with you, however, if we can change the name to: "The day we dropped an atom bomb on a country so that they could be rebuilt and become technologically superior to us and make a lot of money with popular entertainment involving robots and giant monsters."

I think accuracy is important.

 

[Weird Harold]

... "The day we dropped an atom bomb ...

I think accuracy is important.

Yes, accuracy is important. It makes me wonder why this thread was posted on Hiroshima Day instead of VJ Day -- which is next Sunday, Aug 14th, not this weekend.

 

[lovecraft68]

Does this mean that you'd be okay if the Japanese started celebrating Pearl Harbor Day with barbecues, a day off, parades and the waving of Japanese flags? Oh, and calls to the U.S. saying, "Sunk your battleships, bitches!"

Just curious.

I'm willing to celebrate this weekend with you, however, if we can change the name to: "The day we dropped an atom bomb on a country so that they could be rebuilt and become technologically superior to us and make a lot of money with popular entertainment involving robots and giant monsters."

I think accuracy is important.

Now see you really hit a nerve there! Not so much for me but with many, I think that is where war turned into just politics. We destroy them then rebuild them. This was the precourser to what we consider war today. Soldiers going door to door knocking on them and asking if you are a bad guy or not. Because we will no longer accept civilian casualties. Years ago Afghanistan would have been a smoking crater before the second tower feel, instead of Bush giving Bin Laden weeks to hide before doing anything.

As fore a Pearl Harbor day in Japan or over here? Go ahead as long as I don't have to celebrate it, that's fine they can do whatever they want.

I still think it serves them right what Godzilla did to them though.

 

[oggbashan]

Yes, accuracy is important. It makes me wonder why this thread was posted on Hiroshima Day instead of VJ Day -- which is next Sunday, Aug 14th, not this weekend.

As far as I am aware, the Peace Memorial at Hiroshima still does not mention Pearl Harbor, nor that the Japanese attacked other nations before declaring war.