h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't understand all the negativity toward goths and freaks. Everywhere I go I am taunted and people mumble under thier breath. I understand they don't understand why I dress and act the way I do, but I do nothing to hurt them, and they continuosly hurt me. Not to mention things seem to be worse since that incident in colorado. I was wondering if maybe someone could provide some insight as to why people do this. I realize not are people who dress like me are nice people, but not all "normal" people are nice either.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm not a Goth or anything else like that, but I dress wierd and people give me a hard time. I could probably best describe myself as a Pseudo-Hippy obsessed with dying everything black. Badly.

But worse, sometimes I scare people. Old grannies who cross the street and middle aged office types who stare at the ground as they walk past.

Maybe a solution would be to dress normal, but so far I have found a friendly "Morning." does the trick.

Yes, but I still don't understand the problem, and just saying morning is only putting a band-aid on a gash, a quick fix to slip by. I was wondering if maybe someone could illuminate the weapon that made the wound.

I am afraid to say that the weapon that made the wound is once again the media and people's narrow minded inconsiderate nature.

Solutions: 1. Become a misanthrope.
2. Dress different
3. Ignore it.

Not very helpful, I know.

or find a way to fix it, but that would require the services of many people. but people have done it in the past, why couldn't I do it now?

Then we need many people. Only when we outnumber what is currently considered the 'norm' will we succeed. Rally around my battle cry, fellow wierdos, and we shall crush all who stand before us!

sounds like you're calling us to war, Elk. I dislike violence very much, only use it when very upset or very nessicary. Maybe there's a peacful way?

I to dislike violence and all it stands for, and not just because I'd lose.

I meant crush in a metaphorical sense. crush the system that holds us down and stuff like that.

Oh, it was just a throwaway revolutionary comment.

Cool poem, by the way.

I heard the cry for fellow weirdos, and came as fast as I could, to offer my support.

I REALLY CAN'T STAND INTOLERANCE!!!!!

Thank you. I feel better for that.

alot of people can't stand intolerence, but still alot of people do nothing about it. And that annoys me to no end. They sit and complain and do nothing to fix it. Complaining doesn't help, nor can it fix the problem. Only when people take action can any problem be fixed.

Intolerance is generally speaking the result of fear through ignorance. When an individual doesn't understand another individual/race/movement/species, they imagine a series of worst-case scenarios which could result from interacting with them. The "Cheery Hello" is more than a "Band-aid on a Gash" (or whatever - I wish you could look at the thread as you typed...) - it is an aid to understanding, at least that you share a common language if nothing else. Every little helps.

I agree totally.

What's worse, though is that sometimes people are intolerant (that's a bit of a weak word) just because its funny.

Wait a minute... aren't we being intolerant to intolerant people? (forget this comment - it can never be argued out)

Ah but it is argued out. Of course we're being intolerant. To Quote Tom Lehrer, "I know there are people out there who do not love their fellow human beings, and I HATE people like that!"
Ah well. Goth, Hippy, whatever, if enough of us are weird it becomes normal (or the fasion industry grabs it as their trying to with goth.) And if it becomes normal, we'd just have to wear suits to confond them all

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Thank you, and that'll be all folks.