I must rant!

lokstah said:

Or, a fundamentally good 8th grader and forum regular comes to the Bloody Soapbox to angrily vent about being bullied, and the only two respondants who give him a hard time just happen to be resident conservatives.

A parade of members tell Ryan to "hang in there," "keep riding," and "consider moving some day to a place where he fits in better," and you come along and make a quip about the Columbine murders (on the anniversary of the tragedy, no less).

If this has become a thread about liberal Ryan railing against conservatives--including you and Zapp--it's because you baited the kid. Grow up.

Tell you what Lokie. Why don't you go to Owenboro and sit on the boys front porch. You can pat him on the back and make him feel all better. And the only ones who "buy" his story happen to be the resident liberals. He deserves what he gets.

Colorado Ryder said:

Tell you what Lokie. Why don't you go to Owenboro and sit on the boys front porch. You can pat him on the back and make him feel all better. And the only ones who "buy" his story happen to be the resident liberals. He deserves what he gets.

Could this just be a case study in empathy and compassion?

lokstah said:

Could this just be a case study in empathy and compassion?

Could be if we had more than Ryan's side of the story.

Colorado Ryder said:

Tell you what Lokie. Why don't you go to Owenboro and sit on the boys front porch. You can pat him on the back and make him feel all better. And the only ones who "buy" his story happen to be the resident liberals. He deserves what he gets.

Yeah and lok, take him a clicker when you go...

Colorado Ryder said:

Could be if we had more than Ryan's side of the story.

What we have is his. He's a 13-ish year old kid who likes to vent online, and had a bad week. Your nearly instant reaction to his post--and this is a forum called the Bloody Soapbox--was to make a harsh judgment of him. For someone interested in the complete "story," you didn't seem terribly hesitant to make a call then. In the time since, you've proceeded to bait the hell out of him; he's calling you an [censored] (deservedly) and you're telling him that he's getting exactly what he deserves (again, with little or no real real insight into what's going on in his world other than his complaints).

You're quick to suggest that we're jumping to Ryan's defense because he's a liberal, and his tormentors seem to be rural-types, but what about the converse? Isn't it possible you approached his story with resentment and skepticism because he's an outspoken liberal? Or do you consider yourself immune to that sort of bias?

lokstah said:

What we have is his. He's a 13-ish year old kid who likes to vent online, and had a bad week. Your nearly instant reaction to his post--and this is a forum called the Bloody Soapbox--was to make a harsh judgment of him. For someone interested in the complete "story," you didn't seem terribly hesitant to make a call then. In the time since, you've proceeded to bait the hell out of him; he's calling you an [censored] (deservedly) and you're telling him that he's getting exactly what he deserves (again, with little or no real real insight into what's going on in his world other than his complaints).

You're quick to suggest that we're jumping to Ryan's defense because he's a liberal, and his tormentors seem to be rural-types, but what about the converse? Isn't it possible you approached his story with resentment and skepticism because he's an outspoken liberal? Or do you consider yourself immune to that sort of bias?

Yeah he was judged quickly. It was obvious we were getting his whitewashed version. Just pat him on the back and make it all better. Wow I really baited him. Telling him to deal with his pent up anger before it consumes him. Which was a lot better than you telling him to get out of Dodge. Didn't take you long to fall into line with the underlying theme of the thread.
Read thru his posts. Seems he has a habit of calling people [censored] and such.

jhuskey said:

RED? Everything is green here now. Not much red at all.

Your state appears to be the "Reddest of Red" considering Sen. Frist is from Tennessee, no 😕

Colorado Ryder said:

Yeah he was judged quickly. It was obvious we were getting his whitewashed version. Just pat him on the back and make it all better. Wow I really baited him. Telling him to deal with his pent up anger before it consumes him. Which was a lot better than you telling him to get out of Dodge. Didn't take you long to fall into line with the underlying theme of the thread.
Read thru his posts. Seems he has a habit of calling people [censored] and such.

And you have a habit of dismissing, outright, persons you tend not to agree with. Ryan's noisy, and he has a big mouth, but he's also only 13-ish, and he's fairly thoughtful for his age.

Whitewashed, one-sided, liberal or not, the story we got was what he chose to share in good (albeit angry) faith. You second-guessed him right away, predictably, and now you're ridiculing me for mentioning compassion and empathy. It's clear you're low on both, and it's clear you judged Ryan quickly not because of his story, but because you resent him for being an outspoken liberal. All fine and dandy, except that you continuously point out biases in others while rarely owning up to yours.

lokstah said:

What we have is his. He's a 13-ish year old kid who likes to vent online, and had a bad week.

Which Ryan are we talking about here??? Lok, I accept that you are usually a fair minded individual and no doubt respect your knowledge when it comes to cycling but you need to step aside when it comes to psychiatry.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.

I punched a kid in the nose, that was the first time I ever did something of that sort....He was such an [censored] though. I felt really awkward & bad. He sure as hell left me alone though! I later...

Young Ryan the innocent little kid. Doubt it though…if he had, he would have been expelled.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.

Maybe I could rephrase the word "red neck". I could use "white trash" or "wigger". What I mean is; under cultured ignorant arrogant low life louts who just don't care were they are going in life. But...

Young Ryan…isn’t judgemental…

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.

Oh my god, I just saw a guy on one of the local channels. One of those evangelical morons, who was saying god spoke to him & said he wanted him to be president. He said "the will of god over the will of the people". I don't want to go on, I almost kicked the TV into the wall! !!!

Young Ryan, in need of Anger Management…and a “remote control”

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.
By the way, I have gotten into the habbit, of every once in a while........Stealing one of those little yellow magnet ribbons off cars when no one is looking & stick them in my jersey pocket & take off as fast as I can. It gives me a rush

Young Ryan…THE THIEF. Wonder if some of these people that call him names etc are aware of his little hobby…I wonder what has been stolen at school???

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.

Know what really pisses me off?

Yellow ribbons, red white & blue ribbons that say support our troops, god bless America, god bless our troops, I love the USA, & my favorite: 'These colors don't run'. These colors don't run, WHAT KIND OF REDNECK IGNORANT [censored] IS THAT

Young Ryan the “thread starter”…why do all his threads/posts seem so…well angry?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by ryan_velo.
Quite true, tough I have a different reason for wearing my anti-Bush/war t-shirts. I don't want to fit in with the rest. I'm not trying to identify with someone or something, only showing my dislike...

Finally, young Ryan wonders why everyone is “picking” on him. Lets say you walk into a mosque and wear a shirt that says “Muhammad was an [censored]”…wonder what would happen…. Nothing wrong with sticking to your point, believing in yourself but one doesn’t need to go out and look for trouble and this is where I think CO nailed it in an earlier post….We are only hearing one side of the story…

Bottom line save it for your parents….

lokstah said:

And you have a habit of dismissing, outright, persons you tend not to agree with. Ryan's noisy, and he has a big mouth, but he's also only 13-ish, and he's fairly thoughtful for his age.

Whitewashed, one-sided, liberal or not, the story we got was what he chose to share in good (albeit angry) faith. You second-guessed him right away, predictably, and now you're ridiculing me for mentioning compassion and empathy. It's clear you're low on both, and it's clear you judged Ryan quickly not because of his story, but because you resent him for being an outspoken liberal. All fine and dandy, except that you continuously point out biases in others while rarely owning up to yours.

I resent him because he's an outspoken liberal? I gave him better advice than you did. All you did was tell him leave. Great advice for a 13-14 year old. Why didn't you just tell he'll have to tough it out till he graduates or his parents move. Now that is what I call compassion. Typical of someone of your "bias". All talk and no solution.

Colorado Ryder said:

I resent him because he's an outspoken liberal? I gave him better advice than you did. All you did was tell him leave. Great advice for a 13-14 year old. Why didn't you just tell he'll have to tough it out till he graduates or his parents move. Now that is what I call compassion. Typical of someone of your "bias". All talk and no solution.

Actually I think I gave him the best advice...TALK TO HIS PARENTS...However Libs like to take the "Parents out of the loop" They want teachers and in this case "smurfs" raising our kids... 😠

Why wouldn't one just unsubscribe from the thread if they don't agree w/ ryan_velo after reading the first post 😕 I suspect there is more at work here, than is let on, by his detractor's. 'Ca m' etonne'

LMAO...has anyone stopped to see that Ryan-Velo...the starter of this thread...has stopped participating in his own thread. You guys all took something so simple, like a kid just wanting to vent...hence the title...and turned it into a slap session...

Someone create a new thread!!!

davidmc said:

Why wouldn't one just unsubscribe from the thread if they don't agree w/ ryan_velo after reading the first post 😕 I suspect there is more at work here, than is let on, by his detractor's. 'Ca m' etonne'

Ah, just go back to chasing your tail peabody...

jaguar75 said:

LMAO...has anyone stopped to see that Ryan-Velo...the starter of this thread...has stopped participating in his own thread.

How do you know crawfish head?

zapper said:

We are only hearing one side of the story…

I'll accept the summation above, Zapp, as being reason not to declare that "Ryan's getting exactly what he deserves." Who's calling him an angel? I've participated in all the threads you cited, and yes, Ryan's a little immature. You might say he's acting his age (13, we're assuming?). To be fair, you might also say the guys picking on him are acting their ages as well. They've got issues, and they act out. Ryan, feeling awkward and out of place, does the same.

I don't deny it. 8th grade is tough. Feeling like a Berkeley boy in an Owensborough world is likely tough.

A 13 year old kid comes into a forum full of adults who regulalry chat with him, and he's furious about the kids in his rural town who pick on him. Christ, what's the sense in telling him it's his fault, that he deserves it, or in likening him to the Columbine killers? What's the sense in that unless you're simply a forum rival of a different political disposition, and you feel like taking the opportinuty to start a little something?

I feel that you and I can manage dialouge, Zapp, and I dig chatting with you. I suppose that the resident libs and cons in the house are likely to approach Ryan's story with different glasses on--that's natural. I can respect that. It's just not too difficult to see how this thread-fight developed; I wonder if it just would have made more sense for those who sympathize with the kid to wish him well, and for those convinced there's more to the story to either seek out the other kids... or find another thread.

zapper said:

Actually I think I gave him the best advice...TALK TO HIS PARENTS..,

For the record, I don't have a problem with that advice, Zapp. Here's a gold star for tips on counseling kids.

jaguar75 said:

LMAO...has anyone stopped to see that Ryan-Velo...the starter of this thread...has stopped participating in his own thread. You guys all took something so simple, like a kid just wanting to vent...hence the title...and turned it into a slap session...

Someone create a new thread!!!

The beauty of the soapbox. Is there anything we won't run into the ground?

lokstah said:

For the record, I don't have a problem with that advice, Zapp. Here's a gold star for tips on counseling kids.

Good then why don't some of you libs offer that up to him cause he ain't gonna listen to a redneck conservative like me...

zapper said:

Good then why don't some of you libs offer that up to him cause he ain't gonna listen to a redneck conservative like me...

Without knowing too much about Ryan's classmates, I'm gonna venture a guess and say you've got a heap more class and wisdom in you than his redneck pals do. For one, you're into cycling. That counts for a lot. Goes for C.Ryder too, while I'm at this "props" thing (whoop, there it goes. Props done).