Dear O Sung Wu,

I think we can all identify with moments where
we should have said things differently. Moments
where we might say to ourselves afterward,
Gee I shouldn't have said that, or maybe, I should
have said it differently.

Most of us realise that it is important to be
conscious and compassionate and act with great civility.
However, we're all reluctant (or should be) to
forsake your own wisdom. What's more important?
Losing one's face, or losing one's integrity?

I think that we have to be secure and unafraid of
speaking our own mind. If our intentions are not just
to win the game, then we can feel good that we have
spoken our minds without malice or anger but just from the
depths of our truth.

I have to admit that the greatest problem I encounter on
this forum comes from posters you keep
harping on about the same thing, or harking back to
previous arguments. This I find is rarely productive and
you always end up going round in circles. I also don't
like posts that are deliberately designed to provoke
an angry response. But on a public forum such as this one,
I suppose it is normal to encounter all sorts of people.

Forum etiquette states that we should avoid personal
attacks, pettiness, abuse. That we should respect other
posters and if we disagree with them we should explain why.

Of course, as we all know - when the right buttons
are pushed - all this goes out the window.

This doesn't mean however - that we shouldn't keep on trying
to raise the bar of discussions - if we can.

Gosh, now I'm sounding like a school-teacher ...
(or a librarian) ;-)

Oh wait ...

Foxy,
Given your last two posts to O sung Wu, I am quite surprised that you have not the strength of character to withdraw your racial slur about Australia that you made on the 18-4-2014 here on OLO.

You presented your opinions as 'facts' and you know that is wrong and you should withdraw the remarks and admit that you made them.

I cannot imagine any genuine Australian deliberately misrepresenting our country by writing such 'facts'

Remember you said, "People who are in denial about racism in this country are simply ignorant. Lets look at the facts.
We imprison brown asylum seekers.
We once celebrated our national day with a white racial riot.
There were assaults on Indian students.
A little political organization called One Nation and of course 'the Intervention'
The holistic beak of our long hawkish treatment of indigenous Australians"

Dear Banjo,

If you can provide us with facts to substantiate
your claims that we don't do that.
I will happily apologise.
In the meantime the facts I presented as given by
articles found in the media - stand.

You are entitled to your opinion and being in denial,
of course. But that does not make your opinion
factual.

Dear Banjo,

BTW:

1) We do imprison brown asylum seekers.
2) We did once celebrate our national Australia Day
with a white racial riot - remember Cronulla?
3) There was a political organisation called - One Nation.
4) The "Intervention," did take place.
5) There were attacks on Indian students.
And these are not things that I have made up as "racial slurs."
These were events covered fully in the media by various
commentators.

There are also quite a few reports -
such as Mapping Social Cohesion (MSC)
done last year by Monash University's Prof.
Andrew Markus for the Scanlon Foundation that cite
racism and discrimination as among the chief concerns of new
migrants.

Good evening to you FOXY...

And I'm one of the worst offenders I'm afraid tending to reach straight for the jugular instead of arguing my case in quieter more measured tones. No excuses either, though I guess my former vocation doesn't allow one to launch into a spirited but respectful debate because there's always someone listening, ready to condemn or repeat anything you've allegedly said. Even then, what they don't know, they'll embellish upon what they 'think' they've heard, and run with that ?

Next thing you know, you're before the Local Area Command Superintendent, trying to explain your way out of statements you've never made ? So when you have the opportunity to 'unload' on some poor bugger on OLO or the Forum, 'AND' with total anonymity, you tend to go for it ? As I said FOXY, no excuses for my acerbic tongue, I'm afraid ? Just condemnation and revulsion.

Dear O Sung Wu,

You are someone I admire greatly.

You speak from your heart - always.

You are a gentleman and have integrity.

And your contribution to this forum has
been of great value and is deeply appreciated.
Not only by me - but I would say by most.

Take care - and know that you are valued highly.