Quote:
Originally Posted by boot
I'm sure my posts rub alot of people the wrong way (some intentional... some not so intentional).
One of the main issues I have with using the "Asian description" excuse on this forum is that it provides no real benefit, except to stereotype. As an example, what if I owned a beige toyota sienna? I would honestly feel threatened, due to the attitudes on this forum. Imagine me and a couple of buddies coming out of a beige toyota sienna. Could I expect my tires to be deflated or slashed? Windows smashed? Maybe a physical altercation? How many ignorant yahoos does it take to cause some serious harm? Let me answer that... only 1. Lucky for me, I don't own a beige sienna, but I pity any Asian angler that does, because the only description we have is Asian.
Anyhow, the stories go on and on. Lucky for me, I don't typically fish the areas that have so far been "Asian poached", but I would be seriously uncomfortable fishing those lakes with some of the attitudes that get expressed on this forum.
Am I an expert in racism, poaching or fishing pressure? No, absolutely not, but that won't stop me from expressing my opinion and maybe helping to change things little by little.
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if you felt threatened just because you own the same vehicle as a poacher.... then you have insecurity issues. 999,999 of 1,000,000 can understand that one case or in your example one beige sienna driver doesn't imply that all other beige sienna drivers are going to be the same person. And 99% of that 1 in 1,000,000 dont have the balls to actually confront someone anyways. Just run to the internet to act tough. Step out from your shelter my friend. If you paint the world with such a coarse brush as you do the racists then you are really no different. Seriously, if your that paranoid that mankind is so terrible that you are afraid that because you share a the color of skin/ vehicle as one reported poacher, that they will lash out against you then you are no better. If you want to truely benefit and help change the way society thinks then I suggest you take your own advice and "stand up" but not on the internet but where your hidden. thats what the racists do. drive that beige sienna with pride, fish legally, and when someone says oh theres a beige mini van and sees you releasing your fish they will go... "oh, i guess thats not them, maybe toyota made more than one...." and from then on they probably wont even notice when a beige minivan pulls up.
I take it from the tone of your post that you are of an eastern ancestral decent. Given your paranoia of backlash against something that people post online, I think you are a little sensitive to the word "asian". and honestly do not take it the wrong way but I seriously think that you need to get some thicker skin (no racial pun intended). I have several asian friends. and I know that several on this forum of that decent do not find the word at all to be negative. It definitely can be used negatively...... but in terms of identifying an individual, a very functional tool. and someone laid it out very well earlier in this thread but I will try to put it a different way. If I was a sketch artist and I was sketching a culprit..... Ethnicity is a crucial starting point. Blacks, Whites, Browns, and asians have very very very different facial features. and yes, I am sure that Chinese and Japanese and whoever else do too. However, socially they are typically grouped together. Not because we are being racist whites. but because in our culture, we have never had to distinguish between the two like one would if they were livign in china or japan. Also, the physical characterises between the two cultures are very similar. In some individuals it is easier to distinguish between the two cultures but in several it is not. Especially when they are "westernised". Eye shape, nose, facial shape, facial structure. These would all be crucial to a sketch artist for an ACCURATE depiction of a culprit. All these features are different across blacks, whites, browns and asians. If i was sketching someone and the witness at the last minute said oh and hes black. I would smack him upside the head because i would need to start my drawing all over again. As stated above. It is not and should not be a negative word. unfortunately it some times is used in a negative tense. and I know several that agree with me. And seriously, if you have a problem with that, then you damn well better learn how to distinguish between a Canadian and an american because i know lots of people that would want to punch the person in the face for grouping the two in the same category...... good luck with that.