Firecat said:
But what about wearing expensive clothes, or wearing clothes with stains on them...? Conversations will go differently with people based on that also. People make all types of assumptions when they meet you.
Yeah, that is very true. However, there may not be a way of dressing or looking neutral, but wearing a shirt with a political slogan and wearing a shirt with no slogan or logo is completely different.
Firecat said:
I understand your point about provocation. I think there are limits, for example...someone wearing a shirt that reads "I hate niggers"...
Yeah, that's exactly my point. I am really not a politically correct person at all and am 100% behind freedom of expression, so I have no problem with Justin having a signature that includes an elephant pissing on the world 'Liberal'. It's an overtly political and unintelligent picture though (I'm not in any way meaning to say that Justin is unintelligent - I am saying that the image has barely any conceptual worth: it does not educated, it does not inform. It can only function on one level, and that is to provoke people) and there are certain repercussions that come with having political signatures like that.
justin syder said:
I think if you let it provoke you then, as stated by Firecat, its really not my problem.
Take it as it is, im not removing it. Im sorry that it bothers you that much but Im not going to be politically correct for you or anyone that dont like it.
I'll further my point here a bit, with the expense of turning this in to a rant. In my opinion, it would be quite improbable for a person wearing a "Ford Sucks" hat and a person wearing a "Chevy Sucks" hat to have a constructive conversation. I may be making a generalization here, but I really do think that branding yourself with unintelligent (I'm using the word in the same way I did earlier) slogans and images can only lead to lower quality discussions. The "Ford Sucks" guy isn't going to go up to the "Chevy Sucks" guy and say, "Hmmmm, I admire your hat, but can't say I agree with the sentiments you are expressing. Would you like to sit down, get a drink and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Ford and Chevy?". More likely, the "Ford Sucks" guy is going to walk up to the "Chevy Sucks" guy and punch him in the face, kick him in the balls, yell at him, or scream expletives at his face.
Now, lets take it a bit further. Wouldn't it be ironic if the "Chevy Sucks" guy was confused by the way "Ford Sucks" guy was treating him. He would come home to his wife and say "I just don't understand it, every time I go to the racetrack people yell and scream at me... I wonder what the problem is...". His observant wife would reply "well honey, I think that hat you wear may cause problems. You might just be bringing these reactions upon yourself".
Justin has told me that I'm taking signatures "too seriously", but I've spent the last 5 years of my life studying visual arts and semiotics. It may be the school, or it may just be common sense (most likely the common sense), but it seems pretty obvious to me that having a signature like his brings out certain reactions in people. Again, I have no problem with his signature personally, I just find it ironic that he expects discussions to go beyond "Bush is stupid" when he plasters every political discussion he enters with such an unintelligent image.