I once was blind, but now I see... — Page 2

I hope you go to the police and report the incident. If the store had security cameras and there were any witnesses, they could probably find him on the description of the truck. Don't let it go! What he did was a serious crime and as JoAnne so perfectly said, "HATE MUST NEVER WIN"! Ever.

I had a bit of trouble in high school with a kid who would commit cowardly acts of vandalism, but never confront me. To make a long story short, my family woke up one morning to find "MATT IS A FAG" spray-painted on the front of our house. We knew who did it and we reported it. We reported anything that happened after that and he was caught. Turns out, he had confessed to terrorizing no less than 30 other families in various neighborhoods and had a criminal record in another city. Since he was 17, he was tried as an adult and went to prison. Though it wasn't just me or our family, the police told us that our relentless pursuit of justice led them to more actively investigate the case and aided in his capture.

Don't let it go.

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Tiff- trying to be happy: at least we still have CameraAngels boobs! But seriously, that is horrible and you should kill of his family, one by one. slowly. painfully. infront of his eyes. hehe.

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I'm sorry, Tiff. That is just so wrong.

And certainly don't let this be a negative in your decision process for law school. Instead, you need to use it as a reason WHY you should possibly do law school. You now know what it feels like and you can help those that feel helpless for having experienced the same thing. That's the reason to be an advocate for the people... to create change.
Yes, the odds that you will completely revolutionize the world are slim (though you could)... but things like this start small. And you will feel better about yourself for having done something and improved the lives of others.

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Tiff--I just wanted to say that I was really horrified to read your account of what happened today. I don't really have anything heartening to add that hasn't already been expressed by our fellow posters in more a eloquent and thoughtful way than I could possibly manage. I just wanted to say that I'm glad that you're safe and in one piece, though a verbal assault can certainly be just as damaging as phsycial violence. I hope you are able to report this sorry excuse of a man, and I hope you reconsider your aspirations to go to law school. It would be an utter shame for you to feel so disheartened that you actually believe that you can't make an influence. Of course it seems that one person's actions don't make a difference in this supremely corrupt world, but just imagine if everyone gave up! It takes a little bit here and there to chip away at injustice, and I hope you decide to follow through and pick up your little chisle (hell, those stilettos would serve as a lovely little chisle!). I know I'm here with mine, trying to pick away in whatever small way I can, and it seems that most people on this board are up to do whatever small part they can to change things for the better (you're just more ambitious than most, hoping to go into law, rather than most of us who just try to make a small difference by being welcoming, compassionate people, or what have you).

Best of luck. Listen to some empowering music. Let your frustrations out. Don't sit back. Take action in whatever way you can. Know that we're all sending positive vibes your way (hoping they can help, even if it is in only in the smallest of ways).

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Updated On: 12/14/04 at 11:07 PM

I wish I could come up with a response as eloquent and well thought out as your guys's posts so far, but I'm not in the right emotional or mental state for eloquency, so I'll just continue to say my thanks to you guys.

I am still considering going to the police. I won't be hard to track down the guy, even without his license plate # - he used Interac for his purchase, which is how our interaction began in the first place. And of course my libel-soaked criminologist mind has been racing for the last few hours of charges I could nail him with - I guess what I'm concerned about is that all my efforts will be moot (I mean, many people who are convicted of various homicide offenses don't get jail time), and unfortunately in this problematic justice system, and without me being, well, dead or even injured, I don't know what affect my pressing charges against him will do. If anything, it may be a rallying cry for others like him, who may be reinforced by the fact that this system is doing nothing to those who deliberately intimidate and threaten minorities.

Thanks again for the support. I still feel like in the big picture, this is fairly trivial. At least I wasn't injured or worse. I just wish it didn't take this incident to snap me out of my reverie.

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Tif's in Vancouver? Her brass just screams NY!

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Wow, Tiff, wow.
I'm sure you're aware, there's a HUGE Asian population at Queen's, and a lot are transfer students from Asia. Everyone here has such a great respect for everyone- you do find the ethnic groups stick together, but in a lot of cases I think it's just due to a language barrier.
I know stuff like that happens in Canada but it's hard to grasp. Especially in a country where the Scots haven't been here too much longer than the Africans, who came after the French, but before the Ukrainians, who came at the same time as the Asians. The only people that were HERE were the Native Canadians, who probably get the LEAST respect from the rest of Canada, ironically. I'm half Irish and half Ukrainian and I feel I have as much right to be here as any of my Asian friends. That's the beauty of Canada. Buddy who tried to run you over was probably an angry Frenchman. You should have told him to go back to Quebec.
(j/k, clearly, for anyone who doesn't understand my sense of humour).

It's a damn shame Tiff. A damn shame.

But you know what, people can make a difference, honestly. I believe that you can make a difference. Because of everything that everyone has already said, and more.

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Updated On: 12/15/04 at 12:46 PM

People suck. One day I'm just going to snap and decide to be a hermit.

You just can't win against bigots, without being a lawyer. No matter what you say back to them they'll just think of some stupid excuse. Because they're stupid. They're just afraid of change.

Prison should be quite a change for that jerk...REPORT HIM PLEASE! Wouldn't that be attempted murder?

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*sigh*

I've been exceptionally lucky in that the last time I directly confronted someone over their anti-Semitism we were both 9 or so. I punched him in the stomach and that was the end of that.

I know it sucks to be judged by your skin (religion, name), and I know about that absolute irrational fury that comes up in response. And I don't think it's futile to confront prejudice, even on the smallest level, ever.

When you think about going into law, don't think about whether you can change things in some vast, world-altering way. Think about whether you can change things, period, because every dent does matter and every mind changed is infinitely important. Change doesn't begin with prime ministers and presidents- they usually institutionalize changes that are already in the process of happening. Real differences are made face to face, between individuals.

There are times when we have to sit there and grin and bear it because the bigot has power over us. But don't make "grin and bear it" your life's philosophy.

*hugs* I hope you're okay, Tiff.

Updated On: 12/15/04 at 04:58 PM

Thanks guys. I do feel better compared to yesterday. Still some feelings of dissonance, but I think it'll only go away with time. I just can't shake this lack of closure, but I'll move on.

And yeah, Seaweed, it would be attempted murder. It would also be a hate crime, dangerous driving, harrassment, and assault, from the top of my head. If I had been injured or killed, the list would be much longer. (I gave this much more thought last night. )

I don't know what bothers me more - the incident itself, or the blase attitude from my "real life" friends. None of them (save for one) has been the target of direct discrimination before, but this incident didn't seem to surprise them, nor bother them.

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Updated On: 12/15/04 at 05:19 PM

It's a little troublesome that they're not bothered for you, nor that they don't see you're bothered by it.

Tiff, that's just horrible. But you know that me and all my fellow Jewish brothers and sisters love the chinese people.

Those idiots are everywhere. Being a gay jew I've had my fair share in my life. It's not worth getting that worked up over (except for the running over thing. I would have him arrested and sent to trial for that)

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