Warning, profanity---my new shift linkage
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 3
From: Illinois
Final Post
'Ya know, it was probably a mistake posting this whole threat anyway, BUT just so everyone knows, when it comes to freedom of speech or freedom of anything else, I PAID MY DUES. I was in Mogadishu in 1993, Zaire in 1997, and many other countries that most people here may have never heard of, and I was ordered to do things that many of you would find distasteful and abhor. Not because I wanted to but because if I didn't follow my orders I would have been court martialed and imprisoned. I've been nearly killed more times than I can remember, and seen more friends and brothers killed than I care to remember. I spent ten years of my life EARNING the freedoms and rights that we all sit here talking about. So after spending nearly 50% of my adult life earning these rights, I am going to excercise them when I choose to, and if that means I have to explain it to a cop or a judge who happens to not like my f'ing linkage, so be it.
Listen, a lot of you may be right about it not being tasteful, or respectful, or however you choose to interpret it, and maybe children shouldn't see it. I get all of that, but in the big picture I really don't see how it's "that harmful". If seeing something like that is the worst thing your child sees, you should consider yourself lucky. And maybe that's just a justification to support my point of view, but if that's the case, so be it as well.
And there's one more right that we all share, it's the right to our own opinions, and the right to "agree to disagree", that's the beautiful thing about this Country. And that is the right that I don't just "speak about" so casually, that's the right that I've earned.
Listen, a lot of you may be right about it not being tasteful, or respectful, or however you choose to interpret it, and maybe children shouldn't see it. I get all of that, but in the big picture I really don't see how it's "that harmful". If seeing something like that is the worst thing your child sees, you should consider yourself lucky. And maybe that's just a justification to support my point of view, but if that's the case, so be it as well.
And there's one more right that we all share, it's the right to our own opinions, and the right to "agree to disagree", that's the beautiful thing about this Country. And that is the right that I don't just "speak about" so casually, that's the right that I've earned.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 295
Likes: 1
Let me tell ya a story.
Several years ago my wife was working as a general duty aide (playground warden) at my daughter's grade school. One day I rode my bike to the school to go to lunch with my wife when she finished her shift. I had just backed the bike into a parking spot by the sidewalk and was taking off my jacket when I heard some little kids behind me. When I turned around and looked, there were about 20 1st graders being led by their teacher, all holding hands, walking in a line walking behind my bike. One of the kids, a cute little blond girl, walked by me and said "Mister, I love your bike". An innocent little kid who, for whatever reason, thought I had a cool bike.
So, if I wanted to exercise my "freedom of speech" I could have....what?.....told that little girl to f@@k off? How about having my daughter's teacher see a shift linkage like that on my bike. Yeah, that would have been cool.
The way I see it, it comes down to this. There is no reason to have anything like that on a bike, a car, a t-shirt, or anything else unless you are trying to convince people that you are some kind of bad ***. And none of the true, legitimate, tough guys I have known have ever had to advertise it. They were the real deal without the props.
Several years ago my wife was working as a general duty aide (playground warden) at my daughter's grade school. One day I rode my bike to the school to go to lunch with my wife when she finished her shift. I had just backed the bike into a parking spot by the sidewalk and was taking off my jacket when I heard some little kids behind me. When I turned around and looked, there were about 20 1st graders being led by their teacher, all holding hands, walking in a line walking behind my bike. One of the kids, a cute little blond girl, walked by me and said "Mister, I love your bike". An innocent little kid who, for whatever reason, thought I had a cool bike.
So, if I wanted to exercise my "freedom of speech" I could have....what?.....told that little girl to f@@k off? How about having my daughter's teacher see a shift linkage like that on my bike. Yeah, that would have been cool.
The way I see it, it comes down to this. There is no reason to have anything like that on a bike, a car, a t-shirt, or anything else unless you are trying to convince people that you are some kind of bad ***. And none of the true, legitimate, tough guys I have known have ever had to advertise it. They were the real deal without the props.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
'Ya know, it was probably a mistake posting this whole threat anyway, BUT just so everyone knows, when it comes to freedom of speech or freedom of anything else, I PAID MY DUES. I was in Mogadishu in 1993, Zaire in 1997, and many other countries that most people here may have never heard of, and I was ordered to do things that many of you would find distasteful and abhor. Not because I wanted to but because if I didn't follow my orders I would have been court martialed and imprisoned. I've been nearly killed more times than I can remember, and seen more friends and brothers killed than I care to remember. I spent ten years of my life EARNING the freedoms and rights that we all sit here talking about. So after spending nearly 50% of my adult life earning these rights, I am going to excercise them when I choose to, and if that means I have to explain it to a cop or a judge who happens to not like my f'ing linkage, so be it.
Listen, a lot of you may be right about it not being tasteful, or respectful, or however you choose to interpret it, and maybe children shouldn't see it. I get all of that, but in the big picture I really don't see how it's "that harmful". If seeing something like that is the worst thing your child sees, you should consider yourself lucky. And maybe that's just a justification to support my point of view, but if that's the case, so be it as well.
And there's one more right that we all share, it's the right to our own opinions, and the right to "agree to disagree", that's the beautiful thing about this Country. And that is the right that I don't just "speak about" so casually, that's the right that I've earned.
Listen, a lot of you may be right about it not being tasteful, or respectful, or however you choose to interpret it, and maybe children shouldn't see it. I get all of that, but in the big picture I really don't see how it's "that harmful". If seeing something like that is the worst thing your child sees, you should consider yourself lucky. And maybe that's just a justification to support my point of view, but if that's the case, so be it as well.
And there's one more right that we all share, it's the right to our own opinions, and the right to "agree to disagree", that's the beautiful thing about this Country. And that is the right that I don't just "speak about" so casually, that's the right that I've earned.
You seem conflicted.
Just an observation.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 3
From: Illinois
Maybe you're right. It's possible that after seeing all of the comments and feedback I may be looking at it a little differently now. Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Now the quandry, am I "selling out my own views", or am I looking at some legitimate feedback and changing my own opinion for a good reason? Jeeeeezzzz, I've got to get off this computer and get in the wind where I would NEVER be wasting all of this time doing this "self examining"!!! Everything's much simpler when you're "out there, and not in here"!
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 2
From: the frozen tundra of the "Windy City"
George, I agree that there are a few people in this post that have taken this too far, if you are talking about kids and grandkids seeing it and that offends you, well I think I would have to tell you that if your kids can notice a shift linkage while they are walking by and take the time to ask you what "Fu*k off" means then I agree that is a problem, if you think the simple fact that it is on there and that is the problem for kids to see well I would advise you to get out a little more! By Jr. High age these kids are using more foul mouthed words than us as adults choose to use, they may not use them in front of their parents, but I personally have heard them, and I'm a man who wears a uniform 40-50 hours a week. They have no problem talking like that to me personally... so I dont think its about the language. Do I think it is cool? No not really, but Hey George have at it! If you drove through my town would I stop you and mess with you? Not hardly! Enjoy life my friends, thanks for your years of dedicated service, and ride free! Your linkage is no different than those bikes that choose to add FTW to their bikes!!!!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,458
Likes: 0
Things just aren't the same anymore, and besides FTW is an acronym, not a spelled out vulgarity.
Question: "What is 'FTW'? What Does It Mean?"
While participating in an online discussion forum about motorcycles, you see this weird expression "FTW". People post phrases like "slipper clutches, ftw!" and "full face helmets, ftw!". You see the same thing in an online gaming forum. The gamer participants are posting phrases like "polymorph, ftw!" and "druid hurricane, ftw!".
Answer: In 2009, the most common meaning of "FTW" is "for the win", an Internet expression of enthusiasiam.
While there were nastier meanings in previous years, FTW today commonly stands for "For the Win". It is an expression of enthusiasm. "FTW" is the same as saying "this is the best" or "this item will make a big difference, I recommend using it". Examples would include: "anti-lock braking, ftw!", "spellchecker, ftw!", and "low-carb diets, ftw!"
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/.../whatisFTW.htm
Question: "What is 'FTW'? What Does It Mean?"
While participating in an online discussion forum about motorcycles, you see this weird expression "FTW". People post phrases like "slipper clutches, ftw!" and "full face helmets, ftw!". You see the same thing in an online gaming forum. The gamer participants are posting phrases like "polymorph, ftw!" and "druid hurricane, ftw!".
Answer: In 2009, the most common meaning of "FTW" is "for the win", an Internet expression of enthusiasiam.
While there were nastier meanings in previous years, FTW today commonly stands for "For the Win". It is an expression of enthusiasm. "FTW" is the same as saying "this is the best" or "this item will make a big difference, I recommend using it". Examples would include: "anti-lock braking, ftw!", "spellchecker, ftw!", and "low-carb diets, ftw!"
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/.../whatisFTW.htm
Last edited by RODEO; Apr 15, 2009 at 03:59 PM.