"I know I'm a big, scary, Black man..."

**cassiesmom** · 12-27-2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Twisterdog

Flame me if you will, but here's my take on this:

We all feel sympathy and pity for the homeless, the poor, the addicts sleeping on street corners. I've bought food for people, and pet food for their pets before. But honestly, the best way to help people like that is to donate to organizations that help them in larger ways ... providing shelters, soup kitchens, drug and alcohol programs, etc. Homelessness, addiction, poverty are big problems, and the best solutions are big solutions, funded by small donations.

absolutely
Lots of people and lots of need in the world.

Twisterdog, what is a flame?

**Twisterdog** · 12-27-2006, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by cassiesmom

Twisterdog, what is a flame?

Sometimes when you post a strong opinion, that may not be the popular opinion voiced in a thread, lot of people respond negatively to it. "Flame" is just an internet term for getting criticized, perhaps rather harshly, for your opinion. It honestly doesn't happen much here, this is a pretty nice board.

**finn's mom** · 12-28-2006, 08:55 AM

Wow. The comments on this are fascinating. I don't think I would have rolled my window down in the first place. But, if I had, I don't think I would have taken his comment as a practiced line or as an insult. I've actually had men say that to me...not just black men, but, large guys in general. I had a situation where a big tattooed, leather jacket wearing scruffy guy came up and asked me to dance at a place I was at with my parents. He said almost the same thing "I know I'm a big scary tattooed guy, but, I just want to dance." I thought it was funny...and, in a situation such as the one being discussed in this thread, had I already rolled my window down, I probably would have smiled at the "big, scary, black man". But, again, I live in Dallas, I wouldn't have rolled my window down in the first place. For anyone. And, honestly, I have driven my car with the low fuel light already blinking, knowing that if I ran out of gas before getting to work, I would have been in trouble, because I had zero money. I don't know what I would have done if I'd run out of gas, but, I don't think I could have gone up to people's cars like that...

**cassiesmom** · 12-28-2006, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Twisterdog

Sometimes when you post a strong opinion, that may not be the popular opinion voiced in a thread, lot of people respond negatively to it. "Flame" is just an internet term for getting criticized, perhaps rather harshly, for your opinion. It honestly doesn't happen much here, this is a pretty nice board.

Okay, got it, thank you!