Sam Adams Beer Pulls Out Of Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade Over LGBT Issues

[happyslug]

76. I have been fighting wrongs all my life

And one of the thing I have learned, is it is better to UNDERMINE something, then to fight it. Your position of that host group must SUBMIT to your demand, is a sure way to defeat. You are acting like someone who is offended when a cat gets its back up when they approach the cat, and then kicks the cat for not purring. All that does is to make the cat even more defensive and with an arch back.

My position is to show the cat you mean them no harm, and once that is established, to slowly work to petting the cat. In doing so, you must understand why the cat's back in up and why the Cat is hissing and to address those reactions. Attacking the cat will NOT do that. The same with this parade, the group has to show it will cause NO harm to the host, thus addressing they concerns, then work to expand what they can do.

Famous observation, do NOT approach a cat that is hissing, or a dog that is growling, but address why both are doing what they are doing. Once the concerns of the dog or cat is addressed and they fear you no more, then you can approach them and even pet them. Your policy is the same as hitting a cat for hissing, or a dog from growing. Such actions will NOT end the hissing or the growling, in fact will increase both actions.

On the other hand stopping and showing the cat or dog you mean no harm, addresses their concern and they will stop hissing and growling. After a little longer they may even permit your to pet them. People are the same, do NOT do anything that increases their concerns, address those concerns, work with them on those concerns. Get into the parade and show that you understand them and are willing to work with them. Once it is shown you are willing to work with them, they will slowly come around to working with you. It is a two way street, you have to give to get, and as far as I have seen, the gay veteran group has made demands, but given little to the concerns of the host of the parade. As I said before, rejecting those concerns is NOT addressing them, and thus some give has to be given.

The key is once in the parade, the concerns as to harms can be shown to be unreal, but as long as the concerns are not at least addressed, the host will ban gay groups from participating in the parade. The first step is to get into the parade and show you can work with the hosts and the concerns of the hosts. Once you are in, you can then expand what you can do by first showing that the concerns are not real and that expanding what can be done will cause no harm. It is a step by step plan, like a baby learning to walk, one small step leads to more steps and soon the baby is walking like an adult. The same with this parade, the sooner the group gets into the parade, the sooner they can expand what they can do. Fighting to do more then what the hosts will permit is just a losing battle. Undermine those concerns by showing you can work with the restrictions thus showing you can work with the hosts. Fighting for everything is a sure way to defeat (given the rulings of the Courts) so undermine the hosts by showing you will comply with their concerns.