"Tied to the Whipping Post" ie: "Forums"

I guess that Allman Brothers song is true after all. As a multi-forum contributor, I seem to get attacked regularly for my opinions. On one music forum, I commented on drinking and posting sarcasm and hatred, and that it may not be such a great idea. Well, that one caught me in mid-stroke by a little ole church lady in Detroit who told me to take my former musical group, and my opinions and get the hell out and to go back where I came from. I was astonished. I was careful to not be judgmental, reminding everyone you cant take back things you may say in error or haste. Then, about a year or so later, it happened again.

Over the holidays and months in and out of New Years, we had discussed many issues. All was well in the beginning. And then, I seemed to be locked in the sites of everyone about everything including my group, my opinions, my religion and even my health issues. I was even chided for asking for prayers for goodness sake. By asking for prayers, I heard whining and actual criticism about my health and more personal issues that should have never even been brought up. Again, I was stunned. It was the same forum, different time, but same people. So, I made myself scarce and stayed away. And it was hard. We all were like family, and in fact, some of us were family. Sadly, I have stayed away a whole year. And then this week, it all happened again. Different forum, different topics, different members. Sigh…maybe its me?

Im finding a lot of hatred, animosity, doubt, sarcasm, self-righteousness, and pride lately, and began realizing there is a pattern here. I started questioning my ability to contribute to this open forum. Did I have anything negative to say to any forum member? Was I speaking out of turn or out of knowledge? Was I offensive or demeaning to anyone and their opinions? My questions were just as good, well worded and topical like theirs. So, why was I being perpetually attacked for expressing diverse opinions and topics such as the other members did? Why were they accepted as valid, and mine were picked apart, ridiculed and criticized? Did my posts threaten them and their beliefs and ideals? Of course not.

It seems more and more, it becomes a "youre wrong-we're right" issue. We all use screen names so it cant be personal based on nationalities, creeds or residential geographical locations. I just cant seem to figure out what it is that makes my posts, threads, comments and opinions any less important or valid than theirs. It seems people on the forums these days are just plain meaner, and I don’t know why. And, I just absolutely HATE to have to defend myself about anything-ever, and feel like I shouldn’t have to anyway. Yet, I have had to.

So friends, I figured since this is happened to me again, I would address it here, and get it off of my chest. At least since this my site and my blog, I can. I know you have all respected and enjoyed "Drivin' Sideways in Detroit!" because of all the nice mails I get telling me so. For that, I am grateful. But, I really don’t know what to think of these posters who don’t accept anything or opinions that arent theirs. I get the idea that they are sitting home in their underwear in front of their screens thinking of ways to tearing down others and their threads or their replies to them. It’s a changing world I suppose. And, I don’t like it.

We should all try to listen and learn from others. To be taken seriously, one has to listen 1st seriously. One may in fact be wrong about something, and that should be fine. But to deny them the ability to voice it, does not bode well for the world of learning and brotherly-love. I may surely stand corrected and be proven wrong. But then again, I may just fall or get pushed down when in fact, it's proven I was right. We all should have the chance to do that by not starting out lying in the puddle of dirty water pushed there by those who would dominate our thinking with theirs, and that theirs is the only true opinion or thread-post, or the only ones that count. And the puddles are growing deeper these days…as these insensitive posters throw more and more handfuls of mud and dirt.

I for one think Ill start carrying a hose to wash off the indignation, intolerance and prejudice. It'd just be nice if it wasn’t there. But, it is.

Peace, Love 'n Light Always friends…………..
Hurricane Duane hurricane.duane@yahoo.com

Duane "Hurricane" Thomas returns. The end of 2010.

Hello once again my friends. It has been an interesting year for me to say the least. Ive not gone away as some have speculated, and its good to be here again. Soon Ill make good on my promise to webcast "Drivin' Sideways in Detroit!" with Hurricane Duane. I certainly have not run out of topics, that’s for sure….

Ive been training with FEMA and Homeland Security as a Disaster Response Team member, and am still at work as a Security Supervising Officer at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn Michigan. Somewhere along with all that, Ive become Chairman of my Union Local's By-laws Committee.

The long awaited Johnny & The Hurricanes Anthology has come out from the Netherlands a couple weeks ago, and my book "SAX MAN" Johns life story and that of the Hurricanes, awaits a release date in England. Ive also finished 2 additional short books (maybe put into 1), but have no idea where they stand now as to releasing them.

This year without my brother Paul has been really hard on me. I see him everywhere, but find him nowhere. Musically, I always did move around more than him and in more musical styles than him, but after 35 years of playing, performing and writing together, to now have him not here, Im lost. I haven’t in 16 months even been able to work on his and our music. Ive watched a few tapes, listened to a few C.D.'s, but seeing and hearing him sing is haunting. Ive said it before. It was…and is…harder losing him them my parents. He was my left arm…and it hard to play with only 1 arm.

So, at best, Im ok. And my heart health is fair, except the meds I take play their part in wearin' me down. After my 2 heart procedures last year, no one told me things would slow down. I expected to get it all back and run around like my grandma used to call me "coo-coo-rid-za"…which means literally "chicken with its head cut off". But, it wasn't true. I have slowed down. It seems everything I try to do is twice as hard and takes me twice as long. And it takes even longer to get going.

You can see Im still busy with a multitude of things, my healths ok for now, the future in music hold some promise, the Disaster Training too should help me and my community, and the Union Committee stuff should bring some welcome changes benefiting all of us Officers.

I'd like to thank you for sticking around, and hope you'll stop by here and on YouTube for "Drivin' Sideways in Detroit!". Ive got some very interesting topics coming ahead. Some you'll like, some you wont. Some will make you smile, others will probably make you angry or mad.

Why should it be any different now!? God Bless my friends. Peace, Love and Light…always.

Hurricane Duane Thomas