Even if I weren't personally affected by the term, I think I would still find it offensive. Drinking the Kool-Aid is a specific reference to a very tragic event where 912 people died, 906 by drinking the Kool-Aid. Purchasing a home in TV is a happy event, although not always well thought out but rarely regretted. So, a term for a truly ugly tragedy being transformed into a happy event is just wrong to me.

Several of you have made the claim that being asked to not use the term is a form of political correctness and you should be able to say what you feel and when you feel it. Sorry, I see it as an act of common decency.

Some of you imply that the it is a form of censorship to not be able to use the term; that it is impossible to avoid saying things that are hurtful to others (do remember that once upon a time the N word was considered perfectly acceptable no matter how denigrating it was to others). I have a friend who is so terrified of spiders that just the word is frightening to her. Should I ignore her fear and blithely say spider in front of her just because I like the creatures?

Yes, suicide is ugly and tragic as well. Personally, I've never heard of the word used in a happy sense. Death is tragic in a very personal sense and something we are all subjected to in many forms. There are many bad jokes about death, dying and even suicide, but, again, I've never heard of these words used to describe something that causes joy to others. Yet, the Kool-Aid term is used to describe a joyous, life-changing event and that seems to be perfectly acceptable to some.

As I said, even if I weren't personally affected, I'd find the term offensive on some level. It just doesn't seem right to use it to explain why someone would purchase a home (and, yes, I'm well aware that many sales reps are advised to use exactly that term when selling TV to prospective purchasers). So, if you really believe it infringes on your personal freedoms, if you really can't see that the phrase is wrong and hurtful, use it, but don't be surprised when others tell you it is wrong and offensive.

.......

There's quite a lot of freedom of speech on TOTV. Maybe, less in many areas of the Villages when you talk about certain topics.

Basically, I just treat people how I would like to be treated. That means trying to not deliberately offend people's sensitivities if you know that some words or phrases cause them great pain.

There was an man with what looked like a Holocaust tattoo on his arm who would come to the dog park every once in a while. He did not seem to be bothered with questions about the tattoo but almost evertwhere I heard question him did it with the utmost dignity and respect.

You never really know what some people online have been through so I do try to treat them as if they were face-to-face.

As always, words of wisdom..........in our country everyone is , indeed, entitled to freedom of speech and freedom to read whatever newspaper they wish to get a full account of the news.......to make their own decisions.

Without this freedom we might end up like the poor folks below:
Human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng escapes from house arrest and delivers message to Wen Jiabao on Youtube (with full transcript): Shanghaiist


AP Exclusive: China Nobel winner’s wife calls her house arrest ‘absurd and unbelievable’ - The Washington Post

I had a dear friend who was born and raised up to age 19 in a Communist block country.......Hungary. *She came to our country and for the first time, she and her mother plus her elderly grandmother experienced freedom to worship, etc. as they chose.

She and I would have long conversations on what freedom truly meant. The ones who have been oppressed with regard to what they can read, study, worship, or speak.......**know the difference in our great country........or should.

*Right after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and they all were warmly welcomed by the local Mennonite families in West Liberty Ohio..........

**Lest people forget.........what our founding fathers proclaimed.

[quote=Bogie Shooter;591014]There were two or more threads going on that story at once.
I did read many posts where people did not believe it because it was in the Orlando Sentinel. Nuff said.

Finally, the "alligator trapper" posted his version.

Others , of course, criticized the lawyer for jumping in the water to attempt the rescue.

Others criticized him for having his dog in the back yard to begin with, off a leash. It's just the little "quibbling" things that people from "afar' notice.

Live and let live. Not everyone fits into a certain mold as a "clone".

You know I told myself I was finished commenting on this thread, because as is normal, it has turned into a discussion of something other than what was posted. But I find myself wanting to say a couple of other things.

First, redwitch, I'm very glad you posted your thoughts. It is better for you to explain why this is painful, rather than some of us trying to. Although I do have to say something about your post. You state that this term used in TV just means people who have moved here and are happy. I do disagree with that. To me it means the people who are blindly devoted to all things TV, without the use of logic. The people on this list that blast anyone who dares to suggest anything negative or something that needs to be looked at. Those that state it doesn't matter if your house is swallowed by a sink hole, or the costs go up, or the developer might leave town after the build out...just love it and be quiet because it's paradise. I think probably the best term to replace it is Blind Faith. Although that really doesn't seem strong enough. And of course Blind Faith is more normally used for religious groups, or at least those pseudo-religious groups that control their followers like Jim Jones. And sometime not so fringe religious groups. (I'm reminded of the little boy who asked his father, "Daddy, what is a cult?" His father responded, "Oh a cult is any religion other than ours.")

But I for one respect you and others. Even though the kool--aid remark does seem to describe this phenomenon well, I don't want to hurt your feelings. After digging around it seems clear that Jonestown is the source of this term in our modern usage. So, I personally won't use it again.

I am struck by the odd posts that jump to the conclusion that if we give you the courtesy of not using that term, just here where we know you, we are soon going to be visited by the language police and can't say anything. I'm just trying to be understanding for one person who I've enjoyed chatting with on this site. It is a small enough gesture. And a very easy one.

Someone mentioned that the N word used to be OK. It was OK because the only people that matter in that world were white. So there was silent agreement the feelings of black people didn't matter. I'm pleased that my generation had the courage to say, "you know just because I'm white doesn't mean I think that's OK. Stop saying it." It's slow progress, but it's progress. We have a next door neighboor only 10 years or so older than us. He adores our two kids and would do anything for them. But they refuse to go in his house any more because he is an uncontrolled bigot. They simply won't appear to condone this words, by just sitting there quietly.

A few years ago jokes about gays were quite funny. People enjoyed telling them and laughing. That's great unless you happen to be gay or someone you love is. Then, it's not all that funny. You stay quiet because you cannot afford to come out. Now that is changing, again slowly.

So the bottom line for all of this, and people who complain about political correctness going to far, is this. It is easy for the majority to put down any minority, whether by race, sex, religion, politics or a nice lady who doesn't want to be reminded of a tragedy. Sure it's easy to ignore these groups because there are more of us than there are of them. But it doesn't make it right.

It isn't that hard to try and be nice. OK, that's my sermon for today. Please turn in your hymnals to number 496, "It's a beautiful day in the villages."

[quote=Bogie Shooter;591014]THIS FROM PAULA AND JEAN BACK IN SEPTEMBER.....(As I said, there are many different segments as people were posting under different titles at the time):
Still having hard time with this one. I know everyone saying so a nice guy and all,but did anyone see this happen? are there witnesses,he looks what 65 and he jumps on his back hooks back his leg,grabs his tail until the dog is released from his mouth.The guys on television seem much stronger and younger doing this. Did anyone see them take awat a 7ft gator. Did he go to the hospital for injuries, did the dog go to the vets for injuries.Was there somekind of police or accident report or transport report. Who contacted the Orlando paper?Maybe there is a reason the village paper did not. Just because the newpaper writes a story or gives a interview I do not believe everything is Fact.I asked about his screen name GatorGus,was that before or after this happened that he chose that name. This also was his 2nd posts which I wondered.Being a retired teacher I have seen it all,so sometimes I just questioned. First thing I told the Ex about this event ,first thing she says I do not believe it. Do not believe everything on TMZ.

DEAR old Dave,

You are a dear kind man who thinks for himself and will be a joy to a ton of new friends when you move here, if you do. (We G's hope to be three of them)

I very playfully want to point out to you that the chip that they will imbed in your neck when they take your ID photo when AND IF you buy here may turn you into a similarly cultish person as myself and others.

Do you remember how you felt about raising children when you didn't have any?

Do you recall how old 45 used to be? Oh dear, 55? Horrors 65? I won't go further. I said at one time in my life, I would NEVER do that to find myself doing it.

Some kind of snarky person pointed out yesterday that older people more frequently die in automobile accidents than other age group and I was all bummed and was gonna show her and I looked it up and she was right. I am just sayin' that you could be wrong in a few of your thoughts here. You COULD be. You don't know, because you don't live here.

I am personally observing a lot of people who are acting quite foolishly happy here. I kind of think that they were happy THERE...and that is the reason that I have to say to you, Old Dave, that you seem like a person who is reasonably happy now, wherever you are and I wouldn't be at all if you were a little more than reasonably happy here if you choose to move here.

So don't come runnin' to me when you love it here and start defending this absolutely WONDERFUL place and may even turn out just like me.

Hugs.

Gracie

P.S.There have been seven homes burnt to the ground from lightning strikes in the villages in the last eight years.
NO homes have been swallowed by sinkholes. Some have been damaged.
Daily someone crashes and breaks gate guard posts.
People drive like crazy people.
Dogs poop in unexpected places.
There have been sitings of members of the other political party on this campus.
It AIN'T all Purty here.

We have dear friends and neighbors for the past 41 years, in the same neighborhood, whose parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. all went through the concentration camps during the Nazi Regime during World War II. The surviving daughter, our neighbor, was even in a post war concentration camp herself, as a baby.

When she tells us the stories, over and over again, we listen and ponder. The stories are filled with true horror......

You cannot hear them without crying............

EVERYONE HAS A STORY. Everyone has had tragedy in their lives.

Everyone might know someone who took their own life or even been murdered, God forbid. It's sad, it's tragic, but it happens.

Dear bogie shooter
 

[quote=Bogie Shooter;591014]************************************************** ********

Dear Bogie Shooter:

Well, there are probably more threads than you even imagined.....
All going on simultaneously..........

Gracie girl said:
“I think someone is pulling our BACK leg”.

Barefoot thought the "story was posted by a troll."

Others doubted it as well..........

Soon, other folks began posting the STORY FROM THE ORLANDO SENTINEL:

Then others said “Dang , it was a true story”.

This goes on and on for three or more separate threads under different titles..........in other words, people had begun their own individual titled postings of this same exact story.

Some criticized the man for risking his own life to save a mere animal.
Others criticized the trapper for killing the alligator.
Others commended the man for trying to save his pooch.
Others critized the man for not having his dog on a leash.
Obviously, NOT ALL GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.
His neighbor came to his defense as a great man and neighbor.

Paula and Jean said:
"Still having hard time with this one. I know everyone saying so a nice guy and all,but did anyone see this happen? are there witnesses,he looks what 65 and he jumps on his back hooks back his leg,grabs his tail until the dog is released from his mouth.The guys on television seem much stronger and younger doing this. Did anyone see them take awat a 7ft gator. Did he go to the hospital for injuries, did the dog go to the vets for injuries.Was there somekind of police or accident report or transport report. Who contacted the Orlando paper?Maybe there is a reason the village paper did not. Just because the newpaper writes a story or gives a interview I do not believe everything is Fact.I asked about his screen name GatorGus,was that before or after this happened that he chose that name. This also was his 2nd posts which I wondered.Being a retired teacher I have seen it all,so sometimes I just questioned. First thing I told the Ex about this event ,first thing she says I do not believe it. Do not believe everything on TMZ.something wrong with this picture?????????"
************************************************** *******


I tried to copy and paste......but doesn’t work. In a nutshell, the impression I got intially as the story was breaking was that no one believed it.

Do you have a problem with my perception? Once I read it in the newspaper, I immediately posted the HYPERLINK which I noticed was relegated to a distant page..........I do realize that the ORLANDO SENTINEL IS A NAUGHTY WORD..........however, if people want a true overall feel for what central Florida has to cope with.....one should read the big city newspaper as well.........not just the happy news.

I later had communication with the trapper guy and I believed him. He knew exactly what I meant about the alligators on Sanibel Island as he had lived there.

The first time we vacationed on Sanibel Island, with our teenaged kids, after reading their local newspaper the entire winter prior to our flight down, I innocently inquired of the rental home owner about the alligators roaming the island........as we had to walk through some pretty tall GRASS to get from the house to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico......he laughed, pooh poohed it , and only later did we see them all, even on the beach........and of course in the Ding Darling Nature Preserve.........the above mentioned trapper knew about the lady gardening , etc. who was bitten, and other cases of limbs being torn off, etc. by Florida alligators. Why deny it? People should be on the lookout for their own safety. It's as if we said that it does not snow in Vermont so clear sailing on all the twisty turny mountains roads, don't slow down and don't worry at all.

I realize that most of the posters on TOTV are just trying to discern whether or not TV is a place they'd want to spend their golden years in, or not. The naysayers and "Doubting Thomases" do not help anyone.

Gracie, you always make me smile and I love that. I do hope we end up there. There are lots of questions to be answered. But I have no doubt the majority of folks there love it. I think we will too, but I just want the freedom to ask questions. I've never been one for blind faith when it comes to anything. I'm guessing that isn't a surprise to you.

YOU oughta have read my posts when I first started looking at this place.

I can't believe I am the same person. Ask Village07, she'll say how I was..... I thought the posters on here were all nuts.

Very well said, Ed.

Beautiful!
 

Beautiful! I was so touched by this. Thanks, OldDave!!:BigApplause:

Very kind of you Quirky, thanks.