It's Just A Thought
Things change all the time49 total reviews
Comment from Linda Engel
excellent commentary and perspective. Again, pointing out that BIGOTRY has many heads and changes colors. You live and lived in an area full of meanness and violence pounced upon by those who would destroy for ignorant reasons.
Same here in America where gang wars are growing , hurting innocent just to get initiated into the gang. Behavior seems to be an underlining cause and using external excuses such as race, religion, status for such horrible behavior.
Good for you to say enough is enough and leave. Good for you. It's like leaving a bad marriage. Just get your ass in the car and go. That life will never be better
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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excellent commentary and perspective. Again, pointing out that BIGOTRY has many heads and changes colors. You live and lived in an area full of meanness and violence pounced upon by those who would destroy for ignorant reasons.
Same here in America where gang wars are growing , hurting innocent just to get initiated into the gang. Behavior seems to be an underlining cause and using external excuses such as race, religion, status for such horrible behavior.
Good for you to say enough is enough and leave. Good for you. It's like leaving a bad marriage. Just get your ass in the car and go. That life will never be better
Comment Written 23-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for your thoughts on this. They are very much appreciated
Comment from IndianaIrish
Gareth, I read this the other day, voted for it, and have read it several more times since then. As you can guess by my Indiana-Irish name here, I'm of Irish heritage. My grandparents from both sides are first-born Irish-Americans. I remember listening to my great-grandparents stories of "home" and the troubles when I was a little girl, and my grandfather would tell my eager-to-hear ears the stories he passed on. I've been to Ireland twice, loved every breathing second, and would love to return again. I've never felt so welcomed and comfortable, and felt like I belonged. On my second trip there in 1981, our tour bus went through Belfast and I remember the graffiti, the soldiers patrolling the street, and the little kids waving. Our bus was boarded by soldiers and given the "once over". Scared? You bet! Well, enough about me. lol
Your story has surely made a lasting impression on me. The emotion of the facts you share grabbed my heart. I appreciate your essay because it must have been an emotional write, and I cant imagine any reader not being moved by your words. I commend you for taking how you were brought up and a part of you, and not letting it be who you are.
I'm so pleased this won the contest. Thank you for sharing your words and, I'm glad to learn more about Ireland. Congratulations.
Smiles,
Karyn :-)
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Gareth, I read this the other day, voted for it, and have read it several more times since then. As you can guess by my Indiana-Irish name here, I'm of Irish heritage. My grandparents from both sides are first-born Irish-Americans. I remember listening to my great-grandparents stories of "home" and the troubles when I was a little girl, and my grandfather would tell my eager-to-hear ears the stories he passed on. I've been to Ireland twice, loved every breathing second, and would love to return again. I've never felt so welcomed and comfortable, and felt like I belonged. On my second trip there in 1981, our tour bus went through Belfast and I remember the graffiti, the soldiers patrolling the street, and the little kids waving. Our bus was boarded by soldiers and given the "once over". Scared? You bet! Well, enough about me. lol
Your story has surely made a lasting impression on me. The emotion of the facts you share grabbed my heart. I appreciate your essay because it must have been an emotional write, and I cant imagine any reader not being moved by your words. I commend you for taking how you were brought up and a part of you, and not letting it be who you are.
I'm so pleased this won the contest. Thank you for sharing your words and, I'm glad to learn more about Ireland. Congratulations.
Smiles,
Karyn :-)
Comment Written 23-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for the great response to this. Things are much quieter these days but it still goes on. Still a beautiful place too. Northern Ireland has some stunning places and visitors are also made welcome. the problems are internalised! The mind boggles.
Many thanks for the review. Much appreciated.
Comment from chasennov
"It's Just A Thought" Yes it is just a thought. It is all in the mind of how and what people think about people. After all, we are just people, as long as you do not allow that thought to consume you. Well done.
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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"It's Just A Thought" Yes it is just a thought. It is all in the mind of how and what people think about people. After all, we are just people, as long as you do not allow that thought to consume you. Well done.
Comment Written 23-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for your thoughtful response to the piece. It is very much appreciated.
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You are most welcome.
Comment from donastell20
I enjoyed reading this from start to finish and found the detail very well explained.
It is very well written
Thank you for sharing
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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I enjoyed reading this from start to finish and found the detail very well explained.
It is very well written
Thank you for sharing
Comment Written 23-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Your review is very much appreciated. Many thanks
Comment from Alcaide
"How can people be blamed for becoming products of their own environment when their environment is such?" This is a question I have asked myself so many times, maybe too many times. I still don't know the answer; nevertheless, I don't think that it is an impossible task. I was born in Bronx, New York, and we had our own stories but thankfully we never discriminated along the religious divide. Nonetheless, we still had our own brands of bigotry. I am not White, and I do not assume that all (or most) White people are bigots--In all honesty, I can't say that, that has always been the case. I have matured. It does sadden me when I hear bigots of my own race going on in prolong diatribes of one form bigotry or another. I don't know what to do, usually the answer is similar to yours: distance.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful biographical piece. This one of the best I have read in a very long time.
P.S. I almost died laughing when you wrote, "The Pope is the Antichrist and all Catholics are spawn of Satan." I am still laughing. I hope you understand that to me this is very funny, I am a Catholic and I live in Sin City, Nevada.
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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"How can people be blamed for becoming products of their own environment when their environment is such?" This is a question I have asked myself so many times, maybe too many times. I still don't know the answer; nevertheless, I don't think that it is an impossible task. I was born in Bronx, New York, and we had our own stories but thankfully we never discriminated along the religious divide. Nonetheless, we still had our own brands of bigotry. I am not White, and I do not assume that all (or most) White people are bigots--In all honesty, I can't say that, that has always been the case. I have matured. It does sadden me when I hear bigots of my own race going on in prolong diatribes of one form bigotry or another. I don't know what to do, usually the answer is similar to yours: distance.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful biographical piece. This one of the best I have read in a very long time.
P.S. I almost died laughing when you wrote, "The Pope is the Antichrist and all Catholics are spawn of Satan." I am still laughing. I hope you understand that to me this is very funny, I am a Catholic and I live in Sin City, Nevada.
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for this great and thoughtful review. It is not an impossible task to break down the bigotry, but it is extremely difficult when it is ingrained in all aspects of life. The bit about the Pope actually came from a Protestant politician, who was also a minister. He was so full of hate and bile against the Catholic faith. Then, as a much older man, entered into government with the very same men he riled against. Maybe not broken down but for the better good. Change can and does happen.
It also makes me cry with laughter too. Well, you have to laugh really. It is ridiculous.
Much appreciated.
Comment from Father Flaps
Hi giraffmang
This is a good entry for the contest. You picked the perfect example, with the troubles of Ireland. All because of religion! It's so ridiculous. Man invented religion, not God. There isn't one religion that's 100% correct. (Now I sound like Joseph Smith!) But really, when God looks down here to this earth, do you think He sees the religions? He sees followers, and those who don't follow. It's as simple as that. Bigotry is hatred. Bigotry is pride. That's what got old Lucifer in trouble. He wanted to be God. He got puffed up. It was his downfall.
God wants us to love our enemies.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Matthew 5:44
You told the Irish story very well, glimpses into your childhood there. I enjoyed your essay very much. You were honest, and gave excellent examples.
One minor spot ...
"This was not a war (as) it has been glorified (as) in recent years."
I suggest,
(This was not a war as it has been glorified in recent years.)
Good Luck in the contest!
cheers
Kimbob
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Hi giraffmang
This is a good entry for the contest. You picked the perfect example, with the troubles of Ireland. All because of religion! It's so ridiculous. Man invented religion, not God. There isn't one religion that's 100% correct. (Now I sound like Joseph Smith!) But really, when God looks down here to this earth, do you think He sees the religions? He sees followers, and those who don't follow. It's as simple as that. Bigotry is hatred. Bigotry is pride. That's what got old Lucifer in trouble. He wanted to be God. He got puffed up. It was his downfall.
God wants us to love our enemies.
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Matthew 5:44
You told the Irish story very well, glimpses into your childhood there. I enjoyed your essay very much. You were honest, and gave excellent examples.
One minor spot ...
"This was not a war (as) it has been glorified (as) in recent years."
I suggest,
(This was not a war as it has been glorified in recent years.)
Good Luck in the contest!
cheers
Kimbob
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 23-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for the great and thoughtful review. It really is very much appreciated
Comment from Judy Couch
This is excellent. It is well written with no grammatical errors. It addresses the issue well. It uses illustrations and stories to make its points. I love the conclusions. We become what we decide to be.
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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This is excellent. It is well written with no grammatical errors. It addresses the issue well. It uses illustrations and stories to make its points. I love the conclusions. We become what we decide to be.
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for this thoughtful response. Much appreciated
Comment from Patrick G Cox
Hi giraffmang
For the open, honest and brutally frank discussion of the bigotry that drives the divisions, and which now amount of political gerrymandering or 'correctness' can hide. My grandfather left Co Down forever in 1920 - migrating to South Africa with his fare for the Union-Castle (3rd Class) and Five Pounds sewn into his coat, necessary to give him residence when he arrived there. It is only recently I have learned the whole of his reasons for his sudden decision to make that move. He'd spent 1915 - 1918 in the trenches and came home to the start of the civil war - only to find himself being shot at by the IRA in Belfast as he waited for a bus. He never, to my knowledge forgave them, and once, in his late fifties, flattened a man who praised the IRA ...
What he did teach me, was not to be rigid in my views on anything. To his dying day he sent money home to his mother and sister, and he raised my brother and I, nursed his ailing wife and never once complained or asked for a handout. He'd have applauded your piece. I should mention that he was a Grand Master of a Lodge, but his best friend (they shared the trenches, the emigration and died within two weeks of each other) was a Roman Catholic.
Oh, and I love your favourite bit of bigotry - I have to bite my tongure here from time to time as there are a few who regularly push that one ...
Patrick
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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Hi giraffmang
For the open, honest and brutally frank discussion of the bigotry that drives the divisions, and which now amount of political gerrymandering or 'correctness' can hide. My grandfather left Co Down forever in 1920 - migrating to South Africa with his fare for the Union-Castle (3rd Class) and Five Pounds sewn into his coat, necessary to give him residence when he arrived there. It is only recently I have learned the whole of his reasons for his sudden decision to make that move. He'd spent 1915 - 1918 in the trenches and came home to the start of the civil war - only to find himself being shot at by the IRA in Belfast as he waited for a bus. He never, to my knowledge forgave them, and once, in his late fifties, flattened a man who praised the IRA ...
What he did teach me, was not to be rigid in my views on anything. To his dying day he sent money home to his mother and sister, and he raised my brother and I, nursed his ailing wife and never once complained or asked for a handout. He'd have applauded your piece. I should mention that he was a Grand Master of a Lodge, but his best friend (they shared the trenches, the emigration and died within two weeks of each other) was a Roman Catholic.
Oh, and I love your favourite bit of bigotry - I have to bite my tongure here from time to time as there are a few who regularly push that one ...
Patrick
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for this great and thoughtful review. It is horrible how this has affected so many. My Great uncle was shot dead by the IRA because they thought he was someone else. I left a lot out of this for editing purposes and length. Your grandfather I am sure could have told some tales. to come back after the war and be faced with that is awful. many thanks again, Patrick. Much appreciated
Comment from Edward A. Hara
I was torn between four and five stars. I finally chose four only because there are some typos and a need to re-write a few things. What follows are merely suggestions from me.
"The Pope is the Antichrist (COMMA NEEDED)and all Catholics are spawn of Satan."
"...our poetic and artistic form(s)" (I think it needs an "s" here)
"...also been a massive perpetrator of this itself. (Drop the word "itself". You are overemphasizing. This is something common we writers do).
"Now pretty bad is an understatement of massive proportions." ( I would re-write this to say "Now pretty bad is a massive understatement." It reads better)
PUNCTUATION ERRORS: "We are talking petrol bombs; car bombs; pipe bombs; muggings; shootings; knee-capping; tarring and feathering on a daily basis."
Semi-colons are not used in a list of things. Replace them with commas. Since you are narrating this in the first person, I would have written the sentence this way" I remember on a daily basis of hearing about petrol bombs, car bombs, pipe bombs, of muggings, shootings, and the heinous practices of knee-capping and tar and feathering a chap."
I found this clumsy to read: Let me expand upon that. Acts of terrorism on a daily basis by both sides of a divided nation.
I think you should rather have said: Allow me to say that these acts were not just perpetrated by one side against the other. They were daily acts of terrorism which were committed by both sides of a divided nation.
"The country of Northern Ireland is divided roughly equally these days" You have two adverbs next to each other. This is a big no-no.
This would be better: "The country of Northern Ireland is divided equally these days, with Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other."
There's more, but I shall stop here.
This is a good first person story, but if you want to publish it professionally, I believe it really needs a serious re-work, both for punctuation and sentence structure.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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I was torn between four and five stars. I finally chose four only because there are some typos and a need to re-write a few things. What follows are merely suggestions from me.
"The Pope is the Antichrist (COMMA NEEDED)and all Catholics are spawn of Satan."
"...our poetic and artistic form(s)" (I think it needs an "s" here)
"...also been a massive perpetrator of this itself. (Drop the word "itself". You are overemphasizing. This is something common we writers do).
"Now pretty bad is an understatement of massive proportions." ( I would re-write this to say "Now pretty bad is a massive understatement." It reads better)
PUNCTUATION ERRORS: "We are talking petrol bombs; car bombs; pipe bombs; muggings; shootings; knee-capping; tarring and feathering on a daily basis."
Semi-colons are not used in a list of things. Replace them with commas. Since you are narrating this in the first person, I would have written the sentence this way" I remember on a daily basis of hearing about petrol bombs, car bombs, pipe bombs, of muggings, shootings, and the heinous practices of knee-capping and tar and feathering a chap."
I found this clumsy to read: Let me expand upon that. Acts of terrorism on a daily basis by both sides of a divided nation.
I think you should rather have said: Allow me to say that these acts were not just perpetrated by one side against the other. They were daily acts of terrorism which were committed by both sides of a divided nation.
"The country of Northern Ireland is divided roughly equally these days" You have two adverbs next to each other. This is a big no-no.
This would be better: "The country of Northern Ireland is divided equally these days, with Catholics on one side and Protestants on the other."
There's more, but I shall stop here.
This is a good first person story, but if you want to publish it professionally, I believe it really needs a serious re-work, both for punctuation and sentence structure.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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Thankfully you are once again in a minority of one in your critique of this piece. I would not presume to correct the way someone speaks which is the point of this piece. It is MY voice. This is NOT a story, it is NOT FICTION.
I have never used the word "chap" in my life. Your corrections are dry and your corrections on semi colons is actually incorrect.
Thanks.
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They were just suggestions, dude. You're a real pissy little S.O.B. aren't you?
BTW -- My work has been published by an international magazine and has won writing contests. You might do well to get off your high horse and listen to someone who knows what he's doing.
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You are way out of line. I have also been published on more than one occasion. You are extremely arrogant. If you are so successful why are you on this site?
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Hey, I didn't START this pissing match, buster! I could ask YOU the same question. I'll work on ignoring your stories in the future, since your punctuation, grammar, and general prose is beyond suggestion. Have a nice life.
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All I did was disagree with you. there was absolutely no need for verbal abuse
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Go back and read your original post to me. Disagree is one thing. I'm a big boy and I can take that. You were snotty.
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Still no reason for profanity and verbal abuse. Especially from someone who professes a deep faith and has written at least 3 books in this area.
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I stand by my original post. I made suggestions to you regarding your story and you got your knickers in a knot that anyone would dare criticize your work. As for my language -- sheeesh! Grow up!
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you can stand by it. That is your prerogative, as I can stand by mine. There is a code of conduct on the site and you should not be verbally abusing other writers. You didn't like what I said and you became verbally abusive. I stand by that. You are the only reviewer who has marked the work down like that because you believe you are better than others. This is borne out by the fact that you feel the need to boast about your achievements.
For someone who says that all their goals in life are motivated by a strong faith and their conversion into the Catholic faith, I wonder where verbally abusing others fits into that philosophy, along with pride and arrogance. People in glass houses...
Comment from bob cullen
This is both provocative and informative. But most of all it is tragic.
The detail you provided was well presented and seemingly without bias. And it highlighted the real issue, religion.
Surely both Catholics and Protestants worship the same God. And that God preaches 'love your neighbour.' Why then do these believers go against the Lord's principle?
It's the same problem today with the Muslims and Christians.
Well written
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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This is both provocative and informative. But most of all it is tragic.
The detail you provided was well presented and seemingly without bias. And it highlighted the real issue, religion.
Surely both Catholics and Protestants worship the same God. And that God preaches 'love your neighbour.' Why then do these believers go against the Lord's principle?
It's the same problem today with the Muslims and Christians.
Well written
Comment Written 22-Feb-2015
reply by the author on 22-Feb-2015
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Many thanks for this thoughtful review. There are a lot of differences, even the Bible is not the same. Completely senseless.
Much appreciated