Merry Christmas ya filthy animal...

[Matt2584]

... And a happy new year :).

[iforget]

I am sure there must be a reason why you would post with a title like this but I can't see it and to be honest I find it slightly offensive...but maybe that is just me.

Merry Christmas Matt

[amateurwriter in reply to iforget]

It's from home alone 2 - lost in new york, but yes iforget I can see where you are coming from with it being offensive.

Hope you've had a good day and enjoyed yourself.

Merry christmas and a happy new year iforget,

Siobhan x

[Matt2584 in reply to iforget]

It can be offensive but I assure you that was not my intention for the post to be offensive. It is Christmas day and any offense is not in my nature :).

Sorry if you in particular found it offensive, iforget, but I was quoting what somebody said from a film and the quote is on my new Christmas shirt I got today :).

[iforget in reply to Matt2584]

It is never safe to assume that others will know things just because you do...

I appreciate that your intention may not have been to offend but I am not psychic and did not know about your new shirt or that this was a movie quote. With no context it is offensive.

I have never seen that film and so my experience on reading your post was being called a filthy animal... not nice on any day

Hope you had a good day

Merry humbug

[Matt2584 in reply to iforget]

I knew before I even typed my post that not everybody knew I was quoting a film and your right, it isn't safe to assume which is why I wasnt really assuming anything at all.

So if you walked into ASDA, which was where the shirt came from, and walked past the shirt with that quote on, would you find it offensive?

Sorry again if you were offended. I have got to say though, I have seen shirts with quotes on them that can seem far more ofensive.

[spartan300 in reply to Matt2584]

CORRECT SOMETIMES NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY IT CAN TAKEN AS OFFENSIVE

IN A POLTICAL CORRECT FROM THE LEFT WORLD WHICH I AM NOT, OLD SCHOOL 5 WORDS, I SAY WHAT I WANT,

[iforget in reply to Matt2584]

If I saw the quote on a shirt in asda I would think it was pretty vile and would wonder at the judgement,sense and taste of the marketing team and anyone who would buy or wear such a nasty thing...

But if the quote was above or below a xmas cartoon with animals one of which was maybe a hippo wallowing in a mud pool then it would srill be in poor taste but would have some context

A forum post like that appears to be a greeting to members has no context . it has nothing at all to do with political correctness.

It is offensive and the fact that you choose you defend it and challenge me in this way is even more insulting.

But have your fun Matt...

[spartan300 in reply to iforget]

freedom gives you the right to challenge and defend , but in no way was there any intent to insult or offend you , i am not Matt.

[amateurwriter]

Merry christmas Matt and a happy new year,

Hope you've enjoyed yourself today

Take care Matt,

Siobhan

[Matt2584 in reply to amateurwriter]

Merry Christmas Siobhan :). I have indeedy enjoyed myself, thanks. I hope you have too.

I'm pretty full up though :), but that's a good thing.

[Hidden]

I too find your post offensive sorry

[spartan300 in reply to Hidden]

DO NOT READ ANYTHING AT ALL BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING TO OFFEND EVERYBODY IN A LIBRARY ESP IF YOU ARE A FOLLOWER OF ISLAM THEY BURNED THE LARGEST LIBRARY HINDU IN THE WORLD TO THE GROUND TO DESTROY FREE SPEECH THOUGHT AND LITERATURE, AND IT FAILED THAT IS WHY YOU CAN POST ON HERE TODAY , LOTS OF LOVE JOHN XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[spartan300]

NOT OFFENDED THAT IS THE WAY SOME PEOPLE GREET EACH OTHER IT MEANS THE OPPOSITE A TERM OF AFFECTION BUT IF YOU ARE NOT USED TO IT SOME HAVE A PROBLEM

[iforget in reply to spartan300]

If people who know each other well choose to greet each other with insults or using vile language that is down to them ...

Posting on a public forum is very different to using the quote with your best mate..

Not sure why but I am starting to feel ganged up by your responses.

I will once again step away from the forum and take a breath ... The place and focus has changed so much it looks like I may need to consider if this is the right place for me to be at all.

[spartan300 in reply to iforget]

I RESPECT YOUR COMMENT WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME ,SINCE MY BI I AM A LOT MORE TOLERANT OF OTHERS,LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU, JOHN XXXXXXXXX

[StrawberryCream in reply to iforget]

I am totally agreeing with you iforget about this being offensive in a virtual forum of friends. Had it been sent to a specific person who Matt understood to completely share and comprehend his sense of humour then it would I guess be acceptable to them both. However, it was posted to all on Xmas day and like you iforget I didn't understand it or know it was a quote and likewise thought Matt was being extremely offensive. Made worse by it being Xmas day. I assumed he was probably so drunk he had lost his awareness of social niceties. I choose when it was first posted to ignore it but did consider posting a response expressing offence.

Matt I appreciate that further down the posts you have apologised and that means a lot to me and I accept it.

Iforget I am sorry to hear that you have once again stepped away from the forum and are questioning whether it is for you anymore. I would not like you to leave as I very much like your posts and responses as most helpful to me and I hope that maybe my words are good for you too.

[Matt2584]

Sorry if anyone finds this post offensive but it is not supposed to be.

[Matt2584]

I do agree with iforget and anyone else that said it was offensive. I suppose I wasn't really thinking too much about what 'devastation' it has obviously caused and I'm sorry for that.

It's Christmas and I quoted what my T-shirt was saying cos I may have been a little cheerful at the time :). I was hoping it might bring cheer to some of you folk too but hasn't.

On another note "Mele kaliki maka" to you all.

Now, I do not want anyone saying they are offended by that or you would be classed as daft in my book :).

[iforget in reply to Matt2584]

Don't know what it means but it had already been established that I am silly so a few more names can't hurt me anymore.

[amateurwriter in reply to iforget]

Your not silly iforget far from it, your brighter than me, I struggled whilst working because everyone was having a laugh and I didn't understand if it was a joke or they was taking the michael out of me, so I just never would say much to be honest, because it would confuse me even more than it already had.

To be honest I don't know what that means either and I even put it in to google translate and still didn't come up with anything in the english dictionary, so your not the only one who doesn't understand that.

It's understandable if you didn't know where the quote comes from to find it offensive, and I really hope your ok,

Best wishes iforget,

Siobhan x

[Matt2584 in reply to iforget]

Have no fear iforget, "Mele kaliki maka" is the Hawaiian way to say Merry Christmas to you :).

[spartan300 in reply to iforget]

i do not think you are silly and i have never called anyone on this forum names you have as every one else a right in a free society to have your own opinion and i respect you for that.

[sporan in reply to iforget]

Hi Iforget,

I don't think anyones here has said you are silly. Certainly not me. You have an opinion and all opinions are equally valid and should be respected (predjudice and descrimination aside).

As for the hurt, I really don't believe there was any deliberate intention to hurt anyone and I am sure Matt would agree that had he realised the offense or hurt that his post would cause he would never have put it up in the first place.

We all have different issues that we find offensive or not to our taste, that's what makes us human and makes the world so interesting.

Please don't leave the forum because of this. Matt has appologised profusely to all and from time to time we all make mistakes. My Dad when he was alive said 'Show me a person who hasn't made a mistake and I'll show you a person who has done nothing'.

I have a sense of humour that not all appreciate and although mostly directed at myself sometimes others take to be included and so take offence when none was intended.

Sincerly hoping you stay with the forum, you are valued and wanted here.

Geoff

PS> SOrry for the late response only had a few tests scans etc etc as well as Chrimbo to conquer.

[lloydyuk]

I'm with Matt tbh and feel this whole situation has got riddiculous and out of hand.

If your offended be offended as nothing happens just choose to ignore it surely and don't be silly.

After all Matt posts a lot and he's never upset anyone before intentionally. His history speaks volumes to me.

[iforget in reply to lloydyuk]

Lloydyuk thank you for your thoughtful reply. You have confirmed that my feelings do not count I am clearly just being silly and matt's offensive jokes are far more important than anything else.

I am not sure what history matt has that speaks volumes but me and my silly hurt feelings are clearly not wanted...and believe me while i was unhappy before, now thanks to you i am hurt. Doubt that you will care that your post has made me cry since that is not offensive or funny. Best time to hurt people at Xmas.

Cheers!

[Matt2584 in reply to lloydyuk]

Thanks Lloydy :).

[lloydyuk]

Sorry but I think you are over reacting I didn't intend on upsetting anyone but that's your choice I guess.

I find it unbelievable how this had escalated so far.

[Matt2584 in reply to lloydyuk]

I agree with you Lloydy. I did not plan on offending, insulting or upsetting anybody, especially on the day of St. Steven, and I can't believe how this post has escalated.

[Hidden]

I had never heard this quote but took it as Matt apparently is: having fun and being a joker. He wasn't aiming at anyone in particular nor picking on people's personal disabilities or habits. He put happy new year and at and. So no I wasn't upset or anything, Matt was being himself and nobody should (I think) take offence.

But if you'd already had one or more people telling you to your face that you're a filthy animal (etc. other insults, racist, anti-gay, anti-disability like thicko, dumbo and spas, anti-women, anti-jews or muslim and so on = hate speech) then you would be already sensitised and would react = 'over-react' in others' eyes, because they don't know your history nor what you're especially vulnerable to.

That's when freedom of speech gets tricky: right to say anything you want versus people's right not to take abuse, be degraded or be victimised.

All very tricky and where do you draw the line, when, for whom and for what purpose?

I took it that Matt was in cheerful mood but I'm over-sensitised to different things and you might find them strange/bizarre (the things that frighten me now) and tell me I'm silly, must be stronger and it's how I'm taking it = yes, but not my fault: it's how things feel to me derived from my history and what's happened to me in the last 9 years and especially the last 7. Nobody can guess or know but if we treat others with respect (which I think Matt was and does) it gets easier.

But with ABI we get even less able (often) to think before we say/write and even worse at trying to second-guess who we might offend - I'm a culprit, I say and do stupid bad things and sometimes I realise and sometimes don't. Can't know everything about everyone or what might hurt. Just when I know I've messed upI try to put it right/say sorry, can't undo it, try learn from it but with memory problems = keep forgetting/not learning = despair and depression.

Silly me: all too ricky for me. Opinions, beliefs, which rights trump others, when and why and all that stuff = way too hard, no wonder lawyers argue endlessly about this stuff and (in some people's opinions) get it wrong so often!

[Matt2584 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Muddled, and I agree, it is hard to interpret how people show emotions or say things, especially online. I was talking about this not long ago.

[spartan300 in reply to Hidden]

i agree with you ,now let us forget this and move on

[Matt2584]

iforget is not silly in the slightest bit. What is silly is how this post has escalated so many replies. I can see the offence and I can see the humour of it as well. if anyone finds it offensive then my advice would be to not say anything at all, but that is my opinion.

[angelite]

Thought it was a bit random!Didn't understand until you explained the context.Didn't feel there was any malice behind it as I am familiar with your personality but can see why it could be taken the wrong way.Sure hope Iforget is feeling better after this-shame to lose a much valued member x

[Matt2584 in reply to angelite]

I hope we don't lose iforget either and I kind of wish I rephrased my post to "Merry Christmas ya filthy animal and a happy new year... This is a quote from a film so please do not be alarmed".