On 1 Nov 2004 01:22:15 GMT, Chris Barrera <cbarrera@dontspamme.com>
brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:

>
>I don't normally post on usenet anymore, but I couldn't pass this one up
>because it bothered me.

You seem not to have posted in a Japan-related group since 1995, if
Google is accurate.
>
>Granted, there are prejudicial attitudes in Japan just like anywhere,
>and foreigners will meet those attitudes, just like anywhere. We got
>that out of the way now, good.

I would have known that quite well without being told, but it is just
as well to stipulate such things right up front.
>
>I think much is missed out of why Gaijins might not be offered flyers.
>Lets try to understand it maybe from the Japanese point of view (I will
>try hard to do this, since I am not Japanese).

If you think I missed the *why* of it, Sunshine, think again. If
you'll review the last paragraph of my post you'll notice that it was
written for a target audience consisting of my fellow gaigins. I
respect the intelligence of each of them enough to know they already
know the *why* of it, so I didn't think it worth commenting on.
>
>1. Most Gaijin don't understand Japanese. Most people handing out flyers
>   don't understand English. I imagine it is a difficult situation for
>   the Japanese person. What if the foreigner takes it and asks questions ?
>   What if the foreigner does something else unexpected (from a Japanese
>   viewpoint) and the person passing out flyers doesn't know how to handle
>   it ? Simple situations for most Gaijin, I think more difficult for a
>   society where complex situations create that deer-in-headlights phenomenon.

Yes, the Japanese are delicate creatures and need to be pampered.

You must be one of those gaigins who spends enormous amounts of
nervous energy worrying over inadvertently insulting the Japanese by
some word or action.
>
>(BTW, it is guaranteed the person handing our flyers you met will not want
>to be anywhere near a foreigner again.)

I like the firm resoluteness with with you speak in all-knowing, broad
sweeping generalities.

The only thing guaranteed is that he won't make the same assumptions
in the future. How he acts in regard to this change is beyond the
ability of either you or myself to categorically state.
>
>2. The flyer may not be applicable to nearly all Gaijin, or you in particular.

And how are they supposed to know if it is or not? By making
assumptions based on my race. And what is that called, boys and girls?
Discrimination.

>   A credit card ? They would have to explain to you first that you must be
>   a resident of Japan. See point #1 above.

Sit on your point and spin.

Why would you (or they) assume that I am *not* a resident of Japan?

One of the lines they pulled trying to bullshit me made it very
evident that they thought I was a resident of Japan. I didn't share
all the details of the conversation in my post, because they weren't
pertinent.
>
>3. Ok, there might be cases of "Ah a foreigner, why finish handing these
>   out sooner by catering to foreigners when I can exercise what little
>   power I have over them by choosing to ignore them ? Hah!"  Yes, they
>   probably regale their redneck friends with stories about how they dissed
>   a foreigner over beers later at night. "Yeah, there were 10 foreigners
>   I didn't give flyers to!" "Only 10 ? 15 for me! Hah!"

Again, asshole, you're missing pertinent information. It's hard to
imagine that usenet has suffered from your prolonged absence or is
benefiting from this rare reappearance if posting without sufficient
knowledge of what you're talking about, as you are here, is your
standard practice.

I don't think they are rednecks. I don't think they hate or dislike
foreigners. I don't think they purposely tried to give offense. And I
certainly don't think they gave it the slightest bit of thought
beforehand. All points which I mentioned to them at the time.
>
>
>Get over it! If you want a flyer, exercise your right to ask for one. And
>do it politely. That little act will do more to encourage confidence in
>handing out to more foreigners than your temper tantrum which will have the
>opposite effect.

I have been to Japan three times. The day I need you to tell me how to
get along here and when, where, and how to express my opinions to the
delicate Japanese I will let you know. 
>
>You know what ? In the US,

I'm not in the US, shithead. I don't live there. This didn't happen
there. And it is entirely irrelevant.

> if you were a victim of this kind of
>discrimination, if you got a flyer at all when asking for it, it would be
>with an attitude. Politely asking for one here will more than likely be met
>with an apology, politeness, and a smile (and the initial deer-in-headlights
>reaction).

I don't think I should have to specifically go out of my way to ASK,
politely or otherwise, to be treated as a human being.
>
>(Apartment hunting might be a different story for many but...)

Well, come on, justify racial discrimination in rental housing in
Japan for us. You're on such a good roll it would be a shame to quit
now.





--

Michael Cash

"I am sorry, Mr. Cash, but we are unable to accept your rap sheet in lieu of
a high school transcript."

                                Dr. Howard Sprague
                                Dean of Admissions
                                Mount Pilot College