Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum
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Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Judges Guild - A Private Message from Bob II - Regarding Recent Accusations - to Help People Better Understand the Personal Views of the Owner
Link is valid as of this posting (gone now)
Note - comments at the link have been pruned of comments that Bo II sees as insulting.
Regarding Recent Accusations - to Help People Better Understand the Personal Views of the Owner:
I Have Traditional Christian values. My family crest attests to 3 European Crusades, and I regard that as a calling. That means I am pro-life, anti-gay, and against self-mutilation.
I believe we are all God's Children, and hold a compassion for everyone.
I am not their judge, and judging the morals of others is Not my job.
I have my Views and unless asked, or in my home, I keep them to myself.
I keep my personal views out of my professional life.
I respect people based on their behavior, not what they are, or think they are.
That could be why people can be surprised or offended.
In my opinion, they cannot expect everyone to agree with them.
Social Morals do not change overnight, and progressives must not expect them to.
I do not expect to change the view or other, and I do not try because that is not my job.
I believe in Free Speach: I understand that being offended comes with that freedom.
I apply the Golden Rule, and treat others as I would wish to be treated.
My family fought the Revolution; the two Rutledges who drafted and Signed the Constitution
and Delcaration of Independence, so I do take American Politics personally.
Being a peace-loving person, I do not own a gun, but I would never give up my right to get one.
I stand against corruption in high places and No Country should be above question, or be feeding off ours.
Politically, I am an Independent Libertarian. I Voted for Perot, and Paul, but do support what Trump has managed to do for America, despite being labeled Hitler.
I do believe the Media is Controlled in America by Leftists and Zionists, but I do not Hate them. I hate what they do.
I do have relatives and friends in Government with Top Secret Clearances.
Prior to 9/11 I also did some private work for the Government, no tin-foil here. Today's Conspiracy often proves to be Tomorrow's Truth. Mud is everywhere, and they revel in getting us to throw it on each other.
I have never been one to chase money: I lost my belongings in an explosion in 1974 at age 12, so what is dear to me hold sentimental value, not material. I have been homeless before, and slept nights in cornfields and under bridges, but never begged or stole to feed myself. I know what being down is like and exhibit a given nature because of that experience.
I am not interested in money and my intention here should not be construed that way. I consider myself an artist by nature.
My goal here has always been to keep the works of the Guild alive and in reach of the public, because I consider those I grew up with to be family. If you have helped me, I consider you like a brother. We will not always get along, but I will love you regardless, because you helped me once.
I live a very humble personal life on very little income.
Am I a perfect Person? No, but I am the first to admit it. I do not Lord over others, anywhere.
I raised 6 Children with those values, but as they are now adults, I respect their choosing their own way.
I think All Paths Lead eventually to God, and there is good to be found in All People and Religions, I have studied several of them.
I have been accused of being a Racist. I am not. I have made and keep friends of all races.
I am not pure white; being part Cherokee, Dutch, and Romanian. My family came to America in 1643,
and by 1665 owned Slaves, sold to us by Jewish Slave Merchants. I personally would not own
anyone... All God's Children.
When they first started bussing blacks to my school in the 60's, two were introduced to my class, Renee and Tony. I was the first white boy to make friends with Tony, and we are still friends to this day. We shared Elementary and High School years together. He knows I do not hate blacks, but knows I am just as capable of racial humor as he is.
My ancestors' slave-ownership eventually surfaced in my life. I was contacted by a black female Bledsoe seeking history of her ancestry. I provided her with what documents I had, wills and deeds bearing the names of her forefathers.
She lives in Texas, where following the Civil War, a group of my relatives migrated, wishing to hold the investment held in their slaves. It was personally chilling for me to read in those documents where the daughters of one slave was to be given to one, and the sons of the same slave be given to another
family member... the idea that children be separated so, as was common then, bothered me a lot because I have 6 children on my own. The woman informed me that the reason they kept our family name was because my ancestors treated them well, and with kindness, allowing them to receive Christian learning. Do I feel shame for the actions of my ancestors? No. My ancestors walked in a different time.
Do I feel a kinship with the Black Bledsoes? Yes. We share a common bond, of having walked together in that time. My home is open to them, as it is to all people. That does not sound very racist.
I have been also accused here of being Anti-Semitic. The answer to this is more complex because it addresses both Race and Religion. As for Race, I have and keep friends who are Jewish; as I stated, we are All Children of God, but I am not a Zionist, nor do I believe they are any better than anyone else. I have worked for Jewish Causes several times, and donate yearly to MDA, which benefits Ashkenazim Jews. As for the religious aspect, I do not believe in Judaeo-Christianity.
As I said, I am a Traditional Christian, therefore I embrace one or the other. My views do not come from studying the Scriptures from Hebrew, but from the original Aramaic. I do not believe Christ was a Jew, but I do not expect
others to hold that opinion. I suggest they study the Books of Moses in Aramaic, as it was the language of Christ, and would give them a different perspective. I will always oppose things which to me seem anti-Christian, but I have friends of many faiths, and Love them all as brothers. I do not try to change them.
I state these things with a sincere heart, and know that in today's world it is easy to label and pigeon-hole people. I hold no grudges and wish to be friends with everyone. I ask for your understanding, but not for your forgiveness. I am truly sorry for offending anyone, as I have never tried to single any individual out. I will in future try to be more sensitive, but in this social climate I walk on a lot of eggshells. The living DNA in me scaled walls of castles with an axe, fired muskets against the King's Army, and fought in most every war America has ever had. I am a Proud Boomer, and I do hold my tongue more that one thinks.
Sincerely - Bob Bledsaw II
edit - the following was sent by a community member:
Thanks for sharing this. I respect that Bob has the right to his beliefs and am not the sort to "punch a nazi", but I pray that one day he sees the error in his ways.
ReplyDeleteMany of u s have encountered him online. He's not someone who I would ever support and he's into free market capitalism I am sure.
ReplyDeleteNo place for this garbage in any industry let alone the RPG industry.
Everyone has their rights to beliefs, and I am the punch a Nazi type...there is no place for hate disguised as beliefs political ideology or not.
He's a not a big fan of atheists, and certain types of Christians either. And yes he would share some of this bullshit in RPG discussions.
At some point we need to stop enabling this crap in our cultures/societies. Dehmanizing other human beings is unacceptable. Good riddance.
The value that humans are people is a value that can be religiously or culturally motivated.
DeleteIf you pay careful attention to group ritual based in magical thinking, the socialist religion is a very common one. It is a religion that appears to cheat on the question of recognizing common humanity. It divides humans into categories of oppressor and victim, and the plight of the victim is cause to not recognize 'the oppressor' as human, but instead a mystical fetish whose destruction profits 'the victim'. Once you make that decision to dehumanize 'the oppressor', you abandon all principled grounds to object to 'victims' being dehumanized.
There is a view that opposition to religious or cultural differences is racist. There is a view that racism under this definition is intolerable. Once you conclude that all religious and cultural differences must be tolerated, and by coercion, you abandon the right to objection to religions and cultures that you find wildly alien. In effect, you no longer have a principled reason to object to people who consider recognition of common humanity to be entirely optional.
Opinions are an area where it is easy to make people shut up, and can be very difficult to actually coerce.
If Bledsoe is not permitted to live with his understanding of his motive to recognize common humanity, if the pro-life Christians are not permitted to act on their understanding of common humanity, are you going to be successful in convincing them to cleave only to your own understanding?
Or are you going to persuade people that surrendering to you is a fool's game, and it is better to pick values independently of what you believe?
He was a true collectivist and deserves what has come his way.
DeleteHuh....so the anonymous poster above went full logical fallacy to denigrate social institutions by way of religion is bad because some forms practice an exclusionary approach to community. Might need to revisit the Paradox of Tolerance.
Delete"Everyone has their rights to beliefs, and I am the punch a Nazi type... Dehmanizing other human beings is unacceptable."
DeleteDoublethink is the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs as correct.. Also related is cognitive dissonance, in which contradictory beliefs cause conflict in one's mind. Doublethink is notable due to a lack of cognitive dissonance—thus the person is completely unaware of any conflict or contradiction.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublethink
I, uh, I wish I could tell the difference between all the different "Anonymous" folks, so I could tell who I disagree with...
DeleteI support the right for him to say what he wants on whatever forum he wants. I also support the right not to purchase any further JG products.
ReplyDeleteFreedom's of all kinds are never free from consequences.
"I support the right for him to say what he wants on whatever forum he wants."
DeleteThat's an admirable sentiment, but will you object when (not if) he's deplatformed from DTRPG (and Patreon if he had one, and probably PayPal too)?
"Freedom's of all kinds are never free from consequences."
That's a cop-out phrase invariably used to excuse persecuting people for exercising their rights. If you can be SYSTEMATICALLY punished for doing a thing, then you don't really have a right to do that thing.
"You're free to steal, but not free from the consequences of stealing (being arrested, criminal record etc)" - therefore you're NOT free to steal
"You're free to desert the military during wartime, but not free from the consequences of deserting during wartime (court martial, prison, possible execution) - therefore you're NOT free to desert during wartime
"You're free to try to make it over the Berlin Wall..."
Your examples of other activities are ones that carry governmental consequences. The First Amendment is about protection from the government. It does not protect you from private citizens thinking you are a jerk and no longer wishing to do business with you.
Delete"That's a cop-out phrase invariably used to excuse persecuting people for exercising their rights. If you can be SYSTEMATICALLY punished for doing a thing, then you don't really have a right to do that thing."
DeleteNot a cop-out whatsoever. You have the right to be a holocaust denier in this country, for instance. You may face unpleasant consequences, but holocaust denial is ILLEGAL in many countries. If the distinction seems trivial to you, maybe it's because you've never been sent to fucking prison for espousing a controversial political opinion.
So... he's "sorry, not sorry"
ReplyDeleteI sussed as “I may hold anti-black, -Jewish, -gay, and -woman views, but I’m not a racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic misogynist.”
DeleteFreedom of belief does not guarantee freedom from consequence.
ReplyDeleteJudges Guild is officially dead. It's time to move on and build anew.
so you're a nazi. good to know. hope you end up alone.
ReplyDeleteMr Bledsaw II appears to be a religious man yet saddled by way of Facebook activity with some appalling views. I'm glad he doesn't own a gun by choice and respect that he said it's wrong to take that right from others. Otherwise, frankly I'd be fearful of him going postal. Instead, "It's not worth it", is all I'd ever say to this man regards these topics. And, ironically to anyone else regards this matter. What does one gain by such Facebook views followed by how does one come by them are two questions I don't need answers to. Like I said, it's not worth it.
ReplyDeleteIf you claim to be a "punch a nazi" your basically no better than a brown shirted SA thug.
ReplyDeleteBob Jr. thinks the media is controlled in part by "Zionists", which is why he referred to it as the "Jewsmedia". But that's not anti-Semitic. And the slaves his ancestors bought were sold by "Jewish Slave Merchants"--note the unnecessary (and likely false) qualifier. But that's not anti-Semitic. Because using pejoratives isn't pejorative, you see.
ReplyDelete"Everyone has their rights to beliefs, and I am the punch a Nazi type...there is no place for hate disguised as beliefs political ideology or not."
ReplyDeleteDid you ever read your own statement a second time? You would have to punch yourself again and again, man.
Here's the thing, in America we're free to hold whatever beliefs we want, and others are free to associate with us or not as they see fit. I find many of the things Bob II said here to be personally repugnant. Equally, the "punch a Nazi" types are repugnant to me too. Maybe it's time for everyone to grow up, accept that other people both think differently and are ALLOWED to think differently, and then make a mature decision on who to associate with WITHOUT threatening them with violence.
ReplyDeleteAbove all weighing-in: Jr. is really just a dumb-ass. There is no excuse, justification, explanation of individual rights or moral high-ground he can take for being so. He is what he is and now that everyone knows, they can act appropriately.
ReplyDelete.
Life is good that way.