[HANASHIR:2796] guitar travail and homosexuality

[Rglauber <Rglauber...>]

I was hoping that this topic would fade away, as I find myself getting a bit 
frustrated by the pervasive attitude of the list members on this issue.  
Granted, this is a pet peeve of mine, but what the hell, let me share it with 
the rest of you....

I travel quite a bit with my guitar.  I like to carry it on if possible.  If 
not, I check it in, loosen the strings and hope for the best.  I've had 
absolutely no problem after many many such check ins.  The thing that's 
bugging me is what I perceive to be a strain of self-importance, entitlement 
because we are so "special" and deserving of some kind of unique treatment.  

I prefer to look at it as an airline trying to do an extremely difficult job 
of getting tons of baggage and people from place to place every day.  My 
sense tells me that when a baggage handler sees a guitar with a "fragile" 
sticker on it, he/she handles it with care.  I don't think they just throw 
them around.  Hey, people love their golf clubs and their fishing rods and 
their surfboards and whatever else.  As a passenger, I don't want to see them 
carried on, and I don't want to wait behind someone who is giving the agent a 
hard time because they're not allowed to carry it on.

I'd probably have a different attitude if I ever got one smashed up, but 
aside from Steve's experience, I haven't heard of that occurring.  Plus, if 
your guitar is that important and precious to you, then spring for an anvil 
case and stop worrying about it.  (Anvil cases are the indestructible ones 
that the steadily touring musicians usually use)

Finally, I must comment on Adrian's most recent pre-shabbat musing, in which 
he talked about some of the more difficult passages in torah, and offered 
some fairly controversial commentary.  Sorry I can't quote it verbatim, but I 
inadvertantly deleted it.  But in a nutshell, it had to do with some of the 
biblical strictures around homosexuality and other transgressions (stoning to 
death, that sort of thing)  Adrian's point was that as much as it's tempting 
to reject the more difficult biblical passages, we have to "respect" our 
torah and look more deeply at these questions.  

What I can't accept is when he talks about homosexuality, and includes it 
with infidelity and I believe some type of criminal bahavior.  (sorry for the 
lack of a direct quote)  Homosexuality and infidelity do not equate.  Period. 
 It's an insult to gay people, and I don't believe that it has any place on 
this list.  If that is "disrespecting" torah, then let me disrespect it 
fully.  I'd rather do that than disrespect a person.

Rich G


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