Controversy

Most of us play taiko.  I think that it's really hard to play taiko without passion, which means taiko players are in general, passionate people.  When we see something about our passion that offends or disturbs us, it's easy to come at things, well, passionately.  But often, it can make things worse.

My last post was about the thread in the Facebook's Taiko Community group and some of the points I brought up.  Recently there was another post about groups in North America that exclude non-Japanese players.  I took umbrage at the premise because it was put up as something that's common in North American taiko and something that our community is ok with.  A subsequent reply, much later in the thread talked about Americans being "ignorant" and I called that one out as well.

But I'm not here to have a pulpit to show why I'm right and blah blah blah.  What I'd much prefer is for people to take a breath, take a step back, look at the thing that bothers them, look at how their argument will sound when put into words, and realize that in many cases, context matters a LOT.

I realize that's a lot to ask - if more people did that in society, we'd have a happier life!  I admit I still have to work on this at times too, especially when I'm feeling really rant-y, haha.

Some of the arguments I see or hear have some pretty serious fallacies in them.  It's both from my ornery nature and a background in debate that I get involved in these discussions and threads.  Sometimes I do feel a certain way, but more often than not I just want to point out when a "fact" is just an opinion, or one persons experience doesn't mirror someone else's.  I want people to look at their arguments from a position of objectiveness and ask, are things really as bad as they seem?

I don't want anyone to feel an issue important to them isn't important.  I don't want anyone who wants to have a discussion to feel their topic isn't worthy.  I only hope that the loudest voices in the room aren't the ones that garner the most attention, that logic can have an equal place with passion when issues are brought up.

Now, what will the next controversy be?  Any takers?  :D