Tower of Terror Rose Parade Float Controversy

[General Grizz]

As for "letting terrorism overcome you" - my opinion holds that terror shouldn't even be brought up at the Rose parade. The point of a parade is to enjoy time and get AWAY from the notions of terror - especially if the key audience is families and young children. Pre-911 or Post-911, it's the same. Now it's moreso, because terrorism is a reality that is still affecting us. So to overcome it, let's avoid it. We can face it outside of the parade and forget the reminders.

Bring in the Disney the American family has loved for ages.

 

[lebernadin]

Originally posted by Heyyall
Just a little something I'd like to add as a compliment. I absolutely love your posts, lebernadin. Everytime I read one of yours, I always get a good laugh. Keep them coming.

Thanks Heyyall!

I've gotten into messageboards over the past few months as a good time out from the real world and its been fun so far. This Disney one is definately one of the more light ones i'm "on." I've already run into a few that seem to be a source, rather than a relief, from stress for many and i'm avoiding those. Glad to have ones like this to pop in on a few times a day.

 

[FutureCEO]

You think Sept 11th was bad with all the news about it. I live minutes from where the Station fire happened and they (the media) kills the saddness and the topic top death even worse than sept 11th

 

[andre85]

Originally posted by Heyyall


Andre85, don't tell anyone to "get over it, if you are over what happened, but ALOT of people are not. Do you realize how many loved ones were lost? It only happened two years ago, and many people can't forget that easily. It's good that you got over it easily, but not everyone can. Everytime I see the terror threat on the news, which is everyday, I think of 9/11, as do many people.

First off, it's hypocritical of you to dictate what I should and should not do when you get on me about this very same issue. Of course I realize "how many loved ones were lost", but that does not give someone the right to force feed their sorrow down my throat. As long as they keep it out of my face, I don't care if they take decades to get over it.

 

[tztowerofterror]

Originally posted by Heyyall
Everytime I see the terror threat on the news, which is everyday, I think of 9/11, as do many people.

well maybe he doesn't. you know maybe everytime the word terrorism is mentioned somewhere he doesn't think of 9/11. before jumping down someone's throat, think of it from their position. you made good points that may apply to some, but not all, including me.

 

[bdalton]

its a RIDE.....at a THEME park
its a FLOAT...in a PARADE

i wish the politically correct police out there would go into another line of work.........they're making everyone else nuts. get off ur soap boxes and direct ur energy at something positive. GET A LIFE.......JEEZ:hammer:

 

[bdalton]

i MEAN REALLY.......ITS JUST A PARADE

 

[tztowerofterror]

my thoughts exactly! some people want attention so bad its pathetic!

 

[Tramp]

My humble opinion, with great respect...

There are events in my life best left forgotten but there's always something that causes me to relive them, even after a quarter century+. But this is a personal conflict within me and I never considered asking anyone to alter their way of life to accommodate my private, personal feelings. If I were at the parade, I would have been much more disturbed seeing the warplanes fly overhead or hearing the pulsating rotors of the firefighter helicopters than the TOT float because these are very much part of that which troubles me.

I personally do not see an overwhelming connection between 9/11 and the TOT float but, maybe if someone I loved was killed two years ago in the Trade Center, I'd feel differently about that. I'm willing to cut some slack for people who DO see the connection only because there hasn't been sufficient time to "get over it," especially in the New York area. This was an unexpected massive loss of innocent life and it takes more time to heal than a loss of life at wartime. However, there comes a time when all of us need to come to grips with trauma in our lives, deal with it privately and let life return to normalcy for everyone else.

I would be willing to bet that far more people were reminded of the September 11th tragedy by this controversy than by viewing the TOT float itself.

 

[Heyyall]

Re: My humble opinion, with great respect...

Originally posted by Tramp
I personally do not see an overwhelming connection between 9/11 and the TOT float but, maybe if someone I loved was killed two years ago in the Trade Center, I'd feel differently about that. I'm willing to cut some slack for people who DO see the connection only because there hasn't been sufficient time to "get over it," especially in the New York area. This was an unexpected massive loss of innocent life and it takes more time to heal than a loss of life at wartime.

That was my exact point that I was trying to get across. I do not see a problem with the float, but this woman did. There has not be sufficient time to get over it in my opinion. And I do think that MANY need more time to heal.

The only readon why I jumped into this thread is when people started to say how people should be over it, and those who especially had nothing to do with it, because I don't agree at all. I don't think that anyone should tell people that they should be over what happened, and they should move on if they're not ready to. That was my point.

 

[General Grizz]

From another online board:

No Disney Magic for Disabled Groups

Disney pulls ToT float to DCA; skips viewing

Posted : 1/2/2004 by Michelle

When it comes to Disney, I tend to let a lot slide, to put things into a world-view perspective. Things like peeling paint and myriad ODV carts in Disneyland have never been things that rile me up much - especially after my brother's death. The whole perspective of what's a tragedy changes when something like that happens, or when you turn on the TV news and see your fellow human beings suffering. If you've been reading my work for the past five years, you know I'm not one to say 'the sky is falling' until I get my head bloodied. A few weeks ago, I reached that point.

The greed of the Disney ... Corporation is just appalling. Here's the latest example: The Rose Parade float was great; imaginative and fun, like Disney's usual contributions. Disney and the Rose Parade have had a long and mostly-happy history. Roy Disney was Grand Marshall one year, a great (and well-deserved) honor. Walt Disney hyped the soon-to-open Disneyland - their Dumbos were still Pink Elephants back then!

Traditionally, the public pays a small fee ($7 this year) to visit the floats near the end of the parade route, and then on the 2nd and 3rd, groups of disabled (physically and mentally) people are invited to visit - it's a nice treat for people who don't get much of a break in life, and a really nice thing for the participants to do.

But this year, Disney Corporate decided that these people weren't as important as desperately trying to get more bodies into the turnstiles of Disney's California Adventure. They're yanking the Disney float early so that they can display it - to paying customers only, of course - at DCA. When I heard about the appearance at the theme park, I was pretty happy, until I learned the cost. I think it's just awful. Why couldn't Disney wait until the 4th to display the float? It just reeks of grasping, greedy behavior.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I said before, I have no problem with the float on the 9-11 views. . . just the nature of the float fitting in.

 

[andre85]

Re: Re: My humble opinion, with great respect...

Originally posted by Heyyall
I don't think that anyone should tell people that they should be over what happened, and they should move on if they're not ready to. That was my point.

I have every right to request someone to move on with their lives when they're asking me to swallow their fanatical propaganda. As I said before, as long as they keep it out of my face, I don't care if they take decades to get over it.

 

[Heyyall]

Re: Re: Re: My humble opinion, with great respect...

Originally posted by andre85
I have every right to request someone to move on with their lives when they're asking me to swallow their fanatical propaganda. As I said before, as long as they keep it out of my face, I don't care if they take decades to get over it.

And as I said before, when it comes to 9/11, I do not think you have the right to tell anyone to get over it.

In your first statement you said:
As for the vocal minority's reaction to this float? Buck up. It's been over two years; get over it and move on with your lives, and stop trying to make it worse for the rest of us who have moved on.

The reason why I commented on this was because you said "Buck up. It's been over two years; get over it and move on with your lives". That commented annoyed me because you made it seem like it's been two years, and people should just forget about it.

 

[lebernadin]

Here's one way to look at it.....

My grandfather(mother's father) passed away in October. I was close to him. He was my only grandfather, since my dad's father passed a year before i was born. Now the vast majority of us face this tragedy in our lives, losing a relative to aging. As a result we can all relate and sympathize to some extent. Some of us may be closer to such relative than others but nevertheless.

Tramp referenced in one of his posts the choppers flying overhead at the Rose Parade as hitting him harder, i would assume due to seeing combat perhaps. Now something like that i have no idea about as i've never seen combat. I would never think to comment on his or any other vets experiences for better or worse. I just don't have the same frame of reference to do so and i wouldn't want to offend that person.

So my point is that there are more common tragedies that most can relate to, and then there are more unique/intimate tragedies/ life events that i think are best left to those dealing with them to comment and discuss.

 

[andre85]

Re: Re: Re: Re: My humble opinion, with great respect...

Originally posted by Heyyall
And as I said before, when it comes to 9/11, I do not think you have the right to tell anyone to get over it.

In your first statement you said:
As for the vocal minority's reaction to this float? Buck up. It's been over two years; get over it and move on with your lives, and stop trying to make it worse for the rest of us who have moved on.

The reason why I commented on this was because you said "Buck up. It's been over two years; get over it and move on with your lives". That commented annoyed me because you made it seem like it's been two years, and people should just forget about it.

How many times are you going to make me elaborate on my original post until you understand my point? I’ll concede the statement you quoted wasn’t perhaps the most elegantly conceived, but it was constructed as such to express my distain for people who try and spread their filth in an attempt to negatively affect others around them. For these people (the ones who vocally express their inability to overcome events of year’s past), they should “buck up” and get over their personal issues - They're not my problem. I will not tolerate anyone who tries to step all over my rights and freedom.

 

[Heyyall]

I see what you're saying, and the way you've explained it now is different from the way you first said it. I just don't agree with what you said, and that's fine. I don't want this to be a continuous thing. I understand your point, hopefully you understand why I commented in the first place, and let's move on with this. Have a happy New Year

 

[andre85]

It’s not different, merely clarified. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s consistency. I don’t expect a reply, so don’t feel obligated to provide one.

 

[andre85]

It’s not different, merely clarified. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s consistency. I don’t expect a reply, so don’t feel obligated to provide one.

 

[Heyyall]

Originally posted by andre85
It’s not different, merely clarified. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s consistency. I don’t expect a reply, so don’t feel obligated to provide one.

Well, I'm going to reply...evidently some people can't just move on when one person says that we have different opinions on the matter, and let's just move one.

I said in my post
"and the way you've explained it now is different from the way you first said it."

When you EXPLAIN something that you meant, that is called clarifying. You explained what you meant at first, meaning you clarified it.

I will not tolerate anyone who tries to step all over my rights and freedom.

Um, allright, she wasn't stepping all over your freedom. You saw the float, didn't you? Disney isn't going to stop making floats like that because of her. She complained, NOT affecting your life. Since when is making a complain about something that reminded you of a tragic event stepping all over your rights? I don't agree with this woman, especially since I learned about the search groups she put out of business, but I think you're going a little overboard.

If you feel that it's so necessary to continue this fight, then go ahead and argue another one of your "points", then go ahead. I wanted to end this in my last post. I said I saw your point, and I said I wanted to move on with this. But if you post, then I will reply until you're ready to agree that this should be over.

 

[andre85]

I'll keep on chugging until you run out of steam.

Originally posted by Heyyall
evidently some people can't just move on when one person says that we have different opinions on the matter, and let's just move one.

I'm impressed that you described both myself and yourself in one fellow swoop, despite the original intentions.

Originally posted by Heyyall


I said in my post
"and the way you've explained it now is different from the way you first said it."

When you EXPLAIN something that you meant, that is called clarifying. You explained what you meant at first, meaning you clarified it.

You said "and the way you've explained it now is different from the way you first said it", when if fact, it wasn't. It was merely your perception that lead you awry. However, your clarification of your original declaration fails to mention the term I objected, "different".

Originally posted by Heyyall
Um, allright, she wasn't stepping all over your freedom.

Now you're putting words into my mouth with your clever omission of the word "trying", which was present in my original assertion. Furthermore, I was using the term "my" in a general sense to envelope both myself and others (including Disney). This "lady" would have loved nothing more than to see the ToT float removed from the parade, and all too often, the vocal minority gets their way. Take for example Pirates of the Caribbean, which was modified some years back to appease the feminists who accused it of portraying "sexist" traits. Purely asinine, but Disney had to oblige because of the fear/devastation the Vocal Minority can inflect upon a corporation.

There’s something you may be familiar with, if I recall correctly, it goes by the name of the “1st Amendment”. It purveys freedom of expression of both speech and art, and thus complaining about the event could likely force Disney to reconsider future advertise avenues, thus infringing on Disney’s 1st Amendment rights (You may argue not forcibly, but that's another matter entirely).

Originally posted by Heyyall
then go ahead and argue another one of your "points", then go ahead. I wanted to end this in my last post. I said I saw your point, and I said I wanted to move on with this

If you hold my "points" with such little regard, why do you feel it necessary to continue this conversation? I know I certainly wouldn't bother if I felt the opposing member didn't have viewpoints worth discussing (note I didn't use "arguing", as I hardly consider this a debate).