dreadlocks: I'm giving this community up. Personally

Danielle (

toodani) wrote in

dreadlocks,
@ 2005-03-09 16:55:00

I'm giving this community up. Personally it just freaks me out to have a dreadlock community that is filled with white people. just doesn't sit right with me.

So if you want the community, e-mail me and I'll set you up to be the mod.

Customize

(Post a new comment)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-10 04:31 pm UTC (link)
	Aw thats a shame, Whys it not sit right with you? (Reply to this)(Thread)

pheadrablashyrk
2005-03-10 04:45 pm UTC (link)

Is it the whole soft hair shouldnt be worn in dreads thing? cos actually the first dreads were discovered in sort hair, thousands of years before afro hair... this essay might help you understand?

Im fully prepared to take on this community for you if you really dont want it anymore.

Left to its own devices, hair will naturally knot together and form mats or
"dreadlocks". Upon seeing Dreadlocks, most people think of Bob Marley,
reggae, and Rastafarianism, unaware that the roots of Dreadlocks go back
much further, to at least 2500 BCE with the Dreadlocked Vedic deity Shiva
and his followers.

Dreadlocks are a universal phenomenon in the East as well as in the West.
Spiritualists of all faiths and backgrounds incorporate into their paths a
disregard for physical appearances and vanity. And so, throughout the world,
such seekers often cease to comb, cut, or otherwise dress their hair: This
is how "dreadlocks" are born.

In the West, the Nazarite is most widely known for developing Dreadlocks. In
the East, Yogis, Gyanis, and Tapasvis of all sects are the most famous
bearers of Dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks, then, are universally symbolic of a spiritualist's understanding
that vanity and physical appearances are unimportant. The counterpart to
Dreadlocks is the shaven head, which has the same aim: disregard for vanity
associated with physical appearances. Usually we find that spiritualists
whose religious path includes elaborate rituals tend to embrace the shaven
head technique as it affords a level of ritual cleanliness, while those
mystics who adopt meditative or otherwise non-ritualistic paths prefer to
disregard the hair altogether and thus develop Dreadlocks.

Dreadlocks are more than just a symbolic statement of disregard for physical
appearance. Both Eastern and Western Traditions hold that bodily, mental and
spiritual energies mainly exit the body through the top of the head and the
hair. If the hair is knotted, they believe, the energy remains within the
hair and the body, keeping a person more strong and healthy.

An excellent example from Western tradition is biblical Sampson, whose
unsurpassed strength was lost when Delilah cut off his *seven* locks of
hair. In classical India, all students on the spiritual path were directly
enjoined by their scriptures to develop Dreadlocks as a means to detach them
from physical vanity and aid them in the development of bodily strength and
supernatural mental and spiritual powers.

As the world moved into the Industrial Era, Dreadlocks were rarely seen
anywhere outside of India. However, at the turn of the Twentieth Century, a
socio-religious movement started in Harlem, NY by Marcus Garvey found an
enthusiastic following amongst the Black population of Jamaica. This
ecclectic group drew their influences from three primary sources (1) the Old
and New Testaments, (2) African tribal culture, and (3) The Hindu culture
that had recently become a pervasive cultural force in the West Indies.

The followers of this movement called themselves "Dreads," signifying that
they had a dread, fear, or respect for God. Emulating Hindu and Nazarite
holymen, these "Dreads" grew matted locks of hair, which would become known
to the world as "Dreadlocks" - the hair-style of the Dreads.

Soon after, this group would focus their attention on the Ethiopian Emperor
Ras Tafari, Haile Selassie, and thus became known as Rastafarians. But the
term "Dreadlocks" stuck.

Ever since becoming connected with the Rastafarians in the early 1900's,
Dreadlocks have taken on, in addition to their original religious and
spiritual significance, a potent social symbolism as well. Today, Dreadlocks
signify spiritual intent, natural and supernatural powers, and are a
statement of non-violent non-conformity, communalism and socialistic values,
and solidarity with less fortunate or oppressed minorities.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-11 07:14 am UTC (link)
	well thanks for the history lesson. I don't really feel like it's that important for me to share my opinion, or validate my feelings. the community will be yours (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-11 09:08 pm UTC (link)
	ok thanks... Hope you stay in it anyway? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-12 03:28 am UTC (link)
	i see you went from being super-friendly to superbitchy. As a matter of fact, I had natural hair for a while, as did a few of my friends. She and others expressed a need for this community, and at the time when the only way to start LJ's was with codes, I used my codes to start it. I have never been a participant. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-12 03:52 pm UTC (link)
	Not one super bitchy... Just dont agree with your veiws... and even after reading your explanations I still dont understand or agree... you are welcome to stay if you want... (Reply to this)(Parent)

p4nik
2005-03-12 01:07 am UTC (link)

if you're going to make such a bold statement that could be seen as offensive to many people, you should at least have something to back it up. you obviously have no reason or logic behind this belief that white people somehow shouldn't have dreads...or shouldn't be in a dread community... and are simply being blatantly racist and insensitive. and that's really terrible. not to mention totally ignorant and disgusting.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-12 03:33 am UTC (link)

I said that it freaks me out. In my life I have always associated dreads with black people. That is the only backup I need. Don't put words into my mouth, i never said that ANYone shouldn't have dreads or be in the community. I was just uncomfortable owning a community that went in a different direction than I intended. That's the end of it. You know nothing about me to say that racist, insensitive, ignorant or disgusting. Especially since I never implied the same of you.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-12 03:56 pm UTC (link)
	You may associate dreads with black people, BUT black people wernt the first race to wear them, in fact it wasnt until the 19th century that dreads were worn often by black people... If you go back thousands of years you find predominently white tribes such as the celts wearing dreads.... theres a massive history of dreadlocks, who wore them and why... (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-13 12:05 am UTC (link)

let's try this again. I UNDERSTAND. You provided great history that i've heard before. and I DO NOT disagree with it. But MY PERSONAL association with dreads in this day and time is with black people. and i've even known a few white people in my life with dreads. I am perfectly within my rights to decide what makes me comfortable without all of this mean-spirited banter and without the treatment I received from you.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-13 03:48 pm UTC (link)
	Not being funny... but what the hell sort of reaction did you think you were going to create with the original statement you made? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-14 07:39 pm UTC (link)

I expected the same treatment I gave. Honesty. I did not expect, and certainly thought was uncalled for, name-calling and character judgements. I never passed judgement on a single community member, n or did I question anyone's right to wear dreadlocks. I also never said that any one person on earth should not have dreads. Everyone jumped to extreme conclusions and it became an unecessary bitch session.

I just expected people to react in a semi-mature fashion. Few did.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	sarafinapekkala 2005-03-11 12:27 am UTC (link)
	I'm not white :( (Reply to this)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-11 07:15 am UTC (link)
	lol, i didn't say all. by all means, stay! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-11 11:47 pm UTC (link)
	sarafinapekkala You are fully welcome to stay... everyone is welcome here :) x (Reply to this)(Parent)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-11 11:14 pm UTC (link)

What a rascist comment to make. My hair locks up naturally, I let it do it's own thing. Dreadlocks are a hairstyle. 'white' people don't say 'black' people can't have straight or relaxed hair just because mostly our hair is straighter than yours. Ignorance and rascism both annoy me, so you're comments have mightly annoyed me. Eveyone should be equal, race should not come into it. If no-one was rascist people trully would not look at the colour of someones skin at all. You leaving the community because it has too many locked up 'white' people in is no worse that someone leaving a community because it has too many 'black' people with straight hair in. Both are rascist and both are ignorant.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-11 11:46 pm UTC (link)
	my feelings exactly ;) Ive kicked her off now shes handed the community over to me... Seriously... thats the last we're going to see of that type of narrowmindedness in this community... (Reply to this)(Parent)

toodani
2005-03-12 03:37 am UTC (link)

newsflash: white people don't own straight hair. I'm tired of saying that.

I will not repeat myself, but check a few posts up to see what my reply to your comment would be.

I am giving up OWNERSHIP of the community because I am uncomfortable being the moderator when my own interests are clearly not reflected in the community. I wanted this comm to flourish a little bit more, and it obviously couldn't with me at the steering wheel. Your new moderator is the one who removed my community membership and my co-maintainer status. I had actually decided to stay a member for the time being. But hey, no point in staying where I'm not wanted.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	xsourkittenx 2005-03-12 12:18 pm UTC (link)
	you're right, white people dont own straight hair. and black people dont own locked hair. get over yourself. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-13 12:01 am UTC (link)
	sure sweetie. headpat (Reply to this)(Parent)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-13 02:54 am UTC (link)

I never said that we did, I just said that she was stating the equivelant of. Which she was. My hair is naturally frazzy and locks up, In no way is it striaght. I was making the point that a 'white' person saying that would be just as stupid as a 'black' person saying the other.
'But MY PERSONAL association with dreads in this day and time is with black people.' Doesn't mean you have to leave a community because of the colour of peoples skin, it should not matter, that is racsism to me.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-14 07:45 pm UTC (link)

I didn't leave the community because of people's skin color. I gave up leadership of it because it was obvious that the members were not a reflection of what my community vision was. I thought a change of leadership would help the community, and obviously I was right, the place is flourishing with the new mod. The decision for me to leave the community was made by the new mod. I was perfectly content to stay a member, but she made the choice for me and deleted not only my mod status (which was fine) but also my membership.

Bottom line, if i thought this community was so bad and wanted nothing to do with it, I would've just deleted it instead of giving it a chance.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-14 08:51 pm UTC (link)

You gave up a community because your vision of it was 'black people' and you said YOURSELF that there were too many 'white' people in the community. If that is not what you meant, then why the did you say that? And if that is what you meant, as in your vision was a community of 'black' people with dreads, that's still fucking rascism to me. Skin colour does not matter at all, so why give up a community because it did not fit into your 'vision' of what it would be like, as it too many 'white' people. Hitlar had a fucking vision, didn't make him right though. You can't go saying things about the colour of peoples skin it whatever context. It doesn't come into it at all, so next time you choose to phrase a goodbye don't say this:
'I'm giving this community up. Personally it just freaks me out to have a dreadlock community that is filled with white people. just doesn't sit right with me.'
Beacuse that is fucking rascist you idiot, you mention it freaks you out about the WHITE people in your community with dreads. Don't try and be a smartarse and get away with saying something like that because it is clear to me and everyone that you're just trying to cover up the fact that you came out with something twatty and rascist. Next time think before you start typing.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-14 10:05 pm UTC (link)
	That is exactly what i meant and that is exactly what I said. I have not denied it or covered it up. You are too angry to be civil, seeing as how you cannot help but to reduce any mildly educating conversation to childlike name calling. If your feelings are hurt by my post, oh well. I can't sit here and hold your hand. Move on. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-15 10:43 pm UTC (link)

That's fine by me. You made me irate because you said something totally rascist in a casual manner and thought you could get away with it just because it was explaining how your 'vision' of an all certain skin colour cummunity hadn't worked out. Your comment was rascist and unjust. You really need to sort out in your head why 'a dreadlock community that is filled with white people' freaks you out? Why should the colour of someones skin matter? What was your reasoning behind making such a rascist comment? Why would someone be so ignorant to think like that in the first place? I don't understand rascist people, to me people are people, personality should decide on your views of someone and your judgement in the things they beong to and you are equally part of, not the colour of there skin. I'm sory for getting so irate, but a rascist doesn't deserve to be treated with respect as they obviously govern none themselves.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-16 02:56 am UTC (link)

I don't need to sort it out in my head. I've explained it already. Skin color mattered because it was about association. Not about a rule.. but about association. I GREW UP in a white neighborhood, racism is the farthest thing from my mind. I could care less about your skin color defining who you are. When I started this community, the first community for dreads, 4 years ago.. I never even imagined that the majority of its members would be white. White people with dreads is not an automatic association my brain makes. I am not saying it is unnatural or anything of the sort. I AM NOT judging anyone. I did not make a negative comment about any person. I AM NOT RACIST.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-17 09:47 am UTC (link)

Ok, well next time you phrase a goodbye, try and involve a little common sense instead of saying it in a twatty manner. I don't care wether your assosiation of dreads is with black people or not, that's how problems in this world always start, like some Christains assostiate Christianity with white people, which is a load of bollocks, but that's how the kkk started. Assostiations and predjudces and visions all start problems, so next time try and choose your phrasing right.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-17 02:13 pm UTC (link)
	no (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	leylohfaerie 2005-03-18 07:31 am UTC (link)
	lol, idiot (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	toodani 2005-03-18 01:50 pm UTC (link)
	back to the name-calling again eh? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	leylohfaerie 2005-03-18 07:03 pm UTC (link)
	yep. Rascist idiots get treated as such. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	pheadrablashyrk 2005-03-12 03:59 pm UTC (link)
	No white people DONT own straight hair, like black people dont own dreadlocks... stop contrdicting yourself!!!! (Btw...Im white celt..My hair is very curly couldnt get it straight for love nor money!!!!) (Reply to this)(Parent)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-12 08:38 pm UTC (link)

Yeah FUCKING NEWSFLASH, 'coloured' people don't fucking own dreadlocks you rascist twat. Hair dreads naturally, how do you think hair was worn back before combs were made. God I really hate it when people like you go 'oh society is so rascist' and turn out to be fucking rascists yourselves. 'White' and 'black' people are all the same, same as people with blonde hair, brown hair, ginger hair, it is a fucking hair stle. Get over yourself you twat.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

toodani
2005-03-13 12:14 am UTC (link)

God I really hate it when people like you go 'oh society is so rascist' and turn out to be fucking rascists yourselves.

check your bullshit at the door. You don't know me and no matter what you read through LJ you never will. I'm not racist and never will be. My association with hair is not about owning. I have not once said that white people should not have dreadlocks and that is certainly not the way I feel. Once again, reread any comment I've made until you CLEARLY understand MY position on this. I understand that you want to stick up for your hairstyle, but I'm not even knocking it, so all of this is unecessary.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

leylohfaerie
2005-03-13 02:51 am UTC (link)

Ok, but you leave a community and give the reason, there is too many white people with locks. I'm sure if someone left because there was too many 'black' people with locks it would be considered just as rascist. And please don't say sad outdated remarks like 'check your shit at the door'. It really makes you sound like a fucking moron. I don't accept rascism of any kind, and you leaving a community because of the colour of the peoples skin in it is fucking rascism to me.
It's up to you if you wanna leave a community, just perhaps you should have just left, or said I want to leave for reasons I shan't share so as not to offend, or something mature and sensible, instead of spouting something abot 'not feeling right' in a community with too many white people.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	coconut__grove 2005-03-12 07:44 am UTC (link)
	Hahahaha being an elitist butthead is awesome. Like tater-tots are awesome. Only not in the good potatoe-y way. (Reply to this)

"a lesson must be lived, in order to be learned"

clints01
2005-03-14 10:36 am UTC (link)

Greetings,
I know I am new to this amazing community but fighting over this is getting no one anywhere quickly - it's impossible to change someone's deadset opinion via livejournal or in any case, I guess you just hafta respect an individuals opinion no matter how blatantly offensive it is to you. On the same token its a great idea to step outside of your "comfort" zones and experience life and people that do not emulate your expectations of whats right and whats wrong, its how people discover and learn that diffrences make us beautiful individuals.
*sigh* but then again nobody asked me, and its just my opinion.

ps: its a pitty that more people don't follow thier convictions as strongly as you do. Its also a sad that convictions can sometimes be hurtful to others, but in that you show your strength. Oh and the more something like this is an issue - the less attention is paid to doing something about a bigger issue.

Live and Love
-Clint

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: "a lesson must be lived, in order to be learned" toodani 2005-03-14 07:30 pm UTC (link)
	Well, I appreciate the way you gave your response. Thanks (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	much respect. clints01 2005-03-14 11:06 pm UTC (link)
	Nothing but respect, thank you, and thank all! (Reply to this)(Parent)

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