Bumper Sticker Activism

Or, Should You Wear A Flag Pin In Your Lapel? 

tl;dr: I was taken to task for not speaking out regarding certain current events. I was told my silence was giving support to a socially unacceptable stance within the community. My reply? Not speaking due to insufficient facts is in no way support or opposition to a viewpoint. You can look at my life and see exactly what I support, or ask me how I feel if it isn't plain enough. You do not, however, get to assign motives or thoughts to me ad lib. Doing so makes you a troll and I want nothing to do with such. 

I always struggle with in your face philosophical discussions. I know they have a great many proponents, but I've never been convinced to change my ways by having my words or actions distorted for effect. Certainly not by being insulted or, even worse, having words put in my mouth and being lambasted for that which I've neither said nor implied.

I find myself in a similar quandary now. In fact, increasingly of late and on several fronts. I'm being asked to post this in favor of XYX and that in favor of ABC or I'm just not a good [opponent of cause célèbre]. 

I recall a bit of controversy about a political candidate for president of these United States of America being castigated for not wearing a US flag pin on his lapel during his election run. All the other candidates did, why didn't he? My (now ex) wife accused me "being a communist" when I removed a patriotic bumper sticker from my car, one she had placed there. She didn't accept my explanation I thought bumper stickers looked cheap and trashy, the actual reason (and still the way I feel all these years later). No, she wanted the outward display, erupting into a fury when I told her I lived my life in such a way as to show my love of my country through my actions: I voted, paid my taxes on time and in full, obeyed the laws, and absolutely refuse to engage in idle trash-talk about a sitting president (NB: thoughtful criticism of actual news about the president is another matter entirely). 

Now, we're rolling into a newer public argument about sexual harassment and the attendant libel and slander accusations getting hurled around. I work primarily with younger females, and I'm constantly on guard about what I say or do. I work in the medical profession, and in medical emergencies I often have to make more bodily contact with them than would be considered appropriate in most other situations. So, I take great care to otherwise be extremely respectful of both their space and the way in which I communicate with them. I refer to them as coworkers and healthcare professionals and avoid observations about their sex or appearance. I don't do this to avoid getting into trouble, though it does have that effect, too. No, I do this to insure they understand I look at them as a professional colleague upon whom I can count for assistance in a medical emergency.

In other words, I live my life in such a way as to reflect how I feel on the inside. This is why I don't do bumper stickers or hashtags or copy/paste/reposts. If you can't look at my life and understand I'm on your side? Then all fault lies with me for not living up to what I strongly believe on the inside. 

But understand this ... and hear me well. Talking to me as if I'm stupid or projecting your bigotry onto me to draw me into an argument with you is fruitless. I don't bother with feeding Trolls, I simply block and forget about them. Life is simply too short for tomfoolery.

OD&D -vs- T&T: Summary

Or ... D&D or T&T, The Final Reflection

Which game should you play? I believe it’s best to first ponder the feel of your campaign.

Comparison Point #1: rules. 

D&D provides much more structure, which grows in complexity with each new edition. Even if you, as referee, do not ascribe to the more rules = more fun school of thought? You would be well served to keep in mind many RPG gamers do.

T&T has less structure but this results in more work by the referee. For fledgling game masters, this may also lead to more missteps before settling into a viable campaign.

Conclusion: as an inveterate rules fiddler, I award this round to T&T.

Comparison Point #2: type of campaign.

Specifically, a short versus long running ongoing game world. In my opinion T&T is well-suited for one-shots and shorter focus campaigns, while D&D is best suited for a years long game.

Conclusion: I love getting to know a fantasy world and all its many aspects, point to D&D.

Comparison Point #3: numbers of players.

In this author's opinion, D&D is a the more the merrier type of game. I've certainly enjoyed games with only 2 or 3 players at the table but I've always found at least 5 or 6 a lot more fun. Though T&T can easily handle a like number of players, I would use it specifically for a group of smaller players or a one-on-one game. Obviously, as years of solo modules published for the game show us, T&T is also well-suited for solo gaming.

Conclusion: a tie, since available game participants can be highly variable in this complex day and age.

Final Conclusion: 

If I were going to run a long term campaign with a semi-stable number of adult players, I would choose D&D. If I were running a one-shot game, a game for a small number of players, or a game for younger players; I would likely choose T&T.

Recall the roots of both games. For D&D, the roots lie in simulation wargames. It's creators loved complexity and accuracy, though neither believed more complexity was necessarily better. T&T was an attempt to recreate fantasy on a simpler level for folks who just wanted to jump in and play a heroic fantasy figure. It calls to mind the old D&D debate of Batman versus Superman. In a D&D versus T&T comparison, D&D is Bruce Wayne yearning to be the Batman and with T&T your character is more like young Clark Kent on the verge of greatness; testing his powers and growing in confidence every day.

I hope this helps you, fellow gamer, with like decisions you have to make.