RPers, Cosplayers, and Charity Work...

Brenna wrote:

Zenchi wrote: The point being, your comment is nothing more than conjecture. There is nothing substantial to back it up...

How do you know?


Also, I initially never compared the two in terms of activity. I pointed out that while they may wear robes and play with lightsabers, they also do good works in the spirit of Jediism that I feel are commendable... so really, I'm not sure what the issue is.

Is it so hard to believe that role players are three dimensional people with good hearts and good intentions? And that its possible to believe what we do, while wearing different clothes?

So as not to derail the other thread, I'd like to expand upon some of the things mentioned here.

The reason that I don't see "roleplayers" as an inherent negative are numerous, but one of them is that they--because of, rather than in spite of their costumes--are much more likely to push forward positive vibes about any organization supposedly associated with them. Their visibility is something that they (speaking in the absolute most general terms) can leverage with great effect for charities.

Take the 501st , the Rebel Legion , or even KAG (Klingon Assault Guild, a Star Trek fanclub). Both of these organizations have long-standing track records of public service and charity work, usually in full costume. People see them, they recognize them, and there's no lengthy discussion necessary about who they are or why they're there outside of fundraising or working a booth or whatever. It's just "there's a stormtrooper near a charity sign. Let's see what that's about..." or "Those Klingons are challinging other clubs to a blood drive contest. Wonder who'll win?"

In yet another stunning example of "I can't believe it's not Jedi", we willingly distance ourselves from these sorts of people to be taken seriously, and yet they're out there doing tons of charity work while we scrounge to keep the site up. I wonder how adamant we should be that we "aren't THOSE kinds of Jedi" some days.

Thank you for this. Seriously.

While I don't know that we are ever going to feel the need to have robes as official TOTJO garb, there is a definite discrimination that I see quite often.

"Jedi believe In the separation of religion and government and the freedoms of speech, association and expression."

So why are the other jedi groups so often judged by what they chose to wear, or the hobbies they have. So what if learning fighting styles and tearing around with a lightsaber is their thing! Does that make them any less?

I know several people at TOTJO who practice sword fighting quite seriously. Do we say they arent Jedi either? Or is it ok because one group uses a metal stick and the other a plastic (or whatever they make them out of) one?

I'm glad you guys think this way. I was once an RPer. It was the reason I became a Jedi, as in it provided the mythology, and also let me cross paths with my future mentor.

We start threads about "them" and I'm sitting right here.

Having robes and playing dress up is all fine and good. I have no problem with people in robes. I own a set…

That said; I would guard against letting the fantasy begin to outweigh the reality. For me, what’s on the inside is far more important then what we wear on the outside.