Comments on: Advice wanted

By: Mike Gogulski

Mike Gogulski — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:33:56 +0000

Thank you to everyone who provided input, here, on Facebook, and privately. I’m closing out the comments here now, since I’ve made a decision that I’ll announce shortly.

By: Sunni

Sunni — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:57:04 +0000

Mike, I’ve thought about your request for a few days now, and here’s my response, for whatever it’s worth.

What do you hope to gain by pursuing publicity? I know you listed possible outcomes, but they don’t exactly answer my question. The fact that you’re considering paths suggests to me that you may be seeking something that will provide closure for you … and if so, it occurs to me that you can accomplish that yourself, without media attention. (In fact, I think media attention could make closure harder to achieve, and/or take longer to accomplish.)

From what you’ve recounted of the event, it appears that at least some of your actions went against the culture of the locales—by which I mean that particular establishment as well as Slovakia in general. As I recall, your American heritage was an issue with the police; if you pursue media attention, that will likely be played up … and not necessarily in a positive way. (Other cultures may express approval of American ideals from a distance, but not when their social systems are expected to uphold them.) Media attention could cost you not just general goodwill, but also in employment prospects and even extant friendships.

Perhaps a more productive course at this time would be to reflect back on the situation with the intention of learning all you can from it—about the culture there, and more importantly about yourself. It appeared to me that you expected some level of American justice from a very different country and social system … and that is a little naïve, don’t you think? Examining these and related issues is vitally important in general, but especially so if you want to return there.

Hope my rambles help … you’re welcome to follow up in email if you wish. Namaste.

By: Sky Captain

Sky Captain — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:25:17 +0000

I forgot to say: if it was me I’d take Spain any day. Home is where the self is, and sentiment for places can be a killer.
Literally.

By: Sky Captain

Sky Captain — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:23:05 +0000

There is an old saying: Don’t shit on your own doorstep.
If you were finished with Bratislava I’d say go for it.
But you are not. So either you try and write it off to experience and find a new way of working with that particular society, or you try and make the ‘system’ work for you by complaining.
Then there are the wackout versions; such as getting hit up by the bugger so many times that nobody raises a stink when you finally gun him down in a dark alley.
Fact is, life is too short to hold grudges like that.
If you must, go and learn a martial art.

By: Martin

Martin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:21:07 +0000

I´ve sent your case to my friend in one of the largest slovak daily newspaper, but no response. I suppose they don´t care when someone is not supported by some fucking political opposition party (see Hedviga Malinova). That´s a sad reality.

By: Big Mistake

Big Mistake — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:01:16 +0000

Do as the Buddhist Priest did in a Saigon, Vietnam Street on October 5, 1963- works every time.

http://www.vietnampix.com/fire1.htm

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:13:11 +0000

You’ve omitted the fourth and fifth possibilities, nobody touches it but (because you made the attempt) it yields some good or your life gets even more difficult.

By: winston smith

winston smith — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:42:56 +0000

I agree with Peter, too. you could do something that wouldn’t get pointed at yourself. a number of anarchist stickers on the police windshields will get them annoyed. that will make you feel better, but that’s about all.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:57:56 +0000

It seems like more harm (for you) than good (for you or others) can come of attempting number 3. Perhaps that’s just caution speaking, but given that some friends from the region seem to think the same and that you’d like to return to SK one day I’d err on the side of caution this time.

By: Dano

Dano — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:12:40 +0000

get a gun and get it loaded, official media all suck and alternative don’t exist. I have informed a few of slovak journalists I know about what happened but haven’t got any feedback at all.