AVA Discussion: Community Solidarity?

[belovedofdeath]

I would gladly be the spokes person for all of the Vampire community.  I think it is time for the public to know who we really are.  they have become much more open minded in the past few years with all of the supernatural crazes going about.  I would do an interview with any news station saying yes I am a vampire, this is what I do, and this is who I am, and all that crap is just myth.  ^_^

Keep in mind that the public wants a pretty face, too. :/  So who ever we were to pick, so to say, would have to be "prettier than Edward" because, well, our society is shallow like that. :\

Hehe, that's funny, people tell me I look like him.  I am a performer anyway so I keep myself looking as good as possible if I can.  Also, that way, I wouldn't be nervous in front of the camera and seem strange to the people watching.

I think it would be strange if you weren't nervous.

And we'd need a different look than Edward, or we'll get pushed under the rug probably.

[paindancer]

The problem is that only someone who has a "normal" life could seem sane to almost everyone when in an interview. And those with a normal life most likely couldn't be a national spokes person without losing their job/family/friends.
Online it's easy for people with normal lives to congrigate with those like them, but if their face was on national TV their lives probably won't be the same again.

I think it depends on presentation.  If you come off as a social outcast, gothed out, solemn and morbid, you may get some press but people wont connect to the concept.  I am personally a little weary of the vampiric comunity be represented by members from the local goth club, as much as I like them.

Coming out of the coffin is not a social death sentence however.  If you are practical, socialy competant, etc, it can be done just fine.

[Mystere]

I think that now is probably bad timing. If we were to come out of the coffin now, as a community, we'd probably be accused of being caught up in the fad. Just like Witches have been put up against Practical Magic and Charmed and The Craft, we'd be put up on Queen of the Damned, Twilight, True Blood, and all that nonsense. And, unfortunately, we've already got "vampyres" out there that have undercut our reputation and credibility greatly, such as Don Henrie and "JS".

I think that it could be done, but it would have to be done carefully and with correct timing. Now may not be the best time.

[vitchy]

So if you fit in the publics eye you are accepted??  Then you are a follower and you have accomplished nothing.  You need to be your own person.  If people dont accept you for who you are then we are all back to square one!!!

[Mystere]

Agreed, vitchy, that everyone has the right to be their own person, but if there's a public representative for the community, it has to be someone the dayside world can be comfortable with and relate to. Then we can start bringing out the "kinky" stuff, and it might be more managable.

[paindancer]

You can be functional in society, successful in career and relationships, and not at all be a follower.

Sadly, I see a lot of people in the vamprie community trying very hard to be unusual and odd, and it does undermine their credibility.

[Demzon]

I see a few points to add here. First, the popularity of fictional vampires in different forms than the Dracula archetype lays a good bed for for us to come out really. The problem is the religious side when you come down to it. There are likely to be churches organizing protests. There is an upside to this though; I have known, in the past, a few vamps that are religious. If a church does start in to the 'hate them' rhetoric there is a chance that there will be vamps there to say something and leave; if not at least those that would support us.
As for the medical stuff; I would rather see a test out to determine if some one is or not. Personally, if I am not I would like to know that and get treatment for the real problem rather than continue suffering the pains and problems; both physically and mentally. I am doubtful that anything would be found in any of our lifetimes though as there is no money in it initially and a very small bed of information to start with.
Another point is that just because the community at large comes 'out of the coffin' as it has been put many times, does not say that everyone must say that they belong to the community publicly. I personally with not be putting on a blood red pointed Star of David to mark myself. (reference to the marking system that the National Socialists of Germany used for all the undesirable groups for those that didn't study that part of history.) As I said in my introduction, I'm fairly open about this; except to my parents. In a way that would be very much like the LGBT community.
I'm a jeweler myself, so not much help in the advertisement or mass viewable art unless you count stuff mountable to hats.
Theres my two cents on that; maybe a nickel, seems a bit more that just two cents worth.

[K. Muraki]

You can be functional in society, successful in career and relationships, and not at all be a follower.

Sadly, I see a lot of people in the vampire community trying very hard to be unusual and odd, and it does undermine their credibility.

Exactly: We're really no different from the rest of humanity, we just have that one thing that sets us apart, that's all, and that is a deficiency in pranic energy, however one choose to fill that need. I think if you go out of your way trying to prove that you're different, then it's a sign that you're trying too hard to be different.

I don't think being a functional member of society (ie. holding down a job, taking care of one's quality of life, managing one's finances, maintaining healthy relationships with friends/family members/loved ones) makes one a "follower", I think it makes one a mature adult. The problem is, people have this image of us as unemployed basement-dwelling losers who read Twilight too many times, and unfortunately, some people's behavior only justifies that bad image. I think this is the wrong time for us to try coming out of the metaphoric coffin, given the glut of vampire media and the news reports on criminals like "JS", especially the latter.

[garbleduser]

For years sheeple have thought of vampires as either fictional or one step past cannibals. Why don't we try to distance our selves from this degradation, with something like "yes, I'm a vampire, but who cares, it's not the issue." We can further prove our decency by showing the world how their politicians share the "moral philosophy of cannibals". (By this I mean that the politicians want the world set up in such a way as to steal wealth from those that can and do, to provide for those that can't or WON'T.) We need to express to the world that we want to live by our OWN means, not off of someone else's paycheck. If everyone sees that we do a better job of being productive than non-vampires, we may have a chance. We have the advantage, why don't we use it to produce wealth, jobs, and a dramatically improved economy? The only thing holding us back is the label "vampire," and our own laziness. Lets do the only thing that is truly moral, make money.

-Adam

[Demzon]

  He said "sheeple"... I still like that word.
Seriously, I can't disagree with you there. You reinforce points that have been made by many; now the trick is doing it.

[Lady Aszneth]

I'm not sure about any common social goals we share as a collective community, yet one thing I've noticed through the years that appears to be a common interest, however, is history!  I'm a history nut to the bone and I have many vamp-friends who are. 

[Demzon]

History is the previews of things to come.

[hexmoon3]

I am also a fan of History so I suppose that would be something.

[Laura202]

It would be nice to see the Vampire Community have some solidarity.  There should be more information out there ,because we aren't there has been alot of misinformation.  I started coming out of the coffin afew years ago.  I was threatened to be beheaded by some self proclaimed vampire on-line one night on AOL. I had disagreed with him. I have no idea who he was.  We need viable ,educated, informative , and courageous leaders. Not some of the arrogant, self proclaimed so called messiahs. The shinning warrior ain't no more ,their amour is rusty and feet are sore. Hiding under rocks doesn't help anyone. What happens to saying nothing is we leave younger generations of us open to abuse and misinformation. We do have some wonderful leaders, we need more.

[hexmoon3]

I'm not really sure we need a leader as much as a collaboration between everyone.