Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor
Agreed.
So...either your statement applies to basically no one (because basically no one literally froths at the mouth unless they have some sort of medical problem) or it applies to whomever you deem to be "rabid", which sounds rather subjective to me.
If I say "all jerks are jerks" it's not too hard to say that makes sense. If I say "everyone who agree that gay people are evil are ignorant morons" I am giving an exact frame of reference. If I say "all people that say right-wing things to degree x are ignorant morons" leaves x vague and definitely qualifies as a broad-brush, all-or-nothing, us-against-them, hatred and prejudice filled statement.
Whether or not you know any right-wingers (and you DO) painting any group as this or that undermines you. It bears repeating.
I'd like to clarify that I'm not speaking just to iSm, but to JW and anyone else who wants to post hatred-filled bias (and yes, there are plenty among us, including myself, who needs reminding often).
This, I truly believe: There is no solution to our problems, to our divided country, and to the basic ongoing epic struggles humans have faced for all of our existence that involves demonizing the opposition.
You are hurting your reputation, you are hurting your own cause, and you are hurting humankind.
You may call it hyperbole. I do not. Solutions do not begin at the top. They begin at the bottom, in every day conversation, in the small things we repeat to ourselves and to each other.
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How am I demonizing by pointing out uncomfortable truths?
I use the term "right-wing" in the same manner that conservatives like to use the word "liberal"; that is, the extreme fringe of that end of the political spectrum. In my opinion, no one here on LoT is what I would refer to as right-wing. Nor do I believe that the majority of conservatives are right-wing, or hold the same insane paranoid views. But by pointing out that the lunatic fringe on the even right exists, I get pilloried. Nice.