A modern economy is driven by wants, not needs. If everybody said that they were going to just buy the things they need and not the things that they want, billions of people would rapidly be unemployed. Unemployed people tend not to be happy about that, ya know?
If they are unemployed, they might be able to focus more on what they need and less on what they want.
(I type that as I sit here surrounded by dog-earred catalogs.)
GraphicsGal, welcome to SDMB! I also believe that intolerance is growing in this country. The last time that I saw people intensely divided was during the Vietnam War. Then even most of the hospitality from the Right was directed at anti-war protesters.
Some people on the Right are beginning to refer to an entire party as traitorous. To me that is a word that should be reserved for people who are convicted of acts of treason. It is being used almost casually.
Recently I received an email from a member of my husband’s family that I had recently met for the first time. We were born only months apart and brought up in Southern Protestant homes. She is a bright and interesting person and very cordial.
The email was a stunner! It was a forwarded email about the courage of the stars of Hollywood during WWII and what a contrast they were to the cowardly, traitorous, seditious stars of today. Whoa! She is talking about beliefs that I share!
When I wrote to her about it and about my feelings, she apologized and said that she really wasn’t familiar with all of its contents.
WHUT???
I used to think that most bigotry came from fear. Now I think it comes also from not thinking things through.
With that said, is there a prejudice at SDMB against people who also consider their emotions in making a decision? Some people seem to want everything to be based only on logic and reason.
And why are these people unhappy? Because they can’t afford the things they want.
I’m not a Buddhist but the first two Noble Truths always struck me as particularly strong.
Anyway, I’d say dislike of a particular group based on a informed reasoned opinion, and that’s open to change based on new information, is not bigotry, merely a (very) negative opinion.
The other test would be on how you interact with members of the group. Can you treat Tom Cruise with respect despite your general distaste for Scientology?
**Right, and if they can’t meet their needs easily, things can get ugly.
**
Some people, other people want everything to be based on emotion and feelings. Certain things should be based on logic and reason (scientific theory, for example), other things should be based on emotion and feeling (relationships, for example). Yet each of those should have elements of the other in them. What we’ve forgotten how to do is balance them, and realize that what might be right for ourselves, might be totally wrong for someone else.
Menocchio, I’m not saying that Buddhism isn’t a decent mindset, what I am saying is that you can take a religious tenet out of context, twist it’s meaning around and make it look as silly as those which are commonly mocked on the SDMB.
As for disliking Scientology, most of the folks who’ve posted negative comments here (and I’ve yet to see any positive ones, BTW) have made accusations which could apply equally to other religions as well. However, if one were to make those kinds of comments about other religions, they’d be slapped down hard and fast, but because there are (apparently) no Scientologists here, it’s okay to bash 'em.
There’s nothing sympathetic about scientology. 
All bigotry is the same, but I don’t think it’s exactly the same as hating something.
I hate pedophilia. To say I’m bigoted against it seems in my mind to validate bigotry, and I can’t do that.
Lesson one.
Hate is not counter-productive. Hate has produced, at once, the best things, and worst things of this age. Which I will list, in part if requested.
Lesson Two.
There is nothing wrong, inherently, with hatred OR bigotry. The existance of both things as an emotion and belief respectively, are all a part of the human survival kit.
Lesson Three.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that someone, somewhere doesn’t hate. Can’t change it, never will, it’s just how things are, and how things have always been, those who believe they can change people and their beliefs, (example of sheer bigotry coming right up) are just bloody insane.
Lesson Four.
Everyone reading this, with the possible exception of the Dalai Lama and perhaps Cecil, hates, or is bigoted against someone or something. There are very few truly neutral people, it goes against everything we are taught.
I think, try as we might, we’re never going to breed that kind of behaviour out of people, and frankly, I don’t think we should. To drive misdirected hatred and whatever-ism underground makes for an infinately more dangerous world, it allows racism, sexism and all the other negative hatred to fester, and grow, without having a decent light shone on it once and a while.
Regarding the OP. The folks who are raising that child, ought to pick up, and get the bloody hell out of Louisana. Explaining that people are not always to be trusted, even, (hell, especially) teachers, law enforcement, and government. It’s time for Marcus, while working on the spelling lessons, to find out what kind of world he’ll be living in, and how to manage to be righteous and kind, regardless.
No. Everyone interprets the meaning of bigotry differently so it’s never the same in either practice or perception.
For example: Every few months or so, someone on these boards will bring up the notion that Cleveland’s Chief Wahoo or use of the team name Redskins is bigoted. The problem is; both those who are offended & those who defend the status quo, make compelling arguments for their ‘side’.
It almost always goes something like this:
Change the name already, damn it!
Why?
Cause I’m offended by such a bigoted display.
I don’t consider it bigoted. It’s only a name, a word, a costume – what have you.
Who are you to tell me how I feel and what I find insulting?
Listen, everyone is offended by something. If we were to outlaw every single thing that every last person ever found offensive, there’d be nothing left on the planet.
And so nothing gets done. One person walks away muttering ‘ignorant bigot’ under their breath and the other mumbles something about being hyper-sensitive as they head off in the opposite direction.
Zoe, even in describing the painful encounters you had when you were obese could be a misuse of the term blatant bigotry. I don’t doubt for a second you got more than enough negativity from people to last you a lifetime. But, when you describe those experiences as ‘bigotry’ (toward obesity) you run the risk of further watering down the word. Diluting it to the point where it will have no meaning at all. Ever been on the subway and seen the raised eyebrows, open-mouthed gawks, snide smirks & whispered comments people make when some kid with purple spiked hair, green lipstick & black nail polish boards the train? That kid is probably getting the same crap you did. But would you describe those passengers as ‘goth bigots’?
Ridicule and insult - though sometimes rooted in bigotry - are more often than not nothing more than boorish behavior. Whether you like it or not, everyone comes to the table with their own individual prejudices. In most threads I’ve read on this message board, the use of (racial, national, religious, political or sexual) stereotypes are permitted - provided they’re made in a humorous context. It was about an hour ago I found myself chuckling at this post – which was cooked up down in Dante’s easy bake oven. I‘m sure there are some people who after reading such sophomoric drivel rolled their eyes, while others laughed and moved on. Hearing (non-malicious) stereotypes in humor is acceptable in my opinion, in others it’s not. As ignorant as this may sound to some: Most Stereotypes Have Their Basis In Fact. It’s either that, or you believe in some kind of grand-conspiracy theory. One in which an evil cabal of the all-powerful got together years ago and concocted the stereotypes we’re all familiar with out of thin air. Then they wrote them down & and passed them along for future generations to use.
That makes for a cute bumper sticker, but it really doesn’t say much.
The way I see it, there are two different avenues fair-minded people can take to combat bigotry:
1. There are the current solutions:[ul]
[li]People can rant, rave, scream & yell all they want about bigotry.[/li]or
[li]They can join ‘militant’ groups such as the Panthers, ACT-UP, ELF or the NAAWP.[/li]or
[li]They can mobilize, organize & join more mainstream groups to counter the bigotry against their select group.[/li]or
[li]They can lobby politicians to change the laws that reinforce the bigotry that exists in society.[/li]or
[li]They can make intelligent arguments to fight the bigots at every turn.[/ul][/li]But in the end, bigotry (as defined by most people on these boards) will continue to exist. There is no all-powerful, enlightening spell that can be cast to change what’s in most people’s hearts or in their minds. Truth is, today’s contemporary solutions just don’t seem to be working too well.
Has headway been made? Sure.
But in some cases, the solutions listed above don’t bring the desired results. In fact - they sometimes have a ‘pushed down balloon’ effect. People, who otherwise wouldn’t hold bigoted views, end up developing ill will toward people in other groups. When they see what they perceive as their rights being infringed upon - whether through speech codes, ‘reverse discrimination’ quotas, hate crime legislation or an ‘in your face’ attitude - hostility foments. Left unchecked, it can become a vicious cycle. Instead of bridging gaps, people become more and more balkanized & start pigeon-holing themselves into an ever growing number of groups.
2. And then maybe a better solution might be:
Breaking apart this whole concept of a group-think mentality. If people started acting like, and treating others, as individuals we’d all get along better.
Oh bloody hell. I’m mixing the threads. Must go sleep now. When come back, hit preview.
/Strong Drawl/
Hell…when I was a kid…we had a bigotry! It was damn near fifty feet high, it was! Oh yeah, we used to tie a bigorope to it and swing high over the bigopond…
‘course…I don’t think that would be as fun as a country…why, I believe if I had one o’ those…I’d plant it in my backyard…
Oh, hell…I’m sorry you guys. I couldn’t help myself. I don’t mean to make light, I know this is a serious discussion…have a good day.