# The Baggage of Bigotry **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 9, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216 "2005-02-09T16:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216/41 "2005-02-11T21:12:27Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I’m hoping that time has substantially changed the situation, but I was recently stunned to learn that women leaders were not allowed to walk beside the male leaders in the Civil Rights March on Washington in 1963 – not even Rosa Parks. They were not in leadership positions on the program. > > It has crossed my mind several times (in discussions of the early toleration of slavery in this country) that bigotry is so deeply-rooted in our programming that some of us _cannot_ see it in ourselves. We are as blind to it as slave owners. > > I have no idea which of my viewpoints are seen as bigoted now or will be seen as bigoted in the future. Maybe my commonly held ideas on the restriction on teenage behavior will be seen as _bigotry_. > > I see a lot of bigotry against Southerners, women, overweight people, political positions, homosexuals, mental illness, religions, foreigners – right here in a place that is supposed to be about fighting ignorance. And even some Administrators can be blind to it. I suppose no one is exempt. Yours has become one of those names that I zoom in on to see what was posted. And responses like that are why. We are all bigots in one way or another, which is why I can’t get far beyond rolling my eyes when one person calls another person a bigot. I mean, it may as well be one person calling another a biped. I don’t understand the argument that one bigotry might be worse than another. Certainly, when bigotry becomes manifest as violence, a line has been crossed. But if it is merely a matter of voluntary association, it seems to me that the suppression of bigotry is itself a crossing of the line — from freedom to tyranny. There will be those who will simplify what I just said and regurgitate it as “Lib thinks gay rights is tyranny” or some such, but I know you won’t be one of them. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216/42 "2005-02-11T22:02:22Z")
Lib is a biped! Four legs good! Two legs bad! Couldn’t resist. Like it or not, we are all bigots in our own way. That’s actually OK with me, just so long as it isn’t used to deliberately misinterpret/misuse the law or create some new law against someone. If bigotry means “you’re different so I will stay away from you” that’s fine. See my Live And Let Live policy. If it is “I will interfere with your life or your private personal business” then it’s dead wrong. Finally it is very tiresome for anyone to come into these discussions and try to use a religion (any religion) or preacher/pope/bishop/whatever as justification for intolerance. It shows an inability to think for yourselves. It is one bigot simply parroting the words of some other bigot. It would be more honest and refreshing to hear “I just hate you. Just because” It’s more direct and honest. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216/43 "2005-02-11T22:16:22Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > If bigotry means “you’re different so I will stay away from you” that’s fine. See my Live And Let Live policy. If it is “I will interfere with your life or your private personal business” then it’s dead wrong. Exactly. Frankly, if someone has such lousy taste as to not want to be around me, then I sure as hell don’t want to be around him. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216/44 "2005-02-11T23:29:36Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > The same thing that gives the right to judge what any other human being or organization does. I’m not a Christian myself, so I could very well be wrong, but didn’t Jesus specifically say that you _do not_ have the right to judge other human beings? > [@](#): > > There are a great many places in the world where I am not welcome now. Calling them bigots will not convince them to stop. Reason might. Are you sure about that? I’ve seen more than one poster on this board re-evaluate their stance on gay rights after being called on their bigotry. Even (or maybe especially) when called on it in an overtly hostile and confrontational manner. Most people don’t want to be hated. And when they see that certain statements consistently draw the anger and condemnation of of the group about whom they are making the statement, at least some of them eventually make the connection that their original statements = the angry rebuttals they receive. Basically, if every time you say, “Homosexuality is sinful,” a homosexual responds with “Fuck you!” it does not take a formidable intellectual leap to recognize that, for a good number of people, saying “Homosexuality is sinful” is _exactly the same_ as saying “Fuck you!” Yeah, I know. _You_ don’t think it is. _You_ don’t mean it to be interpreted like that. Tough titty. That’s exactly what you’re saying to me when you take it upon yourself to judge the morality of my personal relationships. > [@](#): > > Then your mother’s beliefs are in contradiction to the Church. Maybe. But does that mean she’s not a Catholic? You seem to be saying that being Catholic _requires_ one to feel that homosexuality is immoral. In my experience with Catholics (which is pretty much my entire family, on both side, from many different branches of the Church) that’s certainly not the case. Your church may teach that homosexuality is sinful. Wether you adhere to that portion of your church’s teaching, however, is a decision that is entirely up to _you_, and trying to fob off responsibilty for that decision off on the institution in which you worship cuts you no slack whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216/45 "2005-02-12T03:30:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m not a Christian myself, so I could very well be wrong, but didn’t Jesus specifically say that you _do not_ have the right to judge other human beings? It’s called “cherry picking”. You take whatever supports you, even if it is out of context, or if read in full would contradict you. You simply extract the “useful” part. Anything that does not support you (“Judge not lest ye be judged according to thine own standards”, the parable of the self righteous Pharisee, the one about the Samaritan, etc.) is simply ignored. > [@Miller](#): > > Basically, if every time you say, “Homosexuality is sinful,” a homosexual responds with “Fuck you!” it does not take a formidable intellectual leap to recognize that, for a good number of people, saying “Homosexuality is sinful” is _exactly the same_ as saying “Fuck you!” Some people do not want to take that step. Nothing is an insult unless it is directed at them. But the rest of us are constantly told to be nice, smile, and win them over with goody goody sweetness. It got old ummm 30 years ago. > [@Miller](#): > > Yeah, I know. _You_ don’t think it is. _You_ don’t mean it to be interpreted like that. Tough titty. That’s exactly what you’re saying to me when you take it upon yourself to judge the morality of my personal relationships. Exactly. You’re sinful, you’re evil, go burn in hell are not very good ways to break the ice or make any points. You tell someone they are no damn good, that is how they will take it. > [@Miller](#): > > trying to fob off responsibilty for that decision off on the institution in which you worship cuts you no slack whatsoever. Ditto. If you stir up the hornets, have the decency to own up to it, rather than using a convoluted version of “they made me do it”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baggage-of-bigotry/289216.md?page=2)