# Why is that when bigots are called out for their views, they call it harassment or bullying? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970 "2018-03-03T17:17:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/21 "2018-03-04T21:42:37Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Going back to the OP: the bigots consider it entirely unacceptable to have it thrown back in their faces, because they consider it a counterpunch and an attempt at _now subjugating them_. They will stand on the position that there is nothing wrong about what they thought, said or did, and that everyone just has to get over it. And if their positions are now socially unacceptable, it’s not that society has weighed them and found them wanting, but merely that “the other side” has the upper hand for now. Bigots? How is some average college student worried about their next exam and doing nothing wrong to anyone, being told they are the wrong skin tone and they cannot walk in a certain area a “bigot”? Do they really need to have things “thrown back at them”? Are they suddenly going to feel sorry for different people? Do you really think actions like this cause anyones opinions to change? Would you be honest and admit stupid actions like this set the movement back instead of pushing it forward? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/22 "2018-03-04T22:06:20Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > No a demonstration is standing somewhere holding signs. However when it targets people just on the basis of skin tone, THAT is a racist action and should have been immediately stopped by police. No, people standing somewhere holding signs is people standing somewhere holding signs. A demonstration is when people are interactive with passerbys. And I don’t agree that a peaceful demonstration should be broken up by police because it makes some people uncomfortable. > [@](#): > > Plus it wasnt just a one time thing. They are pushing the school to have “safe spaces” for only “persons of color”. And that is a controversial request. When you are a minority, and everywhere you go, you are reminded of the fact that you are a minority, that you don’t belong here, that you aren’t good enough to be here, it gets tiring. I can certainly understand why people who have those experiences would like to have a place they can go that they do belong. How that is accomplished, and what best to do about it are good questions. But, to be honest, the attitude that you present that they don’t even deserve consideration for such a request reinforces in my mind that such a thing is probably needed. > [@](#): > > How? Do you think the white people humiliated by this action are now going to suddenly feel sorry for black people? Heck [some of the articles](https://mystudentvoices.com/uc-berkeley-protesters-demand-racially-segregated-safe-space-d8d2c3d0ce4c) I was reading showed it probably hurt their cause and created a greater racial tension than before. If anyone was “humiliated” by this demonstration, then I don’t know that they don’t need their own “safe spaces”. And, really, that is what is being asked for, that the entire campus, and all of american society, really, be a safe space for white people. Never remind white people what other demographics went through, never do anything that might make a white person feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or even guilty about the privileges that they have enjoyed and taken for granted that others have had to struggle to even glimpse. The people who were upset by this are the people who never would have taken their side no matter how nice and kindly the minorities groveled before them to be accepted into their society. OTOH, we are here, and talking about it. And we are talking about how this slight inconveniences and feeling of uncomfortableness that some white people went through is a small sample of what the demonstrators go through every day. Who knows, maybe some of us will learn some empathy. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/23 "2018-03-05T00:04:35Z")
Or, answer 2: they have no interest in seeing an issue from someone else point of view. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/24 "2018-03-05T00:14:13Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > And I don’t agree that a peaceful demonstration should be broken up by police because it makes some people uncomfortable. That’s not a “peaceful demonstration”. Those are people violently preventing other people from freely entering an area where they have a legitimate right to be. Last time I checked, that was considered “assault”. This is perhaps a more egregious example of the sort of violent leftist behavior that is tolerated in some circles under the guise of "political correctness. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/25 "2018-03-05T00:16:53Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > If anyone was “humiliated” by this demonstration, then I don’t know that they don’t need their own “safe spaces”. And, really, that is what is being asked for, that the entire campus, and all of american society, really, be a safe space for white people. > [@](#): > > OTOH, we are here, and talking about it. And we are talking about how this slight inconveniences and feeling of uncomfortableness that some white people went through is a small sample of what the demonstrators go through every day. Who knows, maybe some of us will learn some empathy. If what happened in the article was accurate, then I don’t think you can shrug off outright racism as “uncomfortableness”. Especially since I have never done anything like that to someone, yet some will still consider me a racist due to being the passive recipient of racist policy. It beggars belief that naked prejudice should not be considered racism yet “privilege” should be. Furthermore, you don’t get to excuse any actions because some other people who share my skin tone did worse things. Sure, this is a relatively minor incident even if it did happen the way it’s portrayed. But you know what’s worse than racism? Hitler! Health care! The Iraq War. If no one should be offended at small instances of anti-white racism, then anti-racist protesters should be protesting the lack of health care and wars of choice, both of which kill more than American racism does. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/26 "2018-03-05T00:28:53Z")
I think this thread answered the OP’s question. Bigots don’t think they are bigoted. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/27 "2018-03-05T00:31:21Z")
I have some thoughts, **BloodStalk** , but out of respect, I’ll wait to share them until after you return to the thread and present your own Humble Opinion, which I’m sure you’ll do shortly. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/28 "2018-03-05T00:43:08Z")
Because they think the ones calling them out for their views are bigots, which are defined as: noun 1. a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/29 "2018-03-05T01:14:56Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > noun > 1. > a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion. You’re being intolerant for not tolerating my intolerance! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/30 "2018-03-05T02:04:27Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Bigots? > > How is some average college student worried about their next exam and doing nothing wrong to anyone, being told they are the wrong skin tone and they cannot walk in a certain area a “bigot”? > > Do they really need to have things “thrown back at them”? Are they suddenly going to feel sorry for different people? Do you really think actions like this cause anyones opinions to change? > > Would you be honest and admit stupid actions like this set the movement back instead of pushing it forward? You quote my passage and ignore where it is prefaced with “Going back to the OP”. I was not calling the students bigots. \*\*\*That paragraph was not about your complaint about the events at that college. \*\*\* It was about the OP question _“Why is that when bigots are called out for their views, they call it harassment or bullying?”_ Or is it going to be insisted upon that the thread become about justifying (or not) that incident? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/31 "2018-03-05T04:15:54Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So what DO YOU CALL telling students they have to alter the way they go to school? > > Do racist actions of the past justify racist behavior now? For one day? A protest. A stupid one, perhaps, but a protest nonetheless. A bit different from the state forbidding it by force of law forever. The protest is especially stupid because the white people being blocked might be queer or transgender also who just want to go to class. It is not like these are mutually exclusive categories. Not to mention I’d guess some of the protesters are surely white also. Perhaps a homophobic black student could tell them how wrong they are. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/32 "2018-03-05T04:35:05Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Curious, if you were one of those students kept from attending class that day, what would you have done? > > So what should “white” people do about the sins of the past? Should I get down on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness? Have you ever been on the Berkeley campus? It is a big place. I doubt any student was prevented from going to class that day, unless they felt like having an excuse to cut. I was in college during the invasion of Cambodia and the protests around that, and this stuff is diddly squat. Equating a powerless group calling names with a powerful group enforcing bigotry through the law is exactly what I meant in bringing up southern marches. Hell, I was around during the black power movement where people called whites a lot nastier names than this. My or anyone else’s (except maybe Patty Hearst’s) white privilege was not shaken a bit. But maybe some people got the message that those who were oppressed didn’t love them. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/33 "2018-03-05T05:02:06Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I doubt any student was prevented from going to class that day, unless they felt like having an excuse to cut. [Ken the Boxer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXTaRdX0ysk&t=2m37s). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/34 "2018-03-05T13:24:46Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So what DO YOU CALL telling students they have to alter the way they go to school? We don’t call it anything - we minimize it, ignore it, and change the subject. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/35 "2018-03-05T13:44:01Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > No, people standing somewhere holding signs is people standing somewhere holding signs. A demonstration is when people are interactive with passerbys. > > And I don’t agree that a peaceful demonstration should be broken up by police because it makes some people uncomfortable. > > And that is a controversial request. When you are a minority, and everywhere you go, you are reminded of the fact that you are a minority, that you don’t belong here, that you aren’t good enough to be here, it gets tiring. I can certainly understand why people who have those experiences would like to have a place they can go that they do belong. > > How that is accomplished, and what best to do about it are good questions. But, to be honest, the attitude that you present that they don’t even deserve consideration for such a request reinforces in my mind that such a thing is probably needed. > If anyone was “humiliated” by this demonstration, then I don’t know that they don’t need their own “safe spaces”. And, really, that is what is being asked for, that the entire campus, and all of american society, really, be a safe space for white people. Never remind white people what other demographics went through, never do anything that might make a white person feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or even guilty about the privileges that they have enjoyed and taken for granted that others have had to struggle to even glimpse. The people who were upset by this are the people who never would have taken their side no matter how nice and kindly the minorities groveled before them to be accepted into their society. > > OTOH, we are here, and talking about it. And we are talking about how this slight inconveniences and feeling of uncomfortableness that some white people went through is a small sample of what the demonstrators go through every day. Who knows, maybe some of us will learn some empathy. Wait, take a step back and look at where you are talking. The college is Berkeley! Yes, Berkeley. Isnt Berkeley about the most hippie, liberal, and yes TOLERANT college in just about the whole country?] You say " small sample of what the demonstrators go through every day". Where? At Berkeley? In San Fransisco? Do you really think Berkeley is some sort of homophobic, racist hell hole? Do you REALLY think gay, transgender, black, hispanic, or whatever kids on THAT campus near THAT city, feel marginalized or feel like “they dont belong”? “Who knows, maybe some of us will learn some empathy.” Do you REALLY think anyone is going to get that? Heck you piss off some people who ahead of time might have been sympathetic and turn them against the cause. If anything,[imagine being a Republican at Berkley](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/us/republicans-at-berkeley-college.html). This article mentions students being punched, spit on, and overall marginalized just for being republican. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/36 "2018-03-05T13:48:23Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > For one day? A protest. A stupid one, perhaps, but a protest nonetheless. A bit different from the state forbidding it by force of law forever. > The protest is especially stupid because the white people being blocked might be queer or transgender also who just want to go to class. It is not like these are mutually exclusive categories. Not to mention I’d guess some of the protesters are surely white also. > Perhaps a homophobic black student could tell them how wrong they are. Are you familiar with the phrase “the whole world is watching”? This video is on the internet where it will remain for years and millions of people will watch it and form opinions. So you say “just one day”? Maybe. But that video and the bigotry and intolerance it shows will be out there forever. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/37 "2018-03-05T13:52:59Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > We don’t call it anything - we minimize it, ignore it, and change the subject. > > Regards, > > Shodan The discussion about that incident is itself a spectacularly succesful butwhatabout/theydoittous change of focus from the original thread question. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/38 "2018-03-05T14:27:40Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > The discussion about that incident is itself a spectacularly succesful butwhatabout/theydoittous change of focus from the original thread question. It sort of is because it started with “who then exactly is a bigot” when no one in the thread had said that these prejudicial actions are not bigotry. It devolved into an apropos example however when people came in to defend them. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/39 "2018-03-05T14:52:55Z")
> [@](#): > > The discussion about that incident is itself a spectacularly succesful butwhatabout/theydoittous change of focus from the original thread question. +1 and, gosh, should we be worried about the OP who would surely be here threshing out the issue if he wasn’t sick or in the hospital or something. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970/40 "2018-03-05T15:03:23Z")
Like I said, calling it harassment isn’t the only response. Minimize, deny, change the subject. Come on, [it only lasted for one day](https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Swastika-found-San-Jose-college-campus-Evergreen-12549111.php)- what’s the big fuss? Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-when-bigots-are-called-out-for-their-views-they-call-it-harassment-or-bullying/809970.md?page=3)