Is it bigotry to despise

[Mythsaje]

liars, enablers, and people who just can't be bothered to give a fuck about the state of our nation and world?

A while back my wife accused me of being a bigot while I was bashing Republicans and I had to take a step back and look at it. I'm just not sure I can help it. Anyone who still supports the Republicans at this point is either scum, illiterate, or just plain lazy. And those who mock us for our interest in politics are JUST as bad.

I re-posted my DU article "We WON'T FORGET" (see below for a link) on gather.com, and the comments so far have been interesting. The first one "Another Bush hater," was amusing. I just replied with my "what's to hate?" meme.

But the second one actually riled me a little. "Is that all you guys talk about? Boring." I mean, seriously.

I thanked her (her handle is Devil Woman, of all things) for her disinterest. It's been SO good for our Democracy.

Think she'll catch the sarcasm?

My patience has reached its end. I want to scream at these people "what the fuck is wrong with you?!"

But I don't.

But, boy, do I want to.

So...is it bigotry? Or something else?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2849349&mesg_id=2849349)

[MadMaddie]

1. If it's bigotry than I am a bigot too..

I don't like Neocon Republicans and I don't like Christian zeolots......

They are destroying our country..... that's the bottom line.

[SteppingRazor]

2. It's not bigotry to be intolerant of intolerance n/t

[MsKandice01]

3. Oh...it's one of my major pet peeves...

Apathetic, intellectually lazy people. I know plenty of them. I came across someone just the other day who had no idea what Halliburton is. I have to seriously contain myself because it makes me incredibly angry.

[Prophet 451]

4. No, it's not

I keep having this discussion with conservatives saying "being tolerant means tolerating intolerance". That's BS, that's just playing word games. It doesn't address problems, it just offers racists or homophobes or, well, pick your favourite form of bigot, an excuse to feel superior to those who actually are tolerant. It's like redefining "torture" to exclude most commonly used torture techniques, or redefining "sex" to exclude oral sex or, for the homophobes, redefining "natural" to mean "what I like doing". It's drawing the term so narrowly or so broadly that it becomes meaningless. It's just word games.

[TheWraith]

5. Anyone who behaves like an idiot deserves to get called on it. NT

[driver8]

6. I catch a lot of the segments from various pundits' shows on Youtube.

There is a comments section where people can post their opinions on what they have just watched.

I am very surprised at how many people still support Bush and defend him. These people have so much anger... especially to anyone who would dare criticize their little boy king.

I have argued until I am blue in the face, but it does not help. These people get the "talking points" and can regurgitate them at will. They don't listen, and they do not want to learn. I want to reach into my computer, grab them around the neck and yell, "Wake the fuck up, you idiots!! Look what these criminals are doing to our country!!"

Their reply would be something like, "Yeah, but Dems are pussies. Bush protects us."

It really is frustrating.

[Mythsaje]

7. Spin monkeys...n/t

[treestar]

8. It's not bigotry because it's not something they were born into

like race, etc., and can't help, but something they CHOSE to do.

When it's opposing a way of thinking, it's not bigotry. It's not unreasonable or superstitious or irrational, it's based on what their position is on things.

[applegrove]

9. Some people care less about politics or are oblivious. Some don't

see the connection or want to partake in any fight. People are always going to come in different packages. If it is your life on the line or your country..yes.. by all means.. be aware of what you can handle and what will drive you up the wall. And react accordingly with avoidance most likely. Or perhaps reaching out with love. I don't see the purpose of political discussion with people who are not up to it. Though you may want to mention your passion in passing. And ask them to get involved. But to hate them for that one thing that goes against you... well..people are much bigger than any one issue. And anyone who tells you to think in black and white is no friend indeed. Adults see the shades. Even when they are angry they are responsible for seeing all the shades of a person.

We don't want to be danced into the culture of "hating the other" that the GOP has tried so hard to teach. We need to reconnect to religious groups who used to be brothers and sisters with liberals (often in the very same person) in the fight for social justice in the 20th Century.

Look for the connection in others. And try and build bridges there. So they will understand and hear you. So you will not have been dehumanized by these hard times.

Is it okay for religious to look down on people who don't have the faith? Some do. And their life isn't actually on the line if someone believes something else. That would be biggotry

[Stinky The Clown]

10. No it most certainly is NOT

Bigotry has to do with things people can't change about themselves.

The people you describe are what they are by choice.

[sutz12]

11. I was on another message board the other day...

It's a sports fansite, but they have a Politics forum.

Well, we were having this discussion in a thread, and this freeper logs on and goes off on a rant about how much he hates Liberals. He actually used the word hate, and went on with all the typical talking points about "liberal lies" etc. He actually boasted that he was intolerant of liberals. You can't reason with that. Of course, he never even mentioned the original topic of discussion, just came in and started attacking.

Unfortunately, they locked the thread down before I could really adequately respond. The thread only lasted a couple of posts past him showing up, but I could tell from his post (assuming it wasn't just some guy trying to act that way to randomly flame) that he hadn't talked to a real liberal in years. Everything he said was pure Coulter/Limbaugh/Savage ad nauseum. I haven't seen him lately, so they probably banned his ass. They try to keep it clean on that board. But as I recall the original subject was something I wanted to disuss with people.

A negative side effect of freepers. If they go to a normal board with some moderators that don't appreciate flame wars, they can shut down discussion just by being themselves. :shrug: