"To Each Their Own": Does it give bigots a pass?

[HughBeaumont]

Not just here, but a post on FB this morning . . . something about "being intolerant of intolerants", again . . . brings up a question in my head.

When can the phrase "To Each Their Own" stop being used?

I'm supposed to just "live and let live" with people who imply that there's something wrong with four of my relatives? I'm supposed to "be more tolerant" to people who want to deny 1/10th of America simple civil rights?

Verbal abusers and general bigots have real victims. Homophobia, racism and sexism are ugly inheritances that spread poisoned ideas (as we've now seen in the vile result of the AL GOP Primary). I'm not getting how this can be construed as "diversity of thought and belief"?

When does it go too far?

[Ian David]

1. These are people who grew-up watching Al Sharpton debate the KKK on The Richard Bey Show.

I don't know whether that is a symptom or a contributing factor.

[Lemonwurst]

2. Intolerance, like porn, may be tricky to define, yet easy to spot

Top me this phrase "To Each His Own" is a lot like the term "Political Correctness".

Both offer an easy excuse to scoff at what was always known as "common courtesy".

And it appears that catch-phrases such as these are now widely used and encouraged. They are helpful in splintering our society into easily-labeled opposing groups.

Which in turn, makes for excellent profits by our media empire.

[bowens43]

3. I am never tolerent of bigots.

To think that not being tolerant of bigotry , ignorance and hatred is being intolerant is just plain stupid.

[siligut]

4. When their bigotry starts to harm others

To each their own, but they need to respect others and give them the same space.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. To Each their own

There are people that threw "Your mother is an N-Bomb lover" at me in the school yard in the late 70's and 80's. One boy in particular (who also called me a zebra, made fun of my parents, etc. et.c) in the third grade - hell!?!? My week wasn't complete UNLESS he said it and I in retaliation bloodied his nose.

Now as an adult - I have to say "To each his own". If I punch Newt, or Rush in the face for saying things about President Obama's mother . . . even as a woman with about a 1/4 of either of their numbers on the scale - I'll go to jail.

I can't change them.
They are what they are.
They are fully baked.
To each their own. Granted, I'd rather slice my own throat than be in the misery of having sex with them (their poor poor wives who do it for the money) - and that's why to their wives I say, "To each their own."

Now someone might say, "Well jen - that's not very nice". <---- But my truth - when I stand in it is exactly as I said.

I don't want to have to be 'politically correct' and inclusive to people like that. I'd rather be snotty and dismissive - because snotty and dismissive is what those two men have coming to them. Leave me be, and allow me to be me.

[TalkingDog]

6. As long as you don't whip it out in public, you can masturbate anywhere you like.

I would use the general rule of, when it impacts other people. So, you can be as bigoted as you like. Decorate your house in Early Hitler for all I care.

But when it moves out of the private realm into the public realm, issues arise. So, you start hanging Nazi flags on other people's porches or blaring speeches from Der Fuehrer himself at full volume from loudspeakers in your yard in a suburban neighborhood.... then we've got a problem.

I have neighbors... several as a matter of fact (with in a 1/2 mile radius, I'm in the country) who regularly fly the rebel flag. I have no doubt that they are bigots. But as long as they keep it in their yard (or, for instance, the other day when a car drove by with a full sized flag waving from the pole mounted on the car) or on their personal property, what am I supposed to do; risk getting shot just to tell them they are wrong?

If, on the other hand, I see them badgering somebody at the local store... then I have a right to step in.

Your right to hit me ends at exactly the moment your fist meets my face and not before.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

7. What is the practical response? Or rather, what can be done in practical terms?

The cure to bad speech is to multiply good speech. A church I pass on the way to work has a marquee that reads, "Love covers much where sin stirs up strife" or something to that effect. I'm not much of a church-goer/Bible-reader but I know smart advice when I see it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. People are entitled to be wrong. n/t

[HughBeaumont]

11. Yet they aren't entitled to victimize.

Long-standing bigotry continues to have victims and consequences.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. The victimization which results from calling you a big poopyhead is questionable.

In this country, we prosecute actions, not speech.

[Igel]

15. And that's the problem.

There's enough research around to show that just saying nasty things about some students' ethnic group is enough to lower test scores and reduce performance in the classroom.

It only happens with some ethnic groups. Not with others. African-Americans, most notably. If there's a killing of a teen member of those groups in the same city it affects their school performance for a week--it doesn't matter who the gunman was.

It doesn't much matter what their personal backgrounds. It almost seems like a cultural insecurity that continues even after most of the basis for it has passed.

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. Wait... what?

me; "We prosecute actions, not speech".
you; "That's the problem. Offensive speech lowers test scores. For instance, if a black teen gets murdered, it affects school performance for a week"

Free speech in this country is a strength, not a problem. Westboro baptist church has the right to picket funerals. We have a right to ostracize them for it.

[EOTE]

9. To each their own is fine so long as everyone lives by it.

Be a racist or bigot all you want, but when it starts negatively effecting others, that's when they've crossed the line.

The Facebook idiots I see who claim that the left is intolerant of intolerance are completely missing the point. As soon as these racist and bigots start trying to make crimes of the way that others live their lives, they're no longer living and letting live.

[fascisthunter]

10. Bigots want us to Tolerate Them, Because They are COwards

If we didn't tolerate their shit, they'd shit their pants and think twice before spouting hatred of people. They are like poison in a well, and we all drink from that well. Fuck-em.

[XemaSab]

14. I support the right of people to be fundamentalists or bigots in their own houses

I do not support them when they try to impose their fundamentalism or bigotry on the rest of us.

The Duggars and their ilk believe that the laws of the United States should be explicitly based on the bible, including the laws against homosexuality, and I absolutely reject their efforts to impose their beliefs on the civil sphere.

[Starry Messenger]

16. When intolerance has a bigger microphone because it is better funded

it stops being a mere opinion and begins being hate propaganda.