Reply #517: just one thought: behaviors vs. motivations

[OnTheOtherHand]

You just posted: "...here on DU in 2011, if you express disagreement with the goal of full equal rights for LGBT Americans, you will get banned." That's a behavioral rule. Such people may protest that they aren't homophobes; it doesn't really matter, for the purpose of enforcing the rule.

Similarly, you might give someone the benefit of the doubt that s/he isn't a racist, but still ban his or her sorry hide for repeatedly making outrageous generalizations about "the black community."

My point isn't to suggest specific rules, or to argue against considering motivations. But I think the distinction between behaviors and motivations could be really helpful here.