Just something I've noticed

[eibbil_libbie]

There seem to be a lot of hypocrites around lately, or maybe it's just my definition of the word.

How can you preach tolerance and love for Group A with one side of your mouth while preaching hatred and rage for Group B.

And, relatedly, how can you accuse person C of spewing nothing but lies, while not holding person D accountable for his/hers.

Like I said, maybe its just me.

Comments

[fluoresce]

I'm actually going to answer you anyway, not because I want to get into it or harp on you, just because I see that sentiment a lot, and it's really frustrating. I need to get this out of my system.

On a lot of topics, opinions are just opinions and everything carries the same weight. Oh, I think Captain America is the best Avenger, but you think the Hulk is! Okay, fine, nothing you preferring the Hulk does impacts me in any way, so who cares. But on a lot of issues that impact people's lives, especially social issues, opinions don't exist in a vacuum. Someone not believing in gay marriage equals voting for a candidate who's against gay marriage equals direct action preventing me from getting married. I don't need to accept that just because it's someone's opinion, especially when it's something that actively hurts me. I don't have to tolerate intolerance when that intolerance directly correlates with people wanting to take my rights away.

Someone absolutely has the right to their opinion on any issue, someone can BE as anti-gay or any other opinion popular or not, but everyone else also has the right to call them on their bullshit as loud and as often as they want.

[eibbil_libbie]

I'll say this for the record - I would love nothing more in this world than to be able to dance at my cousin Lea's wedding if she were finally able to marry her partner of 9 years, or raise a toast and embarrass hell out of my friend Jeff if he could marry his partner of 15 years, Alan.

But this goes beyond that (and to be quite honest, that's not entirely what the first statement above was addressing.)

The point I was trying to make was that yes, you have a right to your stance on that issue, or any issue just as the opposing side has to theirs. Social issues don't live in a vacuum, no, but in a sense, it's like bookkeeping. What's true on one side, has to be true on the other.

Side A calls bullshit, Side B calls bullshit. Zero gain. Well, no, not zero gain. Just a lot of anger and rhetoric being thrown around until the issue is so polarized there's no room for middle ground anymore. Just a lot of people yelling and an eventual devolution into a society of "us" versus "them" rather than two groups willing to find a neutral zone.