I think only one or two posters are "deliberately" bigoted. Most of the things that are being perceived as racist and misogynistic are ingrained into our society. Society is changing and things like gender and race are being revisited to incorporate people's current realities. And that doesn't always fit with what we as a society think is normal according to our traditions. Changing how we view ourselves and others in order to better understand our fellow human is not a universally accepted practice, especially around here. Conservatives hold fast to their traditional way of seeing things. And why shouldn't they? It's their culture. So I guess what I'm getting at, crandc, is that changing people's viewpoints on any hot-button issue is difficult. I've put in years of work engaging with people on this board about Islam and the Middle East, confronting people's misconceptions, and yes, being a dick when it was necessary. I feel like I've changed (or at least helped to inform) two or three people here on those very specific subjects, which I have spent a decade studying. Therefore, I couldn't hope to convince someone around here that deliberately calling a transgendered woman "He" is offensive, or that there is institutionalized racism in America, or that you get way more flack than you deserve around here, or that the invisible hand of the free market isn't perfect. I say what I want to, point out the bullshit when I see it, and accept that I'm not going to change anyone's minds. You should do the same. Fatalistic? Maybe. But it's not worth the stress.
Well, except for Denny, 2-3X, and Mags 2-4X, and someone else once (Can't recall who, and not interested in looking again). I wonder how you missed that if you re-read it? I don't recall anyone ever saying that. Do you have a link? Go Blazers
I'm not a racist, I hate everyone equally. I didn't really post in the prom queen thread, but there were some comments that bothered me. But the thing is, this is a message board - tone is often hard to understand. If people took many of my posts out of the context, they'd consider me an ass hole. But that's because I'm constantly joking, being a smart ass, making crude jokes. Someone here once told me I had a "low filter". It's true. I just say what comes into my head, and I'm always having fun and making jokes, so that's often what comes out of my mouth and my typing. I would hope people have figured that out about me by now. With the exception of a few posters who constantly spew the same garbage over and over, and I guess with this being a message board, I suspect most people here aren't to be taken too seriously.
By the way, we can learn and grow. For all my righties on this board, you guys have changed my thoughts on gun control. I used to be for much tougher laws including a lot of bans. Now, I don't think that's a wise course of action. I still think registering certain firearms is a good idea, but my point is that I listen to what you say, think about it, and can adjust my opinion. But on the issues of sexism, bigotry and homophobia, I'm on the right side, ignorance is no longer justification.
