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6 years ago
Being taught to avoid talking about Politics and Religion has led to a lack of understanding of Politics and Religion. What we should have been taught was how to have a civil conversation about a difficult topic.
I was thinking of the "free exchange of ideas" last night. You know, it's not like a market, it's a potluck. Everyone brings their own ideas and you sample others and are familiar with a twist, some are interesting but not to your taste, some are bad, and some are life-changing. You can get into a discussion about recipes or technique, or what have you as people talk about the food.
If someone brings mashed potatoes, you can debate the appropriateness for a potluck: is it bland? will it get cold on the table? Do potatoes make up too much of our diet?
But if someone puts a steaming platter of dog shit on the table, it's not because we are afraid of eating their dog shit or we think that it's going to revolutionize lunch but we don't want to allow that to happen.
We tell them to get it off the table because there is no debate to be had. It's dog shit. It's not an open question, it's not a matter of palates or being picky eaters.
That's why we don't engage with neo-nazis and white supremacists, and it's why we don't (or shouldn't) let them come to our potluck.
Tolerance seems to have an exception that proves the rule. There are no mud races. no group of humans is less important than any other. They all have their places in the sun, and under God's Grace.
I would say that to hold a differing opinion is to put yourself out.
If someone brings mashed potatoes, you can debate the appropriateness for a potluck: is it bland? will it get cold on the table? Do potatoes make up too much of our diet?
But if someone puts a steaming platter of dog shit on the table, it's not because we are afraid of eating their dog shit or we think that it's going to revolutionize lunch but we don't want to allow that to happen.
We tell them to get it off the table because there is no debate to be had. It's dog shit. It's not an open question, it's not a matter of palates or being picky eaters.
That's why we don't engage with neo-nazis and white supremacists, and it's why we don't (or shouldn't) let them come to our potluck.
Tolerance seems to have an exception that proves the rule. There are no mud races. no group of humans is less important than any other. They all have their places in the sun, and under God's Grace.
I would say that to hold a differing opinion is to put yourself out.
However, the evidence does need to be presented; and the battleground of ideas has to avoid the slippery slope of 'this is obviously wrong because I say so.' Every dictator and ideologue ever born has used that line.
Heh. And this is -exactly- the way to respond to odious ideas. Laugh at them, and if necessary explain why you are laughing. Banning them from the marketplace gives them the cachet of the forbidden and if they're hiding you can't laugh at them. Younglings are attracted to the forbidden as a rebellion, but hate being laughed at.