I find it sad when people cannot have disagreements or state differing opinions without things eventually being reduced to guttural name calling.
It seems that being “tolerant” has somehow devolved into a mis-belief that “you” should accept my position, and if you don’t then I should somehow be able to deem you as being judgmental, close-minded, or relegated to a lesser intellectual level, and have the right to belittle you and your position and affix nasty titles and intentions to you and your position.
I don’t believe those whose opinions are contrary to mine are a/an (insert your favorite degrading term or euphemism for a male of female body part or a feminine hygienic cleansing solution container); rather, it means they simply disagree with my position. And, of course, I believe my position is correct (otherwise it wouldn’t be my position). That I disagree with others makes me neither judgmental, close-minded, nor relegated to a lesser intellectual level. What it makes me is discerning . And, regardless of the forum used, name calling and personal attacks are never called for.
As to my contention that “being tolerant” now means that one must accept a position or argument contrary to his/her own, or be the recipient of name calling and claims that they are unduly/unjustly judgmental, close-minded, or of a lesser intellectual level, this type of binary thinking is foolish, yet it frequently accompanies political discussion and, to a much greater extent, issues such as abortion. If one does not see the (insert political issue du jour, abortion, etc.) the same way as the other, then that person must be bigoted, stupid, a fascist, a racist, a homophobe, etc.
Maybe a well intended illustrative example would help:
Let’s take Disneyland, for example.
Let’s say I was talking to someone about Disneyland, and the person I was talking to was a forum member who went by the name “Joe-Joe the Dog Boy”. Let’s assume I told Joe-Joe the Dog Boy that I believe (using whatever criteria I elected to use) that Disneyland was the best amusement park in Southern California. In fact, how about if I just flat out said it to him: “Joe-Joe the Dog Boy, I believe Disneyland is the best amusement park in Southern California.”
If nothing else, I was being brutally honest; at least insofar as my assessment of Disneyland.
So far, so good.
But now let’s assume Joe-Joe the Dog Boy disagrees that “Disneyland is the best amusement park in Southern California”, and he (Joe-Joe the Dog Boy) says something like “you have to be kidding Beau, you don’t really believe Disneyland is the best amusement park in Southern California, do you? I sure don’t, in fact I used to live in Buena Park California, right down the street from Knott’s Berry Farm (another amusement park in Southern California).”
Then Joe-Joe the Dog Boy says “I know for a fact that Knott’s Berry Farm is better than Disneyland, and it even says on their website that it is “One of the best amusement parks in California, if not the best amusement park in California”)."
So then, lets assume I say “OK, Joe-Joe the Dog Boy, it just looks like we disagree that Knott’s Berry Farm is better than Disneyland, because I believe Disneyland is the best amusement park in Southern California”.
Now for some reason, this doesn’t set well with Joe-Joe the Dog Boy, and he says “disagree my butt, not only is Knott’s Berry Farm better than Disneyland, but I know for a fact that Six Flags Magic Mountain (which is just north of Los Angeles, at the Magic Mountain Parkway exit off Interstate 5 in Valencia) is also better than Disneyland”.
And at this point I can just tell when he says this, he gets sort of red in the face.
But I have to tell him something; right? So I say “Look Joe-Joe the Dog Boy, I understand you feel that way, and I just see things differently”.
Thats pretty savvy on my part; right?
Not so fast. The next thing you know Joe-Joe the Dog Boy says “Oh yah, you are a Smelly Anus”.
A Smelly Anus?
Did Joe-Joe the Dog Boy call me that (you know, a Smelly Anus), just because he and I disagreed about Disneyland vis’ a vie Knott’s Berry Farm (and, to a lesser extent, Six Flags Magic Mountain)?
That’s when to whole social protocol thing goes to hell in a handbag.
So, don’t call people names just because you disagree with them, even if it is just something like "illegal beaners" or "Marxist" or "tin-tin" (all of which, admittedly, are better than "Smelly Anus").
The end.
I hope this was beneficial and there will be no more name calling.
P.S. Sorry about having to use the term "Smelly Anus”, it was just an example.
P.S.S. I don’t believe there is anyone on this forum named "Joe-Joe the Dog Boy". If that isn’t the case (meaning there is someone on this forum named Joe-Joe the Dog Boy), please let me know and I will edit this post and use another name (such as “Eric The Guy Who Likes Fat Girls”, or something else).