Originally Posted by BestBefore1984

It looks like we had a failure to communicate and we can fix that.

Let's try this angle. Just because a member of the GOP got involved in this mess, does not mean that by default, all GOP support what he did. It is possible for you to follow an ideology and not necessarily agree with it entirely, or if one of your colleagues following the same ideology gets involved in an activity that you don't agree with, doesn't mean you are a supporter.

This is the kind of black and white thinking that makes society a dangerous place - mob mentality and group think are dangerous to a Democracy. Read Nineteen Eighty Four by Orwell if you haven't already. It does a good job at illustrating this.


To your second point, I don't think that just because you come from Alabama you are a racist by default.

Recently I went to Hawaii and visited a remote part of the island. One of the locals, in Pidgin, uttered something about "fuckin haoloes, brah" basically something you say to non natives, mainly white folks. In some parts if you're white, you'll get harassed to leave the beach.

In the Bay Area, there is also color on color racism. It's not abnormal to see Latinos, blacks, Asians, Indians utilize racism towards one another. I've lived here for over 25 years and I am not surprised.

Does this mean Hawaii and California are racist just because a handful of folks participate in hateful speech? I don't think so.

I've been to Alabama, while it's safe to say that racism and voluntary segregation still exist, it does not mean that by default all folks are. I went to a small town in Florence, Alabama and the patrons at the bar/restaurant were nice to me, knew I was Mexican, and didn't feel discriminated. If you are from Alabama or you've been there and experienced the opposite, I am sorry to hear that. That is not to say that it won't happen to me, should I visit again and if it does, I won't judge the entire state over one incident.

I do agree that there are groups in the South that are hateful, but why should we lower our selves to their level and respond in the same angry fashion?

I will close this with a good quote from my boy Mark Twain:

“Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”


― Mark Twain