Socially Acceptable Bigotry

[Tony]

http://www.metropulse.com/dir_zine/dir_2003/1322/t_gamut.html ....full article

By the time we had ordered our second round of saki, the blind date was developing nicely, at least from my end. And all my instincts said the woman sitting opposite me at the hole-in-wall Japanese restaurant in Greenwich Village shared my sentiments. The year was 1992; a relatively unknown governor from Arkansas was running against George H. Bush. I was a walking, talking New York Magazine personal ad—SJM, 31, in NYC. My date—I'll call her Suzi—and I, it turned out, had oodles in common; she too was Jewish, age-appropriate, and a Manhattanite.

We ordered more saki, and the conversation flowed easily. Then she said something about "all those a**hole Republicans."

I hear a lot of this kind of language. By all accounts, I should share this sentiment. After all, I grew up with a Scarsdale mailing address. Both sides of my family are Jewish. I hold degrees from Williams College and Harvard University. I'm not just a journalist, but a muckraking investigative reporter. I seem like a nice, caring guy. I give to charities. My in-laws were tight with Paul Wellstone. By any reasonable logic, I should be a Democrat with progressive leanings—as many of my good friends are. And, therefore, I should share Suzi's view that most Republicans are, indeed, a**holes.

But, it turns out, I am a Republican.

 

[Tricky]

I don't believe it is ever socially acceptable to make gross generalizations about any group of people. It annoys me when people do it about liberals or atheists or the French. It is, of course, correct to say that Republicans are more likely to believe in such and such, but not to indicate that these beliefs make them "a**holes". There are always exceptions.

 

[Soubrette]

I don't believe it is ever socially acceptable to make gross generalizations about any group of people. It annoys me when people do it about liberals or atheists or the French. It is, of course, correct to say that Republicans are more likely to believe in such and such, but not to indicate that these beliefs make them "a**holes". There are always exceptions.

I like the implication that most of them are a**holes though

Nice

Sou

 

[Dancing David]

Fern's Law: A**holes are evenly distributed throughout the Universe, some days the concentration is higher.

Bigoted against Republicans? Not here in the heartland! There are a lot of groups that seem to earn scorn.

-Tree huggers
-communists
-fascists

Wow are there really that many people in NYC how don't vote Republican, wow, that is so cool! Here they win all the time, people vote for them without even understanding what they are voting for. (Same can be said for a lot of democrats)

 

[Michael Redman]

I don't believe it is ever socially acceptable to make gross generalizations about any group of people.

This may be an argument over semantics, but I have to disagree. I think it is often socially acceptable, although not morally or logically. Usually the society we keep is perfectly accepting of our unfair generalizations, because we hang out with people who share our prejudices. It's wrong, but often no one notices, because they're thinking the same thing.

 

[Tricky]

This may be an argument over semantics, but I have to disagree. I think it is often socially acceptable, although not morally or logically. Usually the society we keep is perfectly accepting of our unfair generalizations, because we hang out with people who share our prejudices. It's wrong, but often no one notices, because they're thinking the same thing.

Well, damn! I hate being nailed, but I agree, and it is not a semantic argument. What is socially acceptable depends on what "society" you are in. In the locker room, it is socially acceptable to fart as loudly as possible.

I don't want to drag morality into this though (because Tony doesn't believe such a thing exists), so let's just say that people who make gross generalizations (like the one in Tony's story) are going to be occasionally embarassed when they find out that the company they are in does not share their feelings.

I work for an oil company and I have a neighbor who regularly (and loudly) denigrates liberals and Democrats to whoever will listen (including me). I always say nothing, because I have to work with the jerk and don't want to fight with him. But I have lost all respect for him, not because of his beliefs, but because of his jugment in displaying his intolerance.

 

[Frank Newgent]

Usually the society we keep is perfectly accepting of our unfair generalizations, because we hang out with people who share our prejudices.

I have a neighbor who regularly (and loudly) denigrates liberals and Democrats to whoever will listen (including me). I always say nothing, because I have to work with the jerk and don't want to fight with him.

Youse guys know each other?

 

[c0rbin]

"all those a**hole Republicans."

Aren't labels a bitch?

 

[BillyTK]

I have an image of Ann Coulter speaking to a conservative rally, when someone stands up and points out the insulting nature of the generalisations she's making about liberals. The ensuing chaos bear similarities to a pride of lions feasting on an elderly antelope...