5 ms·

It's true, but it really has to start with an open mind on their end. In my experience, I find that people who have racist beliefs often see differing viewpoint

It's true, but it really has to start with an open mind on their end. In my experience, I find that people who have racist beliefs often see differing viewpoints as the enemy - the first breach being simple consideration of a new perspective. That's not a good place to be in terms of personal growth. Unfortunately, any sort of hate group's views are damaging to society as a whole, and the larger community has to balance understanding and tolerance (with the aim of eventual conversion) with the need to immediately condemn it. I view it as a societal disease that must be curbed. Sometimes I worry that too much understanding is as bad as none at all. Supremacy of one group of living things over another (including animals vs humans) simply cannot be legitimized to any extent.

davidp 10y ago
I find that people who have racist beliefs often see differing viewpoints as the enemy - the first breach being simple consideration of a new perspective. True, but the problem is not limited to racists. I'm in the "moderate" part of the political spectrum, and I find that far too many people on both the left and right have the same behaviors. I suggest to my left-leaning friends that government should be a "last resort" solution at best, and is frequently actually the problem; to my right-leaning friends I explain the crucial importance of privacy, civil liberties, and equal justice; and in either case the response is frequently incredulous disbelief and contempt for my naivete and/or obvious privilege yada yada yada. The echo chambers are real, and they are a threat to our civil society.