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[Sheb]

Do we? For example when (I think it was her, may be wrong) Vector explained how offended she felt sometime and her problem in dealing with people, no one was "Well, deal with it." People were nice and understanding. Why can't we be nice to people with opposite political views?

[scriver]

Are you saying we should stop telling Danish to go away? I'm not quite sure how I feel about that.

[XXSockXX]

Why can't we be nice to people with opposite political views?

AFAIK it took 200 pages in the Ukraine thread before something got deleted, so I think we're at least doing an okay job in trying.

[Frumple]

Do we? For example when (I think it was her, may be wrong) Vector explained how offended she felt sometime and her problem in dealing with people, no one was "Well, deal with it." People were nice and understanding. Why can't we be nice to people with opposite political views?

I think it's because most other groups don't have significant -- or at least significantly visible -- portions of their constituency basically trying to ruin the lives of many of the people, particularly some of the more talkative, on this board. Even though many of the conservatives that have been around and stuck around aren't the same ones that are trying to turn LGBT et al folks (just as a representative example, of course.) into second class citizens (or, you know, dead or crippled.), they're still part of (or at least self-identifying with) a group that is, so they catch some of the flak.

Basically, they're targeted specifically because they're part of a group that's overtly and directly targeting, well... plenty of folks that hang around here. Hostility tends to meet hostility, etc., etc. Feminist or whatev' likely isn't a existential threat for, say, a transgender individual of some variety. A conservative probably is. So the response differs.

[Graknorke]

Why is it okay on this forum to tell conservative to grow a thicker skin or sod off, while we'd never do that to any other minority group?

I say that to everyone with a problem.
It doesn't make me very popular whenever I do; but it's definitely consistent.

[Sheb]

So, idelogism? (Like racism, with ideology. :p) I still don't think that's a valid excuse. There are plenty of liberals doing stupid stuff attacking people, but we don't expect to take flak for them. Plus, as I said, this is a discussion forum. Even if we had a legit, died-in-the-wool neo-nazi on the board, I'd rather talk politely with him. We probably won't change his mind, but understanding it will be fascinating. Being self-righteous and circlejerking is what Reddit is for.

[Kedly]

Do we? For example when (I think it was her, may be wrong) Vector explained how offended she felt sometime and her problem in dealing with people, no one was "Well, deal with it." People were nice and understanding. Why can't we be nice to people with opposite political views?

I think it's because most other groups don't have significant -- or at least significantly visible -- portions of their constituency basically trying to ruin the lives of many of the people, particularly some of the more talkative, on this board. Even though many of the conservatives that have been around and stuck around aren't the same ones that are trying to turn LGBT et al folks (just as a representative example, of course.) into second class citizens (or, you know, dead or crippled.), they're still part of (or at least self-identifying with) a group that is, so they catch some of the flak.

Basically, they're targeted specifically because they're part of a group that's overtly and directly targeting, well... plenty of folks that hang around here. Hostility tends to meet hostility, etc., etc. Feminist or whatev' likely isn't a existential threat for, say, a transgender individual of some variety. A conservative probably is. So the response differs.

Isn't that the same mentality that is what is offensive about those groups though? "We know some people of that group are harmful, therefor all people of that group are harmful"

Edit: I agree with Sheb. Seeing the reasons someone of an opposing viewpoint has that viewpoint is at least fascinating. If it is a harmful viewpoint, it can at least show you what reasoning can lead to that viewpoint, and give you greater ability to avoid sharing a similar viewpoint

[Tack]

I don't generally argue in order to make people change their minds. It doesn't work and humans are stubborn.

I usually argue with the end goal being to make them understand my point of view. If we both disagree with eachother, but understand where eachother is coming from, then both of our minds are broader for it, and I may have made a slightly more compassionate bigot.
That being said, this requires intellectual discussion. If someone is being sexist, you can't just go 'Nuuuh you sexist'. The general response will be 'how?' or 'why?'

Why is it okay on this forum to tell conservative to grow a thicker skin or sod off, while we'd never do that to any other minority group?

A white male American conservative being sad about being a minority is ridiculous from my point of view.
Also there's implied choice with a conservative, however with someone being black or gay there isn't.

(Which in my eyes seems to be a disgusting backup measure for bigots. "Yeah, I don't like *them*, but they didn't choose it so I guess I can't hate them for it"
Next thing there'll be kkk posters going up all over New Orleans saying 'Pity the Black'.)

Lastly, conservatives are supposed to be harder people in general (Don't blame me, blame the stigma).

[Sheb]

They're a minority here. I always find it hilarious that women apparently are minorities despite being more women than men in the US. :p

[Vector]

Isn't that the same mentality that is what is offensive about those groups though? "We know some people of that group are harmful, therefor all people of that group are harmful"

Because transgendered people are somehow harmful relative to cisgendered people, and women are harmful relative to men, and people of color are harmful relative to white people, and queer folks are harmful relative to straight ones... ?

Might not be getting your point, but.

[Frumple]

Isn't that the same mentality that is what is offensive about those groups though? "We know some people of that group are harmful, therefor all people of that group are harmful"

Hn... not quite, I'd say. The problem is more or less the reverse -- some people in the group aren't harmful, but the group as a whole is (in this case, particularly to specific other minorities, some of which are well represented around here). And so even someone overall non-threatening may catch some of the vitriol, specifically because while they, themselves, are not proponents of harm, their political ideology supports and empowers people that are. And not, like, incidentally or as a side-effect. Directly.

There are plenty of liberals doing stupid stuff attacking people, but we don't expect to take flak for them.

Yeah, but the primary difference is that liberals (at least going by the states-side definition, which I'm well aware can be notably different elsewhere) as a whole (least from what I've seen) don't exactly tend to make it a major party platform. It differs from country to country, of course, but in, say, the states, "Burn the gays and damn the poor" is basically one of the public conservative messages, not something occasionally ran with by radicals.

[Sheb]

His point was that most racist will go like "I don't like blacks because that one block guy assaulted my friend", at least unconsciously. You see this a lot with people arguing against feminists too, pointing to some of the crazy ones.

[Kedly]

I was more talking about the line (paraphrased to my understanding of it) "Our majority view of conservatives is of the ones that are constantly trying to infringe apon the rights of others, so thats how we view any conservative at base level"

edit: Sheb gets what I was saying, I imagine his explaination is better than mine

[Vector]

His point was that most racist will go like "I don't like blacks because that one block guy assaulted my friend", at least unconsciously. You see this a lot with people arguing against feminists too, pointing to some of the crazy ones.

And no white dude ever was a shitlord to them in their whole entire lives

But yeah, thanks for the explanation for real.

[Kedly]

His point was that most racist will go like "I don't like blacks because that one block guy assaulted my friend", at least unconsciously. You see this a lot with people arguing against feminists too, pointing to some of the crazy ones.

And no white dude ever was a shitlord to them in their whole entire lives

But yeah, thanks for the explanation for real.

Confirmation bias. A white dude shitting on them is just an asshole. A black dude shitting on them is a BLACK asshole. No one ever tells you the eye colour of someone who commits a crime, they'll likely point out the race however.