We all know that person; the one whose favorite debate
strategy is to be the most obnoxious and over the top. This is usually the same
person that is very stubborn in their views and too far gone to realistically
think you can change them. As much as I’d like to believe that
everyone can be changed, I know that, no matter how much progress is made,
there will always be some people who hold on to their wrong views no matter how
silly or extreme they look, and I’m perfectly fine with that. As long as these
types of people stay in the minority and don’t have any power then they can be
as ignorant as they want to be. Point in case: I often times hear people
complain about the now infamous Westboro Baptist Church. The group that has
gained fame from things like this-
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20025205-503544.html
I understand why family members and friends of the people
they protest would be upset with this group, and rightfully so. But for the
rest of us, we really need to quit giving this group of people news coverage, (yes I realize I'm giving them attention by posting this
They embody a fringe view and they have no power or influence. People estimate
that the “church” only has about 40 members, most of whom are related to each
other. It’s pretty much just a guy and his family.
Moral of the story: the loudest voices sometimes have the
emptiest minds. Let’s not give them more than they’re worth.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Kevin. The (over)reaction to the tiny church has made them a household name, not their prejudicial actions. I would add that the attention given to Westboro Baptist does another harmful thing, beside giving hate speech a national platform. It distracts us from institutional oppression. It's more alarming--and lazier--to fill newspapers with stories about the latest escapades of these bigots. But doing so keeps our eyes off real issues. Talk about what 40 (almost universally reviled) people think; ignore how the majority of us deny the humanity of our fellow citizens. It surely is easier and self-serving to decry the most obnoxious people. Hey, look over there! How awful of those other people! I'm posting my disapproval on Facebook of an overtly hateful extended family from Topeka, Kansas. I'm one of the good guys!
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