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Comment by sqeaky | Hacker News Reader

Calling someone out for being racist or bigoted in some other should be acceptable, because that behavior is not acceptable. Preventing people from being called out on their bigotry is tolerating intolerance, and we shouldn't have any of that.

I do agree it is not a real rebuttal if the other side has a point unrelated to their bigotry.

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There are two types of people who are racists. Those who are racists, who already think you're an idiot, and those who are not who will then think you are an idiot.

As ever, calling people names just gets you universally thought of as an idiot.

So don't do it.

1) Anything not politically correct is bigoted.

2) Anything bigoted is unacceptable.

3) Anything I find unacceptable should be beaten down with ad hominim attacks instead of properly heard out and debated.

Got it.

Well not only that, but it's also like saying that an officer using force should be acceptable. It's true, but it doesn't mean that it's the only way to handle a situation, and often, claims of racism and bigotry are used to end an argument as if it were an argument itself. I'm not saying that "the left always does that", but each side had their share of desperate ad hominem attacks, and racism accusations is one often used by those on the left (though on the right it's used, just either reworded, or subtly redefined).

thats exactly what i am saying

> Calling someone out for being racist [...] should be acceptable

If someone actually is racist. Not if someone is merely disagreeing with SJWs.

I agree with this. We also need to understand that some people are too easy to offend and not worry about offending them while keeping in mind some people are legitimately the victims of racism.

It should not be something we make a knee-jerk reaction on. Real racism should be opposed and we should find a way to persuade people that playing the delicate snowflake victim card is also not appropriate.

While bigotry is generally a bad thing, the calling out has long since past any usefulness. The terms have been weaponized beyond any usefulness, and will probably lose their sting.

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