You don’t want to go there. That is exactly what helps beliefs change. A good smack down and holding reality in your face is exactly what forces people to admit they are wrong and this leads to change. (I am simply responding to your post. YOUR POST.) I’ll not take sides and to be honest, I completely missed anything Mr. M. said about women. I just haven’t been paying attention. With that said; we don’t always know what is going to help change someone’s mind. But a good smack down is certainly one of the things that can do it.
Calling someone a bigot does work when it is true and you have the facts to back it up. Many times I have pointed specifically to the bigotry in the bible and left Christians mumbling incoherently over things they have never looked at honestly. It may not have pulled them out of their faith, but it will certainly be the last time they try to use a moral argument with me. (I’m thinking of 2 current co-workers who decided to talk morality one day.)
Overall, I am (Once Again) Only responding to ‘your’ assertions. I am not defending N’s position but I am defending his right to make the assertion and as distasteful as the comment may appear, N. seems to feel strongly about a point, and really wants to push that point home. Well… His timing is probably at the most memorable time he could have ever possibly selected.
Yep, a lot of people are going to have a problem with the timing. I fully get it. I’m also absolutely certain N. is aware of it. I think we simply have to agree that we found the post a bit shocking in the midst of this particular thread. I know I have been sitting on my stupid comments, Tin Man has admitted the same. N’s timing just caught us all off balance. In the end, I really think this is the only real complaint… ‘Bad Timing.’ Yet, as I have stated above, "If someone really wants to drive home a point… well; you and I are in complete disagreement. “Kick them when they are down,” I say, “and don’t let them forget.” (My methodology comes from interventions with drug addicts and alcoholics. Never let them escape the wrath of their own stupidity. Grind it in until they hit bottom. And then, grind some more.) This will bring about real change. (I won’t get into what kind of change. Measures that are regarded as punitive have mysterious outcomes at times and they don’t always go as planned. Still, they do foster change. ) Okay, I’m done. I hope you see this in light of ‘What causes change.’ and not as a part of any support for N. or M. It is a response to YOUR post.