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setsunatenshi on 22 April 2019
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Wyrdness said:
setsunatenshi said:

But that's my point exactly, it's not actually solving any problem, if anything it's making things worse because someone is not going to be any less racist because they were told a word was "bad". It's not the word that is bad, is the sentiment of feeling like someone is superior due to any "x" arbitrary factor like skin color. 

Education is the only way to open someone's mind to something new. Being exposed and interacting with different people is how you soften people up and have them realize these notions of "us" and "them" are just made up nonsense. The more you try and ban certain words, the more defensive you'll make such people to change their minds. And I also take objection to the notion of "being offended". That concept gets thrown around way too often and I have absolutely no connection to it. If someone says something absurd it's the easiest thing in the world to ignore that person.

Also, on your last point, i was more refering to the idea of tribalism, race is only one form of tribalism, but there are many others. Like feeling a deeper sense of empathy with people that live physically closer to you, nationalism, etc. All these feelings are quite natural and part of our evolutionary background. It takes modern sensibility to be aware of them and actively fight against those feelings.

Some people can't be educated mate as they simply don't want to hear it, education of someone requires them to open their mind and many of these people won't ever do that which is why you end up with the punishment route this isn't a case of informing someone still learning it's a situation involving changing someones deep rooted views which is a losing battle in many cases if you want an example of what I mean look at debates that question religion as no offence to them you can present evidence to some religious people and they'd still reject it hence why the law has to step in or rules have to be put in place to set precedents. Bare in mind I'm not knocking religious people but giving an example of how trying to open someone's mind to something other than what they believe isn't always an option.

Like it or not the punishment route has to be there another case point are the clowns you hear on Xbox Live and PSN in online games who are spewing racist and homophobic crap you can't educate this mob because they already know its wrong but do it anyway to just be offensive from the safety of anonymity.

When I say educate, I don't mean it in a condescending way like "I know you're dumb, but let me explain you exactly why you're a dumb ass" kind of way. I mean educate by the way of naturally exposing people to new groups of people, new experiences and then let them naturally realize there's a lot more they have in common than what separates them.

I'm an atheist myself, so I'm painfully aware of how some discussions go. But in your example it would be the akin to ban someone for having irrational beliefs. No matter how wrong they are, I would never advocate for banning someone because they disagree with me.

I would much rather having these people feeling ok to share their opinions in the open than having them feel like the victims and holding even stronger to such stupid beliefs.