Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate
Should we tolerate what we think is wrong? i.e. morally wrong?
How strongly should we speak out? if at all? To what extent should we jeopardize our privacy or livelihood for principles?
All philosophical question we cannot answer on this forum because the answers get into the dreaded politics.
So lets go sailing instead.
I don't know how to post links, but if you check out the Australian Wooden Boat Festival newsletter for this month, there are some nice boat pics there.
Ann
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I must equally ask though Ann, this question. Should we tolerate insults, personal attacks, meanness toward others and I'm asking, not should we in the greater society and world we live in, but should they be present on this forum.
I know how I react to them in my personal offline life and that is I don't tolerate hatred, ugliness toward others, bigotry. However, in a one on one situation it's easy to just avoid those. In a forum where they infiltrate threads, it becomes more difficult.
And, yes, we do stand up against those things we consider to be morally wrong but even that can be done in a civil manner. Perhaps best if express our disagreement with the act or the words but show it somehow without it coming across as disdain or hatred toward the person.
I don't have all the answers by any means. I just know some real ugliness expressed here and in the world at large is quite disturbing to me. I also believe that has increased greatly because people have an audience for it.
I will get very personal for a moment with something not forum related, not for opinions, but just as an example of the sadness I find in some of it. I have cousins and aunts (uncles mostly deceased) that I grew up around, loving. I use to look forward to holidays when we would all gather. But back then it was centered on
food, sports, games, and just fun together. I did not realize until I was an adult what some of their views are. I was most disappointed to find such religious people filled with so much hatred, bigotry, racism, and ugliness. I rarely visit them now. Primarily a few hours on
Christmas Day. I know they look at our attitudes and beliefs with equal disdain. I'm sure they don't approve of much about us, starting with even such simple things as how my wife dresses. I can only imagine what they say after we leave. I try to enjoy their company but within a couple of hours they will always stray into some venomous attack of some person or some group of people. They'll turn their hero on television and suddenly we'll be listening to someone who committed multiple acts of sexual harassment talking about the immorality of a political candidate. They'll talk about their grandson's friend based on how he dresses even though it's that very friend who has tried to get their grandson off of drugs. They talked about one cousin's minister should be fired because he smokes (and I'm about as anti-smoking as possible but assure you that minister is a good man). They'll refer to a
government leader and not express difference in political views but I've honestly heard them say the best thing that could happen would be if he was assassinate. Now, I try to respect that I'm a guest in their home. If asked about something, I'll simply say as nicely as possible that I don't agree with their view. And before it gets to me too much and I lose my temper and tell them what I really think, my wife will tell me it's time to go. And each time I leave it's with sadness. I guess I long for a kinder, gentler world. My wife says it's because I'm a romantic at heart.
Now, my only purpose in starting this thread was simply I wish sometimes this forum could be a kinder, gentler world. There's too much anger in the world and I know many bring it with them here. Much of it may be justified. But then it results in attacks on others when their true anger is toward someone or something far away from here.
Each of us ultimately has to handle it in the way we best know and most appropriate for ourselves. I've found it very difficult here to be open and honest as when I have expressed opinions and clearly stated them as nothing but opinions I've found myself, not my opinions, attacked. And I've seen it happen to others repeatedly. Some choose to attack back with equal personal attacks. I know I contribute very little here compared to many of you. It's often because I simply don't like what happens when one tries. And the ugliness and name calling and condemnations I've seen in a few threads recently disappointed me greatly. And finally let me assure it wasn't just those I disagree with who disappointed me, I found myself more upset in many ways with those whose general views on the subject I actually agreed with. But neither side seemed to think those with the opposite view had a legitimate right to hold it.
Enough from me on the subject now. I just felt something had to be said. Ann, you asked, rhetorically, when we should speak out. Well, I felt that time for me was now. So did.
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... but you missed one stage, the experience, between knowledge and understanding.
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