Friday, September 07, 2007

Bigotry

I'm not a bigot. I'm not even always right (though, of course, I usually am; in fact, thats a good quick way of deciding what 'right' is -- if I think it, then its right).

But there are certain questions that polarize peoples, questions where you really can't even have a civil discussion. Whats obviously right to one person isn't at all obvious to another, and in fact is quite deniable. Its tough to get started in such cases, even with the best of intentions. Oh, you can start with a civil inquiry, and even nail down a couple of minor points, but as you get into the meat of the matter, its gets grottier. And pretty soon, you're throwing the snide innuendoes and the backstabbing references, and all civility goes by the wayside. Its knuckles and knives, at that point.

Some questions are just like that.

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