Viewing last 25 versions of comment by CleverTwist on image #1201088

Living in the province that is colloquially referred to as the "Redneck Central" of Canada, I deal with your stereotypical right-wing, truck nut toting, confederate flag waving, drink all day/smoke all night kinda people almost daily. I've heard just about every bigoted, racist, pandering to your emotional and religious sensibillities rhetoric you could think of in this day and age.


 
But you know what? I don't stop them. I never point it out to them and I never try to make a fuss over how "offensive" they are. I just mind my own business or just nod my head with a "yeah, sure. okay" and let the day go on. Because even though I disagree with what they say, even if it's drunken filled vitriol from years of conservative govermentation, they have every right to say it. SOo long as they aren't inciting harmviolence or diminishing the rights of someone else with their ignorance, then just let them be.


 
They don't represent a group at large, they don't embody all of the population of the town, the city, the nation or the race. They represent themselves, and what they are are just your typical assholes looking to start shit. And the best way to not give them power, is to just let them be. It's like trolling online. The more you give in, the more power you let them have over you. If you honestly encounter someone you says to you "I hate niggers" and they act in a way that gives off a "what you gonna do about it?" vibe, you don't engage, you don't retort, you don't give them fuel to their fires. To stamp out the flames, you have to stop feeding them, and the more you try to fight their fires with your own it's only gonna burn everything down.
 
Remember: offense is never given. Only taken.

Living in the province that is colloquially referred to as the "Redneck Central" of Canada, I deal with your stereotypical right-wing, truck nut toting, confederate flag waving, drink all day/smoke all night kinda people almost daily. I've heard just about every bigoted, racist, pandering to your emotional and religious sensibillities rhetoric you could think of in this day and age.

But you know what? I don't stop them. I never point it out to them and I never try to make a fuss over how "offensive" they are. I just mind my own business or just nod my head with a "yeah, sure. okay" and let the day go on. Because even though I disagree with what they say, even if it's drunken filled vitriol from years of conservative govermentation, they have every right to say it. SO long as they aren't inciting harm or diminishing the rights of someone else with their ignorance, then just let them be.

They don't represent a group at large, they don't embody all of the population of the town, the city, the nation or the race. They represent themselves, and what they are are just your typical assholes looking to start shit. And the best way to not give them power, is to just let them be. It's like trolling online. The more you give in, the more power you let them have over you. If you honestly encounter someone you says to you "I hate niggers" and they act in a way that gives off a "what you gonna do about it?" vibe, you don't engage, you don't retort, you don't give them fuel to their fires. To stamp out the flames, you have to stop feeding them, and the more you try to fight their fires with your own it's only gonna burn everything down.