In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers

Re:In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto co... by noobermin on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @07:13PM (#11906109)

I think a discussion of tone is a worthwhile discussion to have, although I believe you agree that it does not constitute a valid counterargument against[0] any side. I do agree there is an unfortunate smugness amongst many liberals that is unsettling to me, but it's a little different than the "Jim Crow south." Sorry, but AGW, the economic state of Kansas after the tax cuts, the evidence behind the theory of evolution are not "opinions", they are studied facts and/or statistics, many of them in published reputable journals. However, one's opinions about "the negro" are not scientific facts, and differences between the races has been rejected by most scientists. These are not the same.

And sure, one can somewhat respect the rights of a human being who denies scientific evidence, and I do believe many liberals need to be receptive and open-minded to others' arguments even when they violate their deepest convictions. The rise of safe-spaces and vehement protests against conservative speakers shows that libs are not great in this regard either. You need not and should not make fun of their heritage, their accent or make assumptions about their personality or behavior. At the very least, if you really don't care about being fair, disregarding evidence without offering a counterargument or giving a reason[1] is bad enough of a sin that no one needs anything else to accuse an opponent of.

[0] http://paulgraham.com/disagree.html

[1] I really mean this, a discussion is the right thing that needs to happen.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:In poor neighborhoods, McDonald’s have become de-facto co... by stcredzero on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @07:21PM (#11906155)

I do agree there is an unfortunate smugness amongst many liberals that is unsettling to me, but it's a little different than the "Jim Crow south."

It's the behavior/mental stance that I'm calling out. Being the victor doesn't entitle one to be a douchebag. Being right doesn't entitle one to be a douchebag. If one subscribes to humanism and to being humane, then it simply doesn't do to view certain people as being less than human. Just because their views are less valid in your opinion, that doesn't make them less valid.

So long as you can make this distinction, you're fine in my book.

[ Parent | on HN ]