Posted on 11/09/2007 7:10:57 PM PST by DogByte6RER
MISS MANNERS
It's best to ignore strangers who shout their prejudices Judith Martin
Miss Manners
November 8, 2007
Dear Miss Manners: This evening I found myself waiting in line with two young men who proceeded loudly to proclaim at least five different countries they would like to bomb, and advocated reintroducing the draft so that everyone else would have to share their "sacrifice."
They then loudly branded several political figures they disapproved of with a crude word.
I bit my tongue and waited quietly. Then the people in front of me joined in and, incredibly, they all complained about how persecuted they were and how they should band together and "rule the world" (their words, not mine).
I live in a small, relatively liberal town in a very red state, and this is not the first time something like this has happened. At least once a week, I hear jokes or comments that if not overtly racist, contain racist, sexist or homophobic assumptions.
A few weeks ago, I saw someone in a public place wearing a T-shirt that said "celebrate diversity" covered with an assortment of brightly colored guns.
What should I do in these situations? When the people are strangers, I bite my tongue for the sake of maintaining a civil society. But what do you do when they are relatives?
I don't want this sort of behavior rubbing off on my nieces and nephews, but whenever I express any kind of disapproval, I am labeled overly sensitive or a knee-jerk liberal. It seems I am expected to hold my tongue politely while they offend anyone and everyone they want.
A friend of mine says I should just keep quiet and let these people talk, that they are only embarrassing themselves.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
And ever since when to conservative principles amount to "prejudices?"
Anyways...click on the link to read the rest of the letter.
I'll post Miss Manners' PC response below...
Miss Manners responds:
Gentle Reader: What you hear in the street is called freedom of speech. And considering your relatives, it does not sound as if you need to go out looking for an argument. Not that what you have described to Miss Manners resembles anything like a political argument.
So yes, you should ignore strangers. And if you can get away from your relatives when they are carrying on, and do so without making a scene, you should.
It would be better to make an agreement with them that because you have such different views, and because airing them leads to unpleasantness, talking politics be banned when you are together.
It is of no benefit to the children for you to engage in exchanges of name-calling. However, your conscience would be proud of you if you sought opportunities with them to explain and refute prejudice — without personally attacking your and their relatives
“a T-shirt that said “celebrate diversity” covered with an assortment of brightly colored guns”
I want one!
The “celebrate diversity” t-shirt is available at IMAO, I believe. Cute shirt.
“A few weeks ago, I saw someone in a public place wearing a T-shirt that said “celebrate diversity” covered with an assortment of brightly colored guns.”
That someone coulda been moi!
;-)
And the fact they wrote to Miss Manners about it isn't a dead giveaway?
I’m ashamed. I’ve only owned four of those.
I had a T-shirt made that says
“Civilization: Crusade against the Mohammedan Death Cult”
and I live in an area with lots of Muslims.
“I live in a small, relatively liberal town in a very red state...”
Welcome to the Town of Libsville
Population 2
I.Q. 12 (combined)
You're both!
I’ve been looking for a shirt with the classic Crusader shield and the word on it. Waiting for “thoseshirts” to come out with it.
I admire your testicular fortitude to wear that shirt. Hat’s off to you.
Dear Miss Manners:
I don't know what to do...the other day, I was driving home in my SUV, when I came upon a small hybrid with a rainbow bumper sticker on it...they also had one of those "fish" things on their car with feet on it. While I was picking up my children from public school, I saw teachers handing out pamphlets to "help save the planet." In the school parking lot, another teacher looked at my SUV with disdain, and I know she wanted to start an argument since she could see the hand-rolled cigar in my mouth...
LOL...I was thinking I'd buy one of those shirts but then I'd feel obliged to make sure I owned all of them!
Uh! That was me!
“I admire your testicular fortitude to wear that shirt. Hats off to you.”
Not so much, I ordered it cheap off the internet, and the print is small and fancy.
In a way it suits me, in that it doesn’t scream LOUDLY what I think is a harsh message, but on the other hand it is there to read (by the type of people that read) which is a compromise between my impulses and my attempt to be gentlemanly and polite.
I’m a mid-40’s gunshop owner/gunsmith. Twelve years Navy experience, a life at sea and a punk rock mentality have made me fairly outspoken. My heart’s on my sleeve, or in the case of t-shirts, on my back. If someone is offended at the message, they can pogue mahon.
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