It's Best To Ignore Strangers Who Shout Their Prejudices (Miss Manners Responds to Liberal Whiner)

Chicago-Tribune.com ^ | November 8, 2007 | Judith Martin | Miss Manners

[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.

[TigersEye]

I'm getting very tired of showing tolerance to the intolerant.

Lady, you are the intolerant one.

Any hints on how to behave civilly and still sleep at night?

As a liberal you are probably incapable of learning to be civil. Put a sign on your front door that says "Gun Free Zone" and sleep well knowing you are smarter than everyone else.

[DogByte6RER]

[pandoraou812]

Tiger..She most likely lives in one of those gated communities where they tell you what kind of plants you can plant, what color your house can be & they don’t allow white sheets on the clothesline! And thinks life is just as it should be. lmao!

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Because of your thread, I discovered Ask Amy! < :D

[chesley]

be my guest :)

[Nea Wood]

Dear Miss Manners,

I live in stupid, liberal LaLaLand, and the libs around me are constantly shooting off their mouths about how everyone should be allowed to kill their unborn babies, and anyone who disagrees with that is a horrible sexist person who should shut up, and about how Hillary is wonderful, and how all conservative politicans are Hitler, and all Christians are Bible-thumping idiots, and how anyone who disagrees with liberals should be silenced! Oh, Miss Manners, whatever shall I do?

Befuddled in a Blue State

[Freedom2specul8]

BUMP to that~~~~~!!!! It should be sent for real. (of course, leaving out the stupid liberal lalaland comment MIGHT get you a reply)

I bet she wouldn’t touch the rest of it with a ten foot pole.