You don't co-opt people by exempting opinions and actions from criticism, they co-opt you by deeming your ability to criticize them "polarizing".
"many of whom have sincere spiritual positions the diversity of which, in a democracy, is sacrosanct." In a Democracy, you have to keep your religion to yourself. Using violence and threats to force others to follow your beliefs is loathsome.
"i don't think they're bad people pretending to be good" It's not about judging bad/good people, but actions. Screaming "babykiller" in an attempt to force your religion on someone else is a bad act.
Lying about death panels is a bad act. Embracing violent rhetoric and bigotry, sympathizing with the urge to crash plane into the IRS is invalidates yourself.
"i have already conceded that my pro-choice colleagues were just as loathsome" They weren't loathsome. They weren't going to operation rescue's headquarters screaming invectives and trying to stop people from entering, posting anti-choicer's home addresses, using demonizing rhetoric which encourages the fringe to consider them fair game. They were human in a passing moment of weakness in response to people who use constant harassment as policy. It's hardly even violating non-violence.
Refusing to call injustice for what it is in hopes of winning the actors over makes no sense. To quote someone else: "Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured."
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Date: 2010-03-29 04:42 am (UTC)"many of whom have sincere spiritual positions the diversity of which, in a democracy, is sacrosanct." In a Democracy, you have to keep your religion to yourself. Using violence and threats to force others to follow your beliefs is loathsome.
"i don't think they're bad people pretending to be good" It's not about judging bad/good people, but actions. Screaming "babykiller" in an attempt to force your religion on someone else is a bad act.
Lying about death panels is a bad act. Embracing violent rhetoric and bigotry, sympathizing with the urge to crash plane into the IRS is invalidates yourself.
"i have already conceded that my pro-choice colleagues were just as loathsome" They weren't loathsome. They weren't going to operation rescue's headquarters screaming invectives and trying to stop people from entering, posting anti-choicer's home addresses, using demonizing rhetoric which encourages the fringe to consider them fair game. They were human in a passing moment of weakness in response to people who use constant harassment as policy. It's hardly even violating non-violence.
Refusing to call injustice for what it is in hopes of winning the actors over makes no sense. To quote someone else: "Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured."