Quote from: Spike;241247If the answer is no, then ask yourself: Can we justify mob violence against someone just because it is the internet and therefore less 'real'?  

Spike, I agree with much of what you said...except where pie is concerned.

Still, I think we need to be careful here when you start talking of violence. It is inaccurate and provocative. All we can do on the internet is disagree and voice that disagreement (excluding illegal activities). That should not be confused with violence, an anti-social and criminal offense in most parts. I disagree strongly with Christians. I mock them openly, but I would never even consider saying they should not be allowed to worship as they please. The big caveat being "within the confines of lawful action" so no sacrificing, burning crosses on my yard or tar and feathering those who disagree with them.  So, I would amend (from my POV) your above statement to say, how is this thread even remotely related to RPGs anymore? Off topic?

Bill

Quote from: HinterWelt;241271So, I would amend (from my POV) your above statement to say, how is this thread even remotely related to RPGs anymore? Off topic?

Bill

I think the moment Kyle tossed the racist label, he derailed the thread. And did so likely on purpose.

Gliechman:  If I've misunderstood your overall stance on Islam, my apology, but you have, to my knowledge, expressed a fairly closed minded opinion of Islam, if not on par with the naked admission of S'mon.

Hinterwelt: Do we not deny a voice to people we disagree with on the internet?  Where is Nox, then?  We have, by means of exclusion, disenfranchised them, removed their voice. In a way, we have killed the 'poster', if not the person who originated it.  Insamuch as we have the ability, we have done 'internet violence' to 'internet persons'... in the form of mob justice.

Don't get me wrong. I don't miss Nox.  I didn't like him or agree with him.  Be can we honestly tell ourselves that we have the right to tell him he wasn't allowed to have those opinions? To force him to adapt or be exiled?

I know that there have to be confines on expression. You express it well by bringing up the cross burning.  This is why I point out the danger of too much like minded thinking, because it creates an air of permissiveness. If everyone agrees that Nox isn't allowed to hate, we are justified in destroying him.  If everyone agrees....

... fill in the blank yourself. Its not hard, and history has given us any number of acceptable and unacceptable targets that have been harmed because everyone agreed they were bad.   No one wants to side with the bigots.  Not even when the bigots are the targets.  I don't want to side with the bigots... not even now. The problem comes when people start trying to parse out which bigots are 'okay'... or to put it another way: Who is it okay to hate?

Who am I not allowed to hate?

Quote from: gleichman;241278I think the moment Kyle tossed the racist label, he derailed the thread. And did so likely on purpose.

To be honest, I think S'mon beat him to the punch with his admission. It's one of those things that is garaunteed to alter a conversation.

Quote from: gleichman;241104All I'm seeing here is people reaching for vile labels because there are either ignorant, or for some reason they think the correct ones aren't vile enough. Nothing more. And you defending either of those does not reflect well upon you.

Of course that's what you see.

Quote from: Spike;241293Gliechman:  If I've misunderstood your overall stance on Islam, my apology, but you have, to my knowledge, expressed a fairly closed minded opinion of Islam, if not on par with the naked admission of S'mon.

I seriously doubt that I ever said anything about hating Islam. I merely pointed out their growing power in some parts of the world. I made no judgement on it as such.

Now Liberals, Liberals I hate.

Quote from: Spike;241295To be honest, I think S'mon beat him to the punch with his admission. It's one of those things that is garaunteed to alter a conversation.

S'mon's admission wasn't one of racism. It was one of bigotry.

The difference is important to me.

True, but a naked admission of Bigotry, certainly in this era, and most certainly in this format (the internet... bastion of love for everyone and everything under the sun.... except celebrities and politicians of any stripe....)....


... its pretty much a bomb drop moment.

Then again, most conversations I've had where someone made just such a naked admission pretty much went south the same way, at the same speed.

Quote from: The_Shadow;240976Mate, forget worldviews, I'd oust you just for writing in a different coloured font!

Piss off.

Quote from: Koltar;241011Of the gamers that turn out to be jerks - I've not noticed a higher percentage for either right wing or left wing types.

- Ed C.

Well in this context "jerks" is a personality trait and separate from religion/race/politics/size of penis/what have you. So is it really surprising that there is no preponderance of ass hattery on one side or the other? Though in a way I pity you working in a gaming store...I couldn't do it without killing someone.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;241019It's like how Obama next to McCain looks like a black man, but next to one of his many half-brothers he looks pretty fucking white.

Kyle I found this much, much more amusing than I should have...

Quote from: Spike;241319True, but a naked admission of Bigotry, certainly in this era, and most certainly in this format (the internet... bastion of love for everyone and everything under the sun.... except celebrities and politicians of any stripe....)....


... its pretty much a bomb drop moment.

I'd like to agree, but as others have pointed out to me- it's very acceptable to admit Bigotry against Christians.

And I have to admit, what are we going to do about it? Forgive you?

OK, I was silly using the B-word jokily while making a fairly serious point later in the same post.  I'm not sure it's even possible to be bigoted against an ideology?

Quote from: Spike;241247Who decides, David? Who are we allowed to hate and who gets to decide that?

This needs it's own thread.

Quote from: S'mon;241329OK, I was silly using the B-word jokily while making a fairly serious point later in the same post.  I'm not sure it's even possible to be bigoted against an ideology?

It is.

Bigotry is a blanket term that includes race, religion, creed, lifestyle, etc.

Thus if one would object to a Culture that practices ritual killing of female children followed by eating them- one is a a Bigot.

Which is why I don't find it very useful. In practical terms, it's a label hurled at people you don't like. Which makes the hurler a Bigot if you think about it...

Quote from: gleichman;241328I'd like to agree, but as others have pointed out to me- it's very acceptable to admit Bigotry against Christians.

I'd say it's less acceptable and more fashionable...Christian bashing is one of the tasteless pastimes of our current age...and pretty offensive to those of us who are Christian.

Quote from: gleichman;241334It is.

Bigotry is a blanket term that includes race, religion, creed, lifestyle, etc.

Thus if one would object to a Culture that practices ritual killing of female children followed by eating them- one is a a Bigot.

Which is why I don't find it very useful. In practical terms, it's a label hurled at people you don't like. Which makes the hurler a Bigot if you think about it...

This is painted in broadstrokes and loses too much focus...calling out someone for being a bigot doesn't make you a bigot. If someone walks down the street shouting 'Nigger' and you call them a bigot, you are not suddenly bigoted against those who want to shout nigger...