Comments on: double-digit 08

By: Babs

Babs — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:18:06 +0000

My sister, faced with partner’s parents who had similar views, mentioned that Hitler had shared these ideas. A bit of a cliche, I know. In a personal situation one can do these sorts of things, but I feel that in a fairly informal work situation like the drop-in, to make it clear that you disagree and will not discuss it may well be the best policy – though it is particularly odd in the case of the 11th Sept theorist that your teaching had in a way led him to find information on the conspiracy theories. Unsettling – and possibly nothing one can do except be aware.

By: jam

jam — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:18:30 +0000

i don’t know if it was the *right* thing to do but the last time someone busted out with an “i think all those illegals should blahblahblah” remark, i replied with “yeah, you & every other David Duke wannabe”

shut them up right quick – even made them blush, which was very satisfying

(luckily they apparently knew who David Duke was/is)

yeah, i know it didn’t solve anything but the term “illegal” makes me go for the throat – & by that i mean i feel provoked to humiliate & shame – i want the person using such a term to feel bad – to feel bad about themselves, to feel wrong – the inherently fascist meaning of the term “illegal,” the hate & xenophobia it encapsulates – i want it pulled out & exposed, in all its steaming horror – i want the person to know what kind of person they are choosing to be by using such a term – i want them to know that they are choosing hate & ignorance & brutality – and by doing so i want them to know that they can choose differently

not saying you could do this at your job

just sayin’

By: kate

kate — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:16:52 +0000

dude, i work for the Massachusetts State Police, so i know *exactly* what you mean, as i get to hear lovely comments like that all the time. i am the liberal sleeper cell in an otherwise “kill all the immigrants/minorities/gays/women/etc” environment.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:02:58 +0000

What she said IS horrifying. Working in a public library I’m sometimes (more than sometimes) confronted with people who make political comments I don’t agree with, of course. I usually look into their eyes, thinking (this has to be a joke) but realizing it’s not, I am silent. Most don’t pursue talking about it when faced with silence, but I liked your comment because she obviously was trying to get you to agree, or argue or…whatever.

By: Scott Meyer

Scott Meyer — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:05:04 +0000

I think it’s entirely appropriate to stare and be appalled at someone making such a remark. Casually suggesting the violent murder of millions of human beings – said executions to be carried out without due process, discussion or mercy, no less – is never really appropriate. As Glenn noted above, people with crazy ideas seldom change their minds, so shocked quiet (to display a suitably negative reception to the comment) and a polite (or stern) refusal to discuss the matter further were probably your best bet. Too bad you were in a professional setting instead of a personal one – I wish you had been free to give her the verbal smack-down she richly deserves!

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:22:10 +0000

I was in Iowa during caucus time, and it was extremely weird to be there and not be caucusing. I babysat on caucus night itself, but the whole week was filled with stuff like going to breakfast with my friend and her grandmother and having my friend say, “Oh wow, there’s Chris Dodd. And Ted Danson.” It’s sort of cool, but mostly it’s like, “Why are all these people invading my greasy spoon?” And then I remembered that actually it’s not really mine anymore, since I don’t live there.

By: Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:30:09 +0000

I’ll just share one thing in this regard, that will at first sound off topic.

I used to own a bike helmet called the Skid Lid. After using it for a few years some biker enthusiast friends of mine spotted me wearing it, and told me that it was an old design, and that I could potentially get worse injuries wearing it than with no helmet (a new helmet was the best choice, of course).

Several years later, I noticed folks wearing Skid Lids on the local bike trail, and I used to stop, and very politely say, excuse me, but did you know your helmet could be dangerous? I used to own one. Never met with anything but hostility. Not sure why. I’m generally not met with hostility. I stopped bothering trying to save people’s lives in this particular manner.

I bring this up because people who are determined to say or do crazy things (by our lights) are also often extremely resistant to sense.

There are these French books about how the Pentagon was bombed; that a plane didn’t strike it. Despite extensive refutation using photographic evidence collected by all manner of folks (not just official sources), a lot of people believe that the Pentagon was bombed (and the trade towers, too) in order to start a war.

We had a lot of ways to start a war, none of them good, and none involved blowing our own stuff up.