You could make this argument about virtually any progressive idea. Of course political ideas can be used against you. That’s not an argument for maintaining things as they are.
There are two different things that we’re discussing here. The state and society. The state has a monopoly on violence and should not get to decide what people think and believe because of the monopoly on violence. Society, on the other hand, can and should make collective decisions on what is and isn’t acceptable. We should all condemn hateful speech. We should take down confederate statues. We should advocate for change. What we shouldn’t do is use the state’s violence/force to do it. It has to be done by changing hearts and minds. It is our collective responsibility, not that of the state.
We absolutely should use the state to sandblast Stone Mountain. It’s on private land so there’s no other way to do it. It’s an insult to every Black person in America, especially the ones in Atlanta.
I’m sorry but insults don’t warrant state action. This seems to be a fundamental philosophical difference that we aren’t going to come to agreement on.
You could make this argument about virtually any progressive idea. Of course political ideas can be used against you. That’s not an argument for maintaining things as they are.
There are two different things that we’re discussing here. The state and society. The state has a monopoly on violence and should not get to decide what people think and believe because of the monopoly on violence. Society, on the other hand, can and should make collective decisions on what is and isn’t acceptable. We should all condemn hateful speech. We should take down confederate statues. We should advocate for change. What we shouldn’t do is use the state’s violence/force to do it. It has to be done by changing hearts and minds. It is our collective responsibility, not that of the state.
We absolutely should use the state to sandblast Stone Mountain. It’s on private land so there’s no other way to do it. It’s an insult to every Black person in America, especially the ones in Atlanta.
I’m sorry but insults don’t warrant state action. This seems to be a fundamental philosophical difference that we aren’t going to come to agreement on.
Racism is not “insults.” Anyone who says that has clearly never been the object of it.