My first common sense rant is the phrase haters. You see it on bumper stickers, face book et al. They will say something to the effect 'All you haters can ...'. If you take the time to find out what the haters are guilty of, it is more times than not simple disagreement. If you don't like rap music you are a hater. Disagree with affirmative action when it includes quotas? HATER!! Think marriage should stay man and woman? HATER!! Don't like the movies of some actor or another? HATER!!
The practice of classifying people as hater simply tells us there is no room for a shade of gray. For instance I mentioned gay marriage above. It is possible to have compassion for gay people, desire to see common sense reforms such as allowing survivorship rights etc. next of kin rights without wanting to extend everything about marriage. The side accusing of being a hater simply does not allow any such distinction. It is black and white. Agree with me or you are a hater.
Why is this employed? Saying I disagree with you doesn't make you a bad person, but saying you are a hater means you have no right to be involved in any responsible discussion in our society. Why would we let you speak? You are a hater. The list of the subjects that can make you a hater could go on and on. Most often in my experience they involve some sacred subject of the church of political correctness. Common Sense would dictate we actually talk to one another. But that doesn't fit into a text message or a tweet or a face book comment now does it?
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