Your definition of “far” seems to be “people who want to kill you for what you are”. But others’ definition of “far” is “people who disagree with you and vote against your cause”. Those are not the same. And conflating the two only exacerbates the division.

I hate to sound cynical but when I read the replies here, I see more close mindedness that won’t do anything to affect change. You can’t change a culture if you’re so hateful or resentful that you refuse to engage.

My opinion is that if you’re not picking up the hammer and building the bridge, then you’re part of the problem.

That’s my experience as a once hyper conservative whose perspective only changed because someone approached me with respect and engaged me to change my perspective.

But it’s clear that many here don’t want to be true agents for change, but prefer to inflame division. You will never change a culture through hatred. You’ll only cause them to “dig in”.

But y’all keep doing you and post your hate so you can your upvotes.

I have not seen that, but I don’t think I agree with it. But maybe I’m misinterpreting the image because I’m admittedly feeling a bit defensive?

So that I can better understand, I ask a completely innocent question. Do you perceive my comment as encouraging people to tolerate intolerance?

For some clarification, I put “far” in parenthesis because I feel the term “far”, in this age of “outrage culture” is relative and influenced largely by propaganda, social media, and rhetoric. Additionally, the term “shun” means to keep away from or take pains to avoid.

These people should not be shunned. You can and absolutely should have a conversation with someone you perceive as intolerant. Because I feel the term “far” is relative these days, I believe we are often quick to label people based on their emotional expressions, short sighted social media posts, or impulsive comments. So if you find yourself suspecting that someone is intolerant, I would encourage you to have a conversation. If your conversation further confirms that someone is expressing intolerant beliefs, you owe it to yourself and the other party to respectfully challenge them and express your interpretation of their perspective.

My personal experience is that if you are fortunate enough to find yourself engaging with someone open to debate, you should stand fast on your perspective. If you can respect each other, the words you speak are more likely to resonate. If you disrespect the opposing party, then you will almost certainly be dismissed, no matter how morally right you are, or perceive yourself to be. The other person will almost certainly see your disrespect as some sort of confirmation of their own perspective.

Seeking common ground puts you in a position to build trust and credibility, so that you can offer an alternate perspective as an ally and without being dismissed as an opponent. Don’t avoid. Engage and change. If you ignore a weed, it continues to grow and pollinate. It must be effectively uprooted.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Edit: I am observing a trend of down voting this without further engagement. That’s unfortunate. I would love to hear other’s opinions. I’m honestly not a hater or troll, and do love to hear opposing opinions! Use your voice to share your thoughts!

Or how about, and hear me out now, because I know it sounds crazy…

How about you stop shunning people because you perceive them as “far” right or “far” left?

How about voting for politicians that seek compromise?

How about you stop contributing to polarization and start treating those with opposing views with respect and work to find a common ground upon which you can build mutual trust and cooperation?

What do I know? I’m just a middle class dude who loves hearing everyone’s perspectives when they can treat me with respect, hear mine, and then discuss the reasons why we see the world differently.

I’m also married to a woman who disagrees with me constantly on political matters, and we love each other even more because we can challenge each other to see the world differently.

While understand that these people have experienced trauma, division is not the answer. Division is the foundation upon which hate is built.

Edit: seeing a downvote trend without further comments. To be totally honest if you disagree I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts. I can’t grow or learn from others’ perspectives without being challenged.