Hasn't this thread taken an ugly twist. And not just on one side. I have posted this definition before, but here it is again for your amusement...............
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This big·ot (bĭg'ət) Pronunciation Key
n. One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
[French, from Old French.]
Word History: Bigots may have more in common with God than one might think. Legend has it that Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, refused to kiss the foot of the French king Charles III, uttering the phrase bi got, his borrowing of the assumed Old English equivalent of our expression by God. Although this story is almost surely apocryphal, it is true that bigot was used by the French as a term of abuse for the Normans, but not in a religious sense. Later, however, the word, or very possibly a homonym, was used abusively in French for the Beguines, members of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood. From the 15th century on Old French bigot meant "an excessively devoted or hypocritical person." Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 with the sense "a superstitious hypocrite."
Always makes for an interesting dilemma when verbiage gets in the way.
I found Kevin's original comment racist, for sure......I likewise found the "pack attack" less than effective....a point that I think Oregonian was trying to make.
Consider if the group response had simply been something along the line of "Racist comments are not acceptable here." Is there anyone who thinks that wouldn't have been just as effective? By definition (see above) racism and group intolerance is both bigotry.
For the record, I don't like Obama...not one little bit. I don't think he has earned any sort of trust, which many seem to just blow off. But....My gut feelings may be wrong...I certainly hope so. My distrust, however, has nothing whatsoever to do with his race (which one?...he's as much white as black
). On the reality check side of the coin lies this question....Do you think that this election will be influenced by racism? I think definitely it will.
My 2
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