Bigotry

A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own.

Bigot is often used as pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to their prejudices even when these prejudices are challenged, often engaging these prejudices in a rude and intolerant manner. Forms of bigotry may have a related ideology, like racism, religion, and nationalism.

Bigotry is not "intolerance," but "unreasonable intolerance". Jews are understandably intolerant of Nazi Anti-Semitism; that doesn't necessarily make them anti-Nazi bigots.

A bigot will continue to hold these opinions even when confronted with evidence that challenges such stereotypes. To protect his views, he may either dismiss the challenges he encounters as an aberration to the norm and ignore the fact that they threaten to undercut his prejudices. On a more extreme level, he may deny the evidence altogether. Both reactions can be classified as forms of cognitive dissonance.

The Real Bigots

Developing A Positive/Negative Image Index

A debate conducted at the pre-adolescent playground level, where each side hurls the same terms of derision and abuse at the other, is no answer to what we have described as the "hate/fear" tactic. We do not need to answer in epithets. We can easily demonstrate, in readily understandable images, who are the real bigots; who among us are primarily motivated by the negative emotions of hate and fear, and who by such positive traits as reason, truth and love. What we propose is an index of positive and negative emotions; to place different organizations, political and social movements, on an informal scale, related to that index. This Chapter will not suggest a definitive index or scale, merely a first step in the process.

It is clear that almost no group or organization, engaged in controversy, will be totally hate or love motivated; neither totally governed by bigotry, nor totally inspired by chivalry. The mere involvement in public controversy over political, religious or social issues, will heighten feelings, both positive and negative. We must recognize this that we not appear to employ a standard that imposes one measure on our friends and another on our enemies. Here, as always, let truth be our guide. This may mean that we must sometimes acknowledge vices among individual friends and virtues among enemies. Ultimately, of course, the merits of an idea are not dependent upon the vices or virtues of its proponents or opponents. In recognizing the emotional aspect of controversy, we do not deny the rational. The function of this Chapter, then, is strictly limited; to expose the fallacy of one of the reason avoiding tactics of the Left.

All else being equal, the defenders of the status quo obviously start on a more positive note than those who demand change. Rational man seeks to keep what he likes, what he believes in; to change what he dislikes, what he disfavors. Impugning the motives of those who merely want to be left alone is not to reason but to insult.

In constructing a positive/negative (love/hate) index for any organization, we should consider such points of reference as stated purpose, nature of primary activity (such as educational or confrontational), methods for handling controversy and opposition, and whether the subject is usually the initiator or responder to controversy; as well as actual time and resources spent on positive versus negative quests. It is possible to break these broad categorizations into a whole host of sub-categories; but this Chapter is intended to suggest the approach, not to offer a complete treatment.

To illustrate this concept, we select organizations that deal with group identification, because it is with respect to positive and negative group images that we encounter the heaviest concentration of the terms of abuse; the greatest reliance on demeaning the motivations of others. Consider and contrast the following organizations, each of which deals with some form of group identification:

1. Daughters Of The American Revolution.

2. The United Daughters Of The Confederacy.

3. National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People.

4. People For The American Way.

5. Southern Poverty Law Center.

6. The Anti-Defamation League.

Both the Daughters of The American Revolution and the United Daughters of The Confederacy have a clearly positive orientation. The D.A.R., which draws its membership from women at least eighteen, who "can prove lineal, blood line descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence," states these Objectives:

Historical--to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence;
Educational--to carry out the injunction of Washington in his farewell address ..."to promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge, thus developing an enlightened public opinion..." and
Patriotic--to cherish, maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty.

The U.D.C. draws its membership from women at least sixteen, "who are blood descendants, lineal or collateral, of men and women who served honorably in the Army, Navy or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America, or gave Material Aid to the Cause," and offers these Objectives:

Historical, Educational, Benevolent, Memorial and Patriotic, to honor the memory of those who served and those who fell in the service of the Confederate States of America; to protect, preserve and mark the places made historic by Confederate valor; to collect and preserve the material for a truthful history of the War Between the States; to record the part taken by Southern Women in patient endurance of hardship and patriotic devotion during the struggle, and the untiring efforts after the War during the reconstruction of the South; to fulfill the sacred duty of benevolence toward the survivors and toward those dependent upon them; to assist descendants of worthy Confederates in securing proper education; and to cherish the ties of friendship among the members of the Organization.

Note that neither of these organizations sets out to confront anyone, or to antagonize anyone. They begin by honoring their own lineage and traditional values, and proceed with constructive pursuits entirely consistent with that heritage. They seek to be a positive force in the lives of others. In endeavoring to preserve their own heritage, they do not disparage the heritage of anyone else. We have selected these particular organizations for our starting point because they are both drawn from the old, settled, stock of Americans, derisively referred to as "WASPs" in those circles of "Liberal" academia, which have tried to picture traditional America as a very intolerant land. Let us see how the pursuits of these ladies compare with our other subjects, each of which has been credited by those same "Liberal" academics with promoting "tolerance."

The NAACP has already drawn our attention in the essay below on Creating Hate In America Today. A Fabian Socialist organization, created by Leftwing Whites, with only one Negro (really a Mulatto) participating at the organizational meeting, its primary focus (in 1909) was to wrest the direction of efforts to improve the lot of the American Negro away from the Conservative Christian approach of the great Negro educator, Booker T. Washington, into a far more confrontational one. Where the NAACP stands on a Love/Hate index may be illustrated by the differences between its approach and that of Washington, on Negro advancement and relations between the races.

Both the thrust and essence of Booker T. Washington's approach to Negro needs and race relations were entirely positive. He sought to improve his people's lot through education and hard work; to climb the ladder as others had climbed the ladder. He did not revile the past, but concentrated on positive images; appealing to his Caucasian neighbors' love for a culture and heritage that the races had shared, and urging their respect for Negro loyalty to that shared civilization. He did not demand a forced association. He persuaded to a common devotion to a common interest.

In the place of this benign and constructive approach, this building for a better future; the NAACP chose to heap aspersions on the American mainstream; to blame others for every disappointment; to demand that a collective solve their people's problems; to demand involuntary patterns of association, and, finally today, to demand that others even cease to honor any heritage of which the NAACP does not approve.

Yet, while the NAACP has worked in tandem with other Fabian Socialist organizations, such as the ADL, on mutually useful projects for generations, it has at least one positive aspect amidst this sea of negativity and hate. Some of its activists do actually identify with their people's long term interest--however misguided the approach. As such they have encouraged educational pursuits, job training and specific neighborhood improvements. We make this distinction before we turn to the last three subject organizations.

These have much in common. Approaching the battle from somewhat different announced objectives, each directs primary attention and most of its energy into combating organizations and individuals who refuse to accept its values. While people who would defend their heritage sometimes form groups to actively combat their foes--for example the many Anti-Communist organizations that sprang up during the Cold War--it is not at all clear just what any of these subject organizations are defending.

The most apt place to start an analysis of the orientation of People For The American Way is in a recognition that what they claim to be defending is pure fantasy. They define their objectives as:

People For the American Way organizes and mobilizes Americans to fight for fairness, justice, civil rights and the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. However, one will inquire in vain as to what they are doing to defend those Constitutional freedoms, currently under attack. They do not defend the First Amendment freedom to freely exercise religion--rather quite the opposite. Nor do they defend the right of free association, as for example in the case of the Boy Scouts Of America--rather quite the opposite. Nor the Second Amendment's guarantee of the Right To Keep & Bear Arms, nor the property rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment, nor the rights of the States guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment.

Their literature reveals rather a preoccupation with something they label the Religious Right. They see themselves as an essential "watchdog," keeping exhaustive records of what ultraconservative groups communicate to their own target audiences; being there to tell the truth when they deceptively tailor their messages for the mainstream media; and helping to organize other groups and communities to defeat the Religious Right.

While this is obviously negative and antagonistic, its correct position on the proposed index can only be determined by a consideration of just what, if anything, the PFAW claim to be defending. While the generalized rhetoric suggests that they are defending traditional American values, the reality is very different. The activities of the "Religious Right" which offend them appear to be those which involve defense of traditional family values. To the PFAW it is NOT acceptable that religious Americans would want to limit the role of public schools in teaching sexual values. It is NOT acceptable that religious Americans would condemn Homosexuality. It is NOT acceptable that those who want to preserve traditional family values would organize politically, or try to influence judicial appointments, or question the leftward drift of politics, or even prefer people who share their beliefs as employees.

In short, what the PFAW is guarding America from is not some aggression upon the part of religious Americans against the American tradition, but against any effort by religious Americans to fight back against the aggressive pursuit of a secular Leftwing agenda with which the PFAW identifies. The PFAW is not motivated by a love of anything that is real, but of the fantasy which the far Left wants to impose upon America. And if an obsessive ranting against people who want to preserve their traditions and values is not bigotry, what is?

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes itself as an organization that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation. Its programs include the Intelligence Project, Teaching Tolerance and Tolerance.org. To determine this organization's bent, and whether we would want them teaching their notion of "tolerance," let us look at their "Intelligence Project" to calculate where they stand on our index.

They tell us that, The Center's quarterly "Intelligence Report" offers in-depth analysis of political extremism and bias crimes in the United States... profiles Far Right leaders, monitors domestic terrorism and reports on the activities of extremist groups. Its annual listing of hate groups and Patriot groups is the most comprehensive in the United States. Each issue contains summaries of bias incidents from throughout the country.

The technique of the SPLC is remarkably similar to that used by the ADL (our next subject) against Conservatives for over 90 years. It is not surprising that a group with such techniques would fail to acknowledge that most extremism over the past two centuries has come from the Left not Right of center, from those who sought to repudiate not vindicate traditional values; would fail to acknowledge that most terrorists have been adherents to Socialist and Egalitarian movements, few indeed in favor of affirming heritage. Perusing SPLC articles, an informed Conservative will quickly perceive that their interpretation of tolerance bears no semblance to what the word means to the rest of the English speaking world.

The Tolerance Project involves a sometimes subtle, often overt, linking of small ineffective groups, which may actually display an inordinate degree of negative motivation and hateful sentiment, with others who simply share one trait in common with the first. That shared trait is often an ideological principle for which the Left has no answer but to smear by tortured association--such as a commitment to the traditional American belief in individual responsibility and limited Government.

Thus a recent article on what the SPLC labeled "Patriot Movement," linked such outspoken and effective advocates of traditional American values as J. J. Johnson, Howard Phillips (of the Constitution Party) and Larry Pratt (Gun Owners Of America) with some individuals discredited by personal conduct, who had at one time or another been in general agreement on kindred concepts. The article used one misleading trick after another to convey the impression that anyone who shared George Washington's belief in an armed and prepared citizenry, as essential to that individual responsibility and limited Government, was some form of crack pot. Yet it never addressed the underlying issues or mentioned that George Washington was the foremost champion of the ideas that those being smeared had advocated.

Although the tie between a respectable group being smeared and eccentrics on a tangent, is usually a common opposition to some gross excess on the Left, another favored tactic is to link anyone who expressespride in his racial heritage with those who spew hatred against others. The target most favored by the SPLC is, of course, the Conservative Southern Anglo-Saxon/Celtic strain of Christians: Those who still refuse to apologize for holding traditional views similar to the Founding Fathers. Slandering this group is not only an absurd confusion of love with hate; it is the same vicious technique that the master Socialist demagogue Adolph Hitler used so effectively in destroying all individual freedom in Germany. Let us look briefly at the ADL, the last group to be discussed, and then return to the techniques of the German Dictator.

At its website, the Anti-Defamation League laments the persistence of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry--which in recent years have included attacks on immigrants, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, gay men and lesbians. And while the hatemongers of today may be lacking in numbers and in economic and political power, they still have the ability to cause emotional pain, physical injury, property destruction, even death--not to mention the incalculable damage they do to the social fabric of America and to this country's cherished ideals of mutual respect and equal treatment for all.

To most of us, "mutual respect" means live and let live, as well as courtesy to those who have a different viewpoint--particularly when they do not try to force it upon others. That is not what mutual respect means to the ADL. To the ADL mutual respect means acceptance of a new universal norm. We cite their March 3, 2000 press release on South Carolina's failure to establish a Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday:

It is a shame that political squabbling, insensitivity and partisan aggrandizing would keep this state from paying its long overdue respect to Dr. King. While 49 states have seen fit to honor Dr. King, South Carolina remains out of step with the rest of America.

The article goes on to discuss the symbolism of the Confederate flag: ADL has consistently called on federal, state and local governments not to use or promote the Confederate flag "in any manner except for educational purposes." Many Americans--and South Carolinians--of all races, national origins, and religions regard the Confederate flag to be a modern-day symbol of racism, intimidation, hatred, oppression, and violence. Sound public policy dictates that no government should support the use of this symbol which offends so many decent people.

Other articles show the ADL consistently attacking organizations that honor Confederate traditions; using the same techniques as the SPLC to lump them with organizations that really do promote hate. This hatred of the South goes way back. The ADL was instrumental and active, behind the scenes, in efforts to make certain that the intellectual argument for the Southern position went uncovered in the major media during the battle over "Civil Rights" and forced School Integration in the late 1950s. They participated with the ACLU and NAACP in a media committee of the Consultative Conference on Desegregation, discussed in Chapter Three of this handbook. What is most revealing about this hatred of the old South is not only that it once again shows that what the ADL means by mutual respect is not what any normal person understands that term to signify. It also demonstrates that defending the image of Jews and Judaism from defamation--its claimed reason for existence--is not and never has been the primary object.

The most striking thing about the Old South from a Jewish perspective is that it was the one region in America where Jews were fully accepted into a mainstream leadership by the 1850s. Judah P. Benjamin, the Senator from Louisiana selected to make the textbook defense of the right of secession in the U.S. Senate, based upon the Law of Nations, served as the number three man in the Confederate Government. Florida also had a Jewish Senator at the time she left the Union. But don't hold your breath for the ADL to express appreciation or respect for either of those Southern leaders. Fabian Socialists are never quite what they claim to be.

Yet to really nail down the ADL position on our proposed index, we need to examine the recent attack on the Boy Scouts. This is what an organization that claims to be defending Judaism from hate and defamation had to say on the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the Boy Scouts Of America:

We are stunned that in the year 2000, the Supreme Court could issue such a decision. The Supreme Court's decision provides cover for groups that attempt to target individuals they wish to exclude.... This decision effectively states that as long as an organization avows an anti-homosexual position, it is free to discriminate against gay and lesbian Americans ....As Justice John Paul Stevens observed in his dissent, the Court today has attached a special stigma to being gay. No American, however, should be discriminated against or stigmatized simply because of his or her sexual orientation.

Immediately following that declaration, they again proclaimed that they are "the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry."

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It's the action, not the fruit of the action,
that's important. You have to do the right thing.
It may not be in your power, may not be in your time,
that there'll be any fruit.
But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing.
You may never know what results come from your action.
But if you do nothing, there will be no result.
~Gandhi