Dealing With Ignorance/Bigotry

“I always knew that some guys at my school were racist, homophobic, and generally ignorant, but I never fully realized the extent of how disgusting these people actually are until now. Whenever I post something on my story to share resources for people to look at, some of them always reply with slurs and other comments, claiming they are “jokes.” I try to correct them on their views, but they refuse to admit that minorities are oppressed in our society. I don’t want to just block them because then they will continue perpetuating their ideas, but I’m getting frustrated. PLZ HELP!”

Dear Wondering William,

It is impossible to educate the willfully ignorant. And, unfortunately, it’s impossible to stop someone from perpetuating their individual ideas. However, don’t worry too much about it -- the upside to freedom of speech is that blatantly bigoted opinions are transparently stupid, and will draw deserved criticism from sane people. Your classmates’ actions speak for themselves.

You are doing, in my opinion, exactly what you should be, save for one thing. Continue to promulgate important information. Continue to have dialogue (if you’re up to it) with those classmates who swipe up with slurs. However, I want to make the point that you not blocking them will serve no role in stopping them from perpetuating their ideas if you have had conversations with them to no avail. Personally, I think that the only way some people can recognize their own stupidity is through realizing it through conversations or life experience. If you aren’t getting through to them after multiple conversations, you likely won’t get through to them. And, with issues as pressing as these, it’s ridiculous to expect you to have to sit and explain to near-grown boys why racial slurs are wrong to use and why issues at hand should be taken seriously.

If you are frustrated with a certain few classmates, and they have shown no willingness to take your words seriously, then I don’t see the reason to not block them, if I am completely honest. Sure, humor is subjective, but some humor is very glaringly distasteful and disgusting, which speaks to the idiocy of the speaker. If you truly feel uncomfortable with blocking them, I urge you to be as active in correcting them and having discourse with them as you can. Continue to seek out truthful, unbiased information, come to your own conclusions, and don’t be swayed by the social climate of your peers. Keep up the pressure, my man.

For the record,

Kit.