ProteusQ's Journal: I hate double-standards

When conservatives protested against "Monty Python's Life of Brian" and "The Last Tempation of Christ", the response from their opponents generally began with: "Well, have you seen the movie?"

Pause. Silence. Then, "No."

"Well, then!" came the derisive response.

And while not a member of the far left, I can see their point.

Now we have the same sort of protest by those who have not seen Mel Gibson's "The Passion". They haven't seen it and don't need to. It's Anti-Jewish, already!

"Well, have you seen it?" I'd like to ask. But I want to avoid that derisive part at the end.

Point being: human nature is what it is. When a new something appears on the radar and threatens one's worldview (i.e., religion, politics, what mama said was good for me, etc.), it gets attacked. Not a good response to have in many situations, but it is predictable. I just hate that it's protrayed as an flaw in the right when the left, middle, center, upward, downward, and sideways act the same way, and have done since the first homo sapiens.

This happens everywhere. I was told by a poli sci major that Ann Coulter is a "psychotic facist". This from a guy who cannot handle challenges to his own worldview -- he can neither abide them nor out-argue them. He thinks he sees all and knows all (he's 22, so he'll grow out of it). Point is, he and Coulter have a lot more in common than he wants to admit.

More evidence from Iraq. Americans aren't Muslims; therefore, it's immoral for them to kill Muslims. Only Muslims can kill Muslims! And Muslims can kill anyone they need to when it's God's will! And only Muslims know God's will! Which means, to keep them happy, the rest of us have to put up with being shot, stabbed, and burned, and not lift a finger to protect ourselves. Yeah, right.

It comes down to this: those who desire to be fair and honest will do their best to quash their own double-standards. No one ever gets perfect at it, but the goal remains. The script-kiddies of life will always pretend they are fair, and yet reach the same conclusions no matter what the evidence suggests. And which side you end on depends on you.

That's all there is to it.