Comment Re:Ad hominem doesn't help your case (Score 1) 824
Supporting prop 8 (i.e. supporting legislation that would remove equal rights from a particular group of people), is perfectly consistent with the definition of a bigot. It's name calling, but it's accurate name calling.
In a political debate, you may accuse the other side to fit the definition of "bigot" or "immoral" or "rearded" or "dork" or whatever, but that doesnt change a simple fact: rational political debates are about debating ideas, not name-calling people. Name-calling only serves to make the debate irrational. Do you really believe that it is mature to insult just because you think the insult is "accurate"? Most name callers think they're accurate; that doesn't make it OK.
I support the right of free association,[...]
No one if denying the legal right to free association. We are saying that demoting someone based on his personal, private political activity is anti-ethical.
One thing is to have a legal right, another thing is to be correct. You have the legal right to deny the Holocaust, or to claim that a person should be demoted from an technological organization because of his private political views. That doen't make it ethical.