r/centerleftpolitics • u/No-Pop-3667 • Nov 06 '24

💬 Discussion 💬 How to respond when called a hypocrite for saying my issue with many Republicans is that they judge and negatively impact others? ("But you're judging them for their views")

The title, but more info: my partner could probably best be described as center-right. I'm center-left, but when we met 15 years ago, I was center-right. We live in an area that is predominantly republican.

We were driving the other day and passed a Trump rally-- trucks with flags, signs, the whole thing. I said I wanted to get away from the rally and that while I support people voting for the politics that matter to them, I don't understand how someone could support and idolize a PERSON who is so hateful. He responded that I was being hypocritical-- I don't like Trump/most exuberantly Trump supporting people because they don't accept other people for who they are, but that's exactly what I'm doing when I say they're wrong for their views/actions on women, POC, or lgbtq+ people.

My feeling is that it's different, because mine is a personal opinion expressed only to trusted individuals, whereas theirs is policies, laws, actions, and very publicly stated opinions that directly negatively impact the lives of others. But it kind of comes back because in the end I do really support laws that restrict their public expression of their (imo bigoted) opinions.

But I'm not particularly good at arguing, and he is.

So! What are your thoughts /how do you respond?

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u/fyhr100 Nov 06 '24

He's just restating the paradox of tolerance. You should be tolerant that people have different viewpoints, and you should not treat them differently because of it. But you cannot tolerate people who are actively trying to harm others, and I absolutely will look down on anyone who thinks otherwise.

2

u/No-Pop-3667 Nov 06 '24

This was a good read, thank you!

2

u/MeInMass Nov 06 '24

For me, it’s difference between judging people for how they were born (rich or poor, black or white, etc.) and judging them for the choices they’ve made.

Judging people for something they didn’t choose, is garbage behavior; judging people for the choices they’ve made is perfectly fine.

2

u/CanadianPanda76 Nov 07 '24

He doesn't want you to be judgemental towards people whose actions actively harm people? I'd ask him why that offends him.