Bigotry and hate speech on the python mailing list

[Ben Finney]

Ethan Furman <ethan at stoneleaf.us> writes:

> You mean all the non-religious people?

No, I don't mean that.

> So you're okay with respectfully making people of faith feel
> unwelcome?

No, I'm not okay with that. As I said privately to you, the examples you
cite do not demonstrate disrespect to *people*.

They are disrespectful of *ideas*. Ideas are not inherently worthy of
respect, whether those ideas are religious beliefs, political
affiliation, taste in music, or code indentation style.

People, on the other hand, are inherently worthy of respect. I'm open to
evidence that I make people unwelcome as distinct from the ideas they
hold, and would try to change that.

I won't do it at the expense of treating some ideas, some attitudes, or
some behaviours, as somehow inherently deserving of special treatment.
That would be bigotry.

-- 
 \                “Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted.” —Groucho Marx |
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Ben Finney