Acceptable Targets

Bigotry is an overtly ugly word, but should it be? After all, it is something many of us are guilty of, and in today’s social, political, and cultural climate, sensitivity to it is often a matter of whose ox is gored. Those who seek dignity for the poor have been known to categorically vilify and dehumanize the rich. The quest for racial equality has deteriorated into racial gamesmanship. Christians who decry prejudicial media treatment and undue restrictions upon their faith are at the forefront of anti-Muslim propaganda and mosque-blocking efforts. It is, in short, a world in which there is plenty of vitriol to be dished out, but none, it appears, to be taken. In light of that, why still cling to the hypocritical notion that bigotry can – or should – be extinguished? Why not dispense with the mock-offense, sit back, and let the hatred flow?


There is, of course, an alternative, but for some, it may be too tough a pill to swallow. Any sincere effort to combat bigotry must begin by acknowledging the truth that there are no acceptable targets. This is something that bears repeating, so here it is again, with emphasis:

THERE ARE NO ACCEPTABLE TARGETS!

In essence, this establishes bigotry itself – as opposed to its victims or its perpetrators – as the problem. It cements the notion that the hatred of one’s race, creed, sex, ethnicity, and so on is unconscionable, regardless of what that race, creed, sex, or ethnicity happens to be. By committing to this idea, you elevate an opposition to bigotry above the factionalism and “get-mine”-ism that is all too tempting a lure. You may even have a shot at that rhetorical unicorn: the moral high ground.

Whether this seems like a no-brainer to you or whether you believe that it overlooks some underlying complexity, congratulations, you’re both right! For better or for worse, history weighs heavily on human relations. If one group of people regards another as inferior and perpetuates that myth across the generations, it isn’t easily unlearned or undone. Similarly, if one group comes to identify another as an oppressor, the distrust, suspicion, and malice engendered by such a view can be difficult to root out. However, the past’s ability to explain and inform the present and future does not extend to a mandate to govern them absolutely. The prejudices of our forefathers, no matter how seemingly “justified” in their day, needn’t be our legacy to bear.

Another stumbling block to the adoption of No Acceptable Targets is the difficulty posed by the concept of degree. Life is seldom an either/or proposition; there exists a plethora of silvers, grays, and greys. Those who dwell in off-white may understandably find those who occupy the deep charcoal difficult to fathom, let alone identify with. However, the distance between A1 and A100 doesn’t transform either of them into B.

To put that in more concrete terms, those who have faced high-stakes bigotry may find it difficult to have any empathy for those who endure its lower-stakes form. Whites and heterosexuals who bemoan the lack of a pride/power movement to call their own will inspire eye-rolling in those who have faced legal discrimination (i.e. job loss) due to orientation and skin color. Feminists who protest male hegemony in this country will seem like baseless whiners to women who have endured the oppression of life in rural Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, experiencing a milder form of prejudice doesn’t immunize one from its bite. Nor, it should be noted, does experiencing a harsher form empower anyone to bite back. Remember, when it comes to bigotry, the enemy is the idea, not those who wield it.

A coda: I do not envision a world in which we will all hold hands in harmony, and if one were to miraculously come to pass, I would want no part of it. I dislike a wide variety of people for a wide variety of reasons. Ignorance inflames me. A lack of forethought causes face to meet palm (And God help you if you’re a Red Sox fan). No one, lest of all me, is asking anyone to abandon the good ship animosity. What I do ask, however, is that you allow it to be steered by reason. Let your hostility and your sharp words fall on those who have wrought it through their actions and not through something as shallow, superficial, and silly as a group to which they happen to belong.