No, John, he isn't in the same camp as Limbaugh or Coulter. He just happens to disagree with you and Don on ONE single specific social issue...gay marriage. That does not place him "exactly" in the same camp with anyone such as Coulter or Limbaugh...because if it did, he would agree with them about EVERYTHING.

And he doesn't.

It is silly to assume that because a person disagrees with you on one single issue that he must therefore be identical with some extreme nutcases among whatever political enemies you have. To imply that he is identical with your favorite neo-conservative stereotypical demon figures is to attempt to establish Akenaton's guilt by association, when in fact there probably is no association between Akenation and those people...and not bloody much common ground either.

It's lazy thinking and it's gross stereotyping to do that. Better to deal with someone as a unique individual than to try to shoehorn him into your favorite all-purpose "bad guy" stereotypes, don't you think?

When you call someone a "homophobe" or an "anti-semite" in today's society, you ARE attempting to silence them through their fear of the accusation itself. There is no way a person can prove he is NOT a "homophobe" or an "anti-semite" when he has been accused of it. It is about the same tactic as calling someone a "witch" in medieval times...there is no adequate defence against the charge, no matter what the circumstances. One cannot prove a negative. One cannot prove that one is NOT a homophobe or an anti-semite.

Akenaton has been accused of homophobia a number of times on this thread. It is that accusation which I am objecting to. It's not that I agree with Akenaton on all his opinions on this thread...I don't. I am not opposed to gay marriage. I don't care about it one way or another. It makes no difference to me if gay people get married.

But....I DO care if people on this forum label other people on this forum as "homophobes", I DO consider it an attempt to stigmatize and silence another person when that is done, and I feel there is no place in a respectful and rational debate for those sort of labels to be put on people. It's as if you called him a "nigger" or a "commie", as far as I'm concerned. It carries a similar emotional intent which is to totally dismiss the other person as being a worthless character who has no good qualities whatsoever.

It's not people's opinions on gay marriage that I'm objecting to here...it's their personal attacks ON those people they disagree with that I'm objecting to...and their use of gross stereotypes to label the people they disagree with.

That's the only stake I have in participating in this discussion. I am not here either to defend or to oppose gay marriage.

One should be able to have a discussion without personally denigrating the people on the other side of the argument and equating them with extreme fanatics like Anne Coulter or Rush Limbaugh....or whatever other demon haunts your particular anxiety closet.