| | | The Most Pervasive Bigotry Isn't What You Think
The bigotry that begets all others.
Bigot – a person who is intolerant of people with different opinions or innate characteristics than their own.
Given this basic definition, what is the most pervasive form of bigotry in the United States today?
I am not asking for the most nefarious or egregious or atrocious form of bigotry. I’m not asking for a hierarchy of bigots or a rank of the rankest forms of intolerance and moral depravity. I’m not asking how certain forms of prejudice affect certain individuals more than others or have done so historically. All important questions that have been researched and answered by folks much smarter than me, but that’s not what I’m asking.
...I’m simply asking what is the most pervasive form of bigotry today.
What force in America most drives people to be uncharitable and duplicitous towards one another’s diverse views? What American ritual drives people to call each other idiots without hesitation simply for slightly disagreeing? What American pastime most makes enemies out of people who won’t conform to the same news accounts, let alone fundamental ideals?
Racism? Sexism? Homophobia? Antisemitism? Islamophobia? Ageism? Class conflict?
While all of these are certainly present in America in an insidious way, they don’t seem to be the most widespread forms of bigotry. Despite racial and gender disparities, despite the terrible existence of fringe hate groups motivated by racial or religious hatred, despite sniping between baby-boomers and millennials, despite different class idiosyncrasies and inequities, there have been remarkable advances on all these fronts with further progress still to be made towards a positive peace.
Rather, I contend that the most pervasive form of intolerance towards people with different views in America today is political, partisan bigotry.
The Most Pervasive Bigotry
Political Bigot – a person who is intolerant of people with different political opinions than their own.
Politics is too often a competition between bigots or, at least, is swift to make people bigots who think they are fighting bigots when they are simply fighting over honest disagreements.
It’s almost as if bigotry (as well as hypocrisy) is a virtue in politics, that political power turns us contemptuous and resentful towards one another.
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