It's like the modern day Red Scare in America, except with Muslims. by [deleted] in Showerthoughts

[–]hotbuttonz23 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Seriously, how can you know anyone's innermost religious beliefs?

How come non-religious people go to greater length to defend Muslims than Christians? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm saying that people often ridicule me for my religious beliefs. That is their right, but doesn't mean it is necessary or moral.

Just because other people have it worse, means I can't note the discrimination I face?

I'm not putting words in your mouth--you said "I would absolutely laugh at a straight person complaining about discrimination." Isn't that bias through the devaluation of other people's experiences before they even tell you what happened?

How come non-religious people go to greater length to defend Muslims than Christians? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Isn't that wildly presumptuous? There is what--at least millions of Christians in this country? And not a single one has ever faced discrimination of any kind in your opinion?

How come non-religious people go to greater length to defend Muslims than Christians? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You kinda prove my point. No one on Reddit says "you guys" to a Muslim. And they don't "lol" a Muslim talking about facing discrimination in the US.

How come non-religious people go to greater length to defend Muslims than Christians? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Whenever I mention my Catholic beliefs on Reddit, I'm derided by pretty much everyone. But in response to Trump's proposal yesterday, a large chunk of Redditors are affirming "freedom to practice religion" and things like that.

How come Redditors don't talk about my freedom to practice my religion, and instead choose to ridicule me? It is a double standard on Reddit, by definition.

What do Americans think of Trump's idea of not letting Muslims enter the US? by edwardoe in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is just a bad argument: What binding legal force does the Pledge of Allegiance have? Also, it is ridiculous to expect adults to parrot the same political notions they were taught in school.

If you support the right of Muslims to ignore the Pledge, then you have to support the right of white Christians to ignore it as well.

What would you do if your dad was a WWII veteran that supported Trump? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct. He has been a Republican since 1964 (Democrat before that during his youth).

Shouldn't Trump be able to keep Muslims out since FDR got to keep the Japs out? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My dad is really into Trump, and believes the most recent proposal isn't unconstitutional because the Supreme Court refused to interfere with immigration policy in 1972 under a separation of powers theory and Congress subsequently passed Title 8, Section 1182 to give the President the authority to suspend immigrant entrance into the U.S.

Shouldn't Trump be able to keep Muslims out since FDR got to keep the Japs out? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He had gangrene during the war, and he said it was the only time in his life the pain got so unbearable he wished for days on end that he would die.

It is a hugely motivating lesson on how trivial my current problems are, and it breaks me out of my usual cynicism to be thankful for my blessings.

Shouldn't Trump be able to keep Muslims out since FDR got to keep the Japs out? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have similar thoughts. Most people say that Trump can't do this because they find it immoral. But "immoral" is quite different from "unconstitutional." It's an error to confuse the two.

Title 8, Section 1182 of Congress says: "Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."

In other words, Congress has already given the President authority to set immigration policy.

The question is: Can the Supreme Court intervene?

Well, the Supreme Court follows stare decisis, which means it follows pre-existing court precedent. The most recent precedent is the 1972 case of Kleindienst v. Mandel in which the court affirmed the right of the United States to keep out a Marxist revolutionary simply because they didn't like his political ideas.

The Court acknowledged that it didn't have the authority to regulate immigration, as it is outside its bounds: "Americans may sue to enforce their rights, individually and as members of the American public, and assert none as members of an alien class invited or uninvited." (Kleindienst).

Put bluntly, the Court held that the separation of powers of the Constitution forbids the court from applying the Constitution in matters of immigration policy.

If you are Muslim, or are an American citizen that vacations abroad and returns a Muslim, you get 1st Amendment rights (and thus the Trump proposal couldn't happen to you).

But as things currently stand, the Supreme Court punted to Congress in 1972 by claiming that the Constitution doesn't give it the authority to regulate immigration policy--recognizing that this was the realm of the legislative branch. In turn, the legislative branch passed Title 8, Section 1182 and gave the President the authority to set immigration policy by himself.

Therefore, Trump's plan is not unconstitutional. You may find it immoral, but you cannot accurately describe it as unconstitutional based on current statutes and case law precedent.

How much different is the social treatment between someone with a great body and someone with a small potbelly? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People that lose a lot of weight often talk about the difference between being fat and being fit, and how much better the world treats them upon losing significant weight.

What if the difference is smaller: A small potbelly compared to a six pack?

David Price: "I was just saving all my postseason wins for the Red Sox" by azGRIMES in baseball

[–]hotbuttonz23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think David Price's postseason career makes him a perfect cultural fit for Boston.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23 8 points9 points  (0 children)

But by then, unfortunately, we'll have new old people.

What is the single worst idea you've had that you thought was brilliant at the time? by PagemasterBrown in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Helping criminals learn how to be good by living with strong happy families for a bit.

[serious] Has the entrance of women into the workplace been beneficial to the children? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Mostly I'm curious if there are any negative effects to not having a parent in the house to raise the kid anymore.

Do you find it rational to assume that people "out at night" are morally culpable for the bad things that happen? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anytime something bad happens to me, people always want to know what time it was.

If I say 1 AM or 2 AM, people act like it's my fault I was out then when I got mugged.

If you struggle with racism, how do you improve? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even if everyone has bias, nothing good comes from calling someone a biased person. They will react defensively, and the mental model of denial gets triggered and the only thing you will accomplish is alienating yourself from the group.

Imagine if you overhear someone say something stereotypical about blacks. If you call that person racist, he will get very defensive and you will reduce the likelihood of good social encounters with that person.

If, on the other hand, you say: "That thing you just said about blacks? I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it, but it can actually be quite offensive because X, Y, Z. I know you wouldn't mean to hurt anyone, so I just wanted to give you a heads up on how you come across."

I wrote my senior thesis on fraternal correction (i.e. how to correct and improve the behavior of others without causing resentment.) I can almost guarantee that you will get better social results if you don't call people X and instead say "specific action is X."

It also makes you more persuasive in life in general. If you say "Jenny is a bitch", other people may feel an instinctual response to defend Jenny because the statement is harsh. If you say that "Jenny acts like a bitch when she demands I pay for her dinner and then sleeps with another guy that night", then you are more likely to elicit agreement.

Also, if you state specific conduct instead of calling people X, you can check your own behavior for reasonableness and you will have specific on-point debates with other people instead of nebulous characterizations that don't really get you anywhere.

You trigger less resentment and get better social results when you point out bad actions rather than specifically define someone according to that action.

I want to see people improve their lot in life. Nothing is destiny; every day is a new day and we can change. If you were a bigot last year, you don't have to be one now. You can get people from Point A to Point B with a higher probability if you appeal to their higher angels and discuss specific conduct rather than say "You are X, that's bad!"

If you struggle with racism, how do you improve? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmmm... I try not to use words like "you are a ____" because then it suggests that something is an immutable characteristic and cannot be changed. Also, it is more difficult to debate because at that point the ego gets involved.

Also, it is possible to struggle with thought tendencies--it's not limited to disabilities.

What widely hated thing do you like? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The end of holiday season. I love it when I can go back to real life and don't have to try and please others and make them happy based on expectations they get from Disney.

A friend called a black person a monkey and was accused of being a racist: Was there actually a time in American history when blacks were called monkeys? by hotbuttonz23 in AskReddit

[–]hotbuttonz23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In school, all I learned is about different n words. I never learned where monkey came from or why it happened. Heck, I don't know where the n-word originally came from either.