Bigots, Buffoons and other Toiletries

I was taught tolerance. I grew up on the Illinois/Iowa border. And to my knowledge, everyone around me was taught this in the farming community that I grew up in.

I was taught that everyone has an opionion, and you must be accepting of this.
I am also an educator. So arguing one's opinion in a diplomatic way, unemotionally, with intelligence and reasoning and MLA cited sources is what I teach.

But, I just found out one of my EX friends is a BIGOT. Sure, I've heard of bigots before, but I never had one who was a closeted one who was a close friend. Note, I say WAS.

It all started with a simple post on Facebook about a SD ruling to put a class about Christianity in the public schools. I, for one, happen to agree with the concept of "separation of church and state," certainly not a NEW concept as coined by Thomas Jefferson, and goes back to ancient Greece. Of course, I forget that only 30% of the general public is educated, so I should have known. And in western SD, it feels like that percentage is more like 5%.

So I posted this, and a few like-minded people chimed in.

Then I get this text from this ex "friend" who never is on Facebook, never comments on anyone's site. She shoots me a series of ghastly accusative texts calling me a "christian hater," and it's "liberals" like me that one day have to "stand before the face of god" for all the sins that us "liberals" condone like "abortion, which we have to pay for on the tax dollar because of you."

WHAT??!! you're probably thinking, right?

Wow. I didn't know abortions were free. This unwarrented diatribe came from the mouth of someone who says "Cain't" and "Supposably." Poorly educated.

Once I deleted her out of my phone/Facebook/life, I realized she'd dropped hints that she was a bigot for a long time. I, being a nice midwesterner, just chose to ignore them.

I now recall her having said some unsavory things about gays. And one time, she said I really couldn't understand LOVE because I'd never been married and only married people can understand love. Which was odd since I lived with someone for 10 years. I think I know a little.

So because of all this, I've re-thought how I was taught. Originally, I was taught to not talk money, religion or politics. But now I will. Not a lot, but just a little to find out if the person is tolerant.

Because I've had it with intolerance. This person was just running over with it.

Intolerance is the root to many societal problems and has been for a very long time. Racism, you name it.

If you have a bigot in your life, no matter how nice they are, get rid of them. They're just bad news all around.