When being "too good" becomes a problem: positive discrimination for vegetarians and the LGBTQ+ comm

slypuma17 said:I am. Are you suggesting there’s a subset of people—vegetarians, the LGBTQ+ community, or people with disabilities, for instance—who are somehow genetically incapable of being malicious or spiteful?

Quincy:

No, but what exactly do you mean by "malice"? Are you referring to "spite"—that specific impulse where you wish something bad would happen to someone simply because they stepped on your toes?

We’ve already covered the concept of malice in a previous thread.
My view is this: if we look at it as a spectrum—malicious, more spiteful, and then the absolute superlative of "evil"—😁 I’d say "malice" is relatively benign. It’s those small, petty slights, the subtle jabs, the constant undermining, or just throwing a little shade to get a reaction. There’s an element of mischief to it; it’s why we describe a toddler as being "malicious" rather than calling them "pure evil."
🤷

Spite, on the other hand, sits somewhere in the middle. It’s schadenfreude—finding a bit of joy in someone else's misfortune—or actively wishing for someone to fail. Sometimes it involves light manipulation, like spreading rumors or stirring up drama between friends. But when we talk about an "evil person," we’re talking about a total commitment—someone who invests their full energy and will into doing harm. 🤷

Not exactly for THAT reason, I was just asking more broadly.

That thread drifted so far down the page that I didn't feel like hunting it down...😁

I know a ton of vegetarians
and honestly, most of them are just awesome people—genuine friends that I actually enjoy hanging out with...

But then there’s this one guy at my job who’s been vegetarian for, what, 18 years now?
Man, it’s wild—18 years!
It’s like he’s got some kind of internal scoreboard tracking exactly how many decades he’s avoided meat...
And let me tell you, he is a nightmare to be around.
He’s constantly nitpicking everything, acting like he’s somehow morally superior to everyone else, just constantly venting and being super judgmental about everything under the sun.
He’s always got this sour look on his face, just perpetually grumpy and miserable.
We can talk about pretty much anything, but the second I try to ask him something personal, he just hits me with this massive wall. He won't show any emotion or even a tiny bit of interest in talking about his own life—even though, let's be real, he's got plenty of issues to deal with...
Then we end up bickering, and get this—it actually turns aggressive!!!

Anyway, this is such a great topic for discussion!

Christians, for instance? It feels like that's being pushed as some sort of absolute good way too often these days...

I’m not even sure if this fits the thread—but for years, I lived under this huge delusion that having a college degree actually meant someone was literate or knew how to handle their own language. Once I started working, though? Total reality check. 😢
Most people in America don't have a clue how to use English properly, regardless of whether they have a degree or just a high school diploma. Honestly, what kills me most is seeing professors, managers, journalists, or politicians who couldn't care less about basic grammar if their lives depended on it.

wirednomad42 said:I’m not even sure if this fits the thread—but for years, I lived under this huge delusion that having a college degree actually meant someone was literate or knew how to handle their own language. Once I started working, though? Total reality check. 😢
Most people in America don't have a clue how to use English properly, regardless of whether they have a degree or just a high school diploma. Honestly, what kills me most is seeing professors, managers, journalists, or politicians who couldn't care less about basic grammar if their lives depended on it.

signed,
personally, I know guys with fancy degrees who brag about throwing $200 under the table just to pass an exam.
meanwhile, I just have my high school diploma. And man, there were times I felt kind of "lesser than" because I didn't have that piece of paper.

hehe
not anymore though
so, who's the crazy one here and who's the smart one?

I wonder what ever happened to that Olympic athlete who got disqualified in the first post?

I haven't really been following the news lately.

Ryan Wood98 said:I don't believe that, specifically, gay people are somehow superior to us heterosexuals—but I feel like I've heard that "we don't march" argument a hundred times already, and it’s quite frustrating because I think it's fundamentally flawed.

We certainly march.

Don't we hold hands, kiss, or maybe even be a little affectionate in public sometimes? Isn't that essentially a parade? Though, I suppose if you ask gay people, they can't really do that without police protection.

I was talking about the annual Pride parade—you know, all the rainbow flags and everything. It’s the kind of thing that actually requires police protection. As for public displays of affection... hm... yeah, I'm with you on that. Though, for what it's worth, I'm all for any kind of love.

A friend of mine has a best friend who happens to be gay. One time we were all hanging out at her place, and he brought his new boyfriend along. Honestly, that guy was the definition of intolerance—just arrogant, verbally aggressive, and a total disaster. We were all sitting there in disbelief at his behavior. After an evening spent in a rather tense 😂 debate (let’s just say he spent the whole time picking fights with us), her friend ended up breaking up with him 😁

feralhound55 said:I was talking about the annual Pride parade—you know, all the rainbow flags and everything. It’s the kind of thing that actually requires police protection. As for public displays of affection... hm... yeah, I'm with you on that. Though, for what it's worth, I'm all for any kind of love.

Actually, women had to march in parades just to get the right to vote once, too. It isn't like anyone goes out of their way to be provocative right in front of skinheads, you know?

shadowtrucker18 said:Actually, women had to march in parades just to get the right to vote once, too. It isn't like anyone goes out of their way to be provocative right in front of skinheads, you know?

First off—I know.

Second—people dress how they want... it's just that they don't always wear transparent signs broadcasting their sexual orientation, religion, or political views, so they aren't necessarily "asking for it." Though, granted, skinheads don't really need an excuse to be violent.

feralhound55 said:First off—I know.

Second—people dress how they want... it's just that they don't always wear transparent signs broadcasting their sexual orientation, religion, or political views, so they aren't necessarily "asking for it." Though, granted, skinheads don't really need an excuse to be violent.

A friend of mine was actually assaulted without even carrying a sign. And honestly, even in a place like Cleveland, we don't really have any skinhead groups worth mentioning.

Ryan Wood98 said:A friend of mine was actually assaulted without even carrying a sign. And honestly, even in a place like Cleveland, we don't really have any skinhead groups worth mentioning.

Carl Ruiz4: "..."

feralhound55 said:First off—I know.

Second—people dress how they want... it's just that they don't always wear transparent signs broadcasting their sexual orientation, religion, or political views, so they aren't necessarily "asking for it." Though, granted, skinheads don't really need an excuse to be violent.

Besides that, a few of my buddies got jumped—not because they're gay. Read a little more... 😉

feralhound55 said:First off—I know.

Second—people dress how they want... it's just that they don't always wear transparent signs broadcasting their sexual orientation, religion, or political views, so they aren't necessarily "asking for it." Though, granted, skinheads don't really need an excuse to be violent.

I’m sitting somewhere on the fence where I feel both annoyed and indifferent. Honestly, I'm never quite sure if these parades are actually productive or counterproductive.
On one hand, all the glitter, the whistles, and the "look at me, I'm so gay" vibe creates this skewed perception—like being part of the community makes someone inherently special or entitled to extra social credit, which bugs me because that goes against the whole point of equality. On the other hand, it draws attention and highlights the idea that everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness without hurting anyone else, regardless of how much the mainstream disagrees. That part is good.

🤷

But when I really think about it, if I wanted to walk through my town holding hands with my girlfriend right now... hmm... I’d be asking for serious trouble. I'd be facing problems I can't even fully wrap my head around because I don't experience them myself, simply because I blend in with the majority. Why should I have to hide like a criminal when I haven't done anything wrong, just to avoid fearing for my safety?😕 Give me a break. 😁
So, I can't say for certain that I wouldn't be out there blowing a whistle in people's ears too.😁 Or maybe I'd opt for a different kind of activism—something more productive, who knows—but it would be pretty hard to just sit there and stay silent.😁

You got a girlfriend?

hollowtinker18 said:You got a girlfriend?

Not yet, though I'm definitely getting close to wanting one seriously.😁
Consider this a friendly pat on the head from me.😁

What on earth does "putting on an act" even mean? 🤷

Amanda Morris3 said:In the United States, there’s actually a form of affirmative action in place to support Black students by guaranteeing them specific university quotas, which reminds me a little bit of how some certain veteran-affiliated programs worked back in the States last year where kids from those families were pretty much guaranteed a spot at college.

It's not even the same thing!!
Veterans (hey, someone post a list!—if there really were that many in just half a year, the war would have been over already) haven't spent centuries being treated like slaves in Brazil.
In the US, this applies to all minorities—Native Americans, Latinos, Black Americans, you name it.
The closest comparison you could make would be if—and dream on—Quincy had guaranteed quotas.
Back home, at Harvard Medical School, you get extra points on the entrance exam simply because you're male. And honestly? That's justified; we need more men in those professions, and they're definitely needed.

My take is that someone can belong to any group or hold any identity they want, but just that doesn't make them a good person..
There are bad people in every single subgroup and demographic imaginable.