Visiting 'Neo-Nazi' and 'Racist' Sites

If 'good', well-balanced people, were able to talk straightforwardly about issues that concern neo-Nazis or other groups who simply feel antagonism or hatred toward others, without their good selves being condescending, antagonistic or hostile toward such groups, or silencing them with the weapon of political correctness, then three good things would happen.

1. Such people would come happily out 'into the open'. We would see them, understand them, and know where they are coming from. And we would learn why?

2. We would be able to tell them why we think they are wrong. And they would listen. Not all of them, by any means, but enough of them to count! And enough of them to help persuade their cronies that they might be wrong.

3. We would discover about their existence and their ideas A LOT EARLIER (because they would be more open) and so we would get to them sooner and educate them away from their destructive thinking. And we would get to them before they became 'committed' - which would mean that the whole process of steering their minds into more positive directions would be less painful and less fraught with hostility.

But by foisting politically-correct vitriol or hatred upon such groups, and by denying them the comfort of expressing their views freely, and in 'safety', one merely inflames them further, and one also actually provides a strong justification for any 'escalation' of their actions.

 I'm also clearly a fanatic

I know about these things, you know. I'm also clearly a fanatic - judging by the amount of time I spend faffing about on this website. 

An extremist, some would say. 

But I'm not delivering bombs of nails. No. No. No. I am, however, delivering bombs of text! 

There are similarities here, aren't there? 

So, I say, if interested, go and visit those 'nasty' neo-Nazi sites. Don't close your eyes to it all. See who's there. Understand what they are saying, and what they believe. Get to know the thinking of those people one has to deal with and, hopefully, 'educate'. They're not all crazy people, you know. Misguided, perhaps, but not insane or necessarily 'bad'.

'Go and see for yourself',

Readers on this website are mullers and thinkers, not hooligans or bombers. So I have no hesitation in saying, 'Go and see for yourself', rather than let others decide for you by the hysteria that they create and the exaggerations that many go in for.

And, no matter how awful some of the things they say might appear to you, do not inflame these people with rude, insulting emails. You would just make matters much worse by encouraging them to be more extreme - because you would actually be providing some further JUSTIFICATION for whatever it is that they are saying or doing. 

Why? Because they would see your hostility as further 'evidence' of the very 'power' that they oppose! And, armed with this further 'evidence' that, in fact, YOU have provided, with, say, an insulting email, you would be the one encouraging further 'purpose' and a greater desire for stronger action, or activism.

This is what would occur, I'm afraid, whether you like it or not. 

I know about these things, you know. I'm a fanatic too.

If you must email them, mention their good points and also mention their bad points, where you disagree.

 the people who are most likely to persuade YOU are your friends

Remember, that the people who are most likely to persuade YOU are your friends and those who talk to you with understanding, not your 'enemies' who hurl abuse and hurt you whenever you open your mouth. 

In fact, you would probably not listen to your enemies at all! 

And the same is true for fanatics! They are more likely to be persuaded by those who are friendly and who openly accept that, probably, they themselves, actually, and perhaps surprisingly, have something, or some interest, in common with them. (Peace, if nothing else.)

And even if you cannot influence the leaders, you can certainly influence many of their followers, and let your message filter through via them.

The very worst thing that you could do is to try to silence them by intimidation or by law You wouldn't succeed - especially now, with the internet. And you would be trying to deny groups of people the important right to their Freedom of Speech.;

And this will give them the green light to try to deny yours.

It's not a good idea. 

We fanatics know about these things, you know.