Quote from ak15:
You're the consummate idiot. It is not a question of "seeing people for what they say and not for what they do." Your logic is flawed here.
Let me give some examples:
The murderer makes comments about a politician. It so happens that I agree with those comments. Just because a murderer made those comments does not make them invalid or any less effective.
The murderer makes a comment about the weather. I happen to agree with him. Just because a murderer made those comments does not make the weather any less better or worse.
The murderer makes comments about a football game which are in tune with my thoughts. Again, I'm not going to change my thinking just because the murderer happens to echo my feelings about the football game in progress.
He deserves the commensurate punishment for his despicable acts of murder and rape, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that I disagree with everything he says.
There is a big difference between "respecting the thoughts of a murderer or rapist" and agreeing with his comments or opinions which make sense. I don't respect the thoughts of a murderer but I may very well agree with some of his thoughts as outlined above. No, it is not a question of "lack of judgmen"' and "critical analysis". It is a simple matter of agreeing with a person's views and opinions irrespective of who the person is, when those views and opinions reflect mine.
You may politically and socially agree with every single thing the murderer/rapist says besides the murder/rape BUT the murderer/rapist does not deserve your respect and gratification of being treated like a normal human being. You are distorting their reality.
Lets say a rapist makes comments about a football game that is in tune with your own thoughts. It doesn't matter. This person is a sick human being. If you legitimize not only their opinions but their intellect then you communicate to the individual that their past actions aren't all that bad. The best and only thing people should do is refer this person to a prison or a mental institution.
Communication other than motivating the person to deeply question their beliefs and motivating the person to realize they have something extremely wrong with them is irresponsible and sickening in it's own right.
Example-
"Hey John hows it going?"
"Not bad, I raped a 10 year old today."
"Oh I don't agree with that...You catch the football game yesterday?"
You enable the person to sustain their present horrible thought process and actions by acting like the 10 year old they just raped really is just some small crime like slashing a persons tires.