Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Reflect on your own intolerance before calling others bigots

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Mikhail Klimentyev AP

A bigot is defined as “a person who is rigidly devoted to his own group, religion, race or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.”

I hope that when people accuse others of bigotry, they reflect on their own levels of animosity, intolerance and sweeping generalizations.

People cast votes for a multitude of reasons. To say that everyone who voted for Trump is a racist or everyone who voted for Clinton lacks integrity is another form of bigotry, and bigotry is disgusting in any form.

The irony of bigotry is that those who are most accusatory are often the most bigoted themselves.

Jo-Ellen Neil, Arroyo Grande

This story was originally published November 30, 2016 at 8:37 PM with the headline "Reflect on your own intolerance before calling others bigots."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER