SergeantScritchyScratch

a) Most people are not equipped for a conversation with a racist. b) Racists are not interested in being convinced, because they don't see themselves as racists. (Or, they think their racism is reasonable.) c) The validity of minorities should never be up for debate, full stop.

A) I'll grant you that. B) Of course they're not. Those who are now former (insert racist group) weren't either at the time.

C) You're absolutely right, but, once again, we're not talking about winning a debate. We're talking about dispelling the ideas and beliefs they've been indoctrinated with and helping them see and believe an alternative to hate.

They don't see their ideas as indoctrination. They see us as the ones that are indoctrinated. They don't go into debate mode to learn and come out with a better understanding of the truth, they go into debate mode to win.

That's kind of what being indoctrinated is, isn't it? And again, I'm not saying to enter "debate mode" at all. You enter "debate mode" and instantly the walls go up. Exposure, kindness, patience, and setting a better example is what I'm advocating.

This is another issue of the internet, and it's a multifaceted one. 1) Setting someone up for exposure, kindness, and patience is almost impossible. That generally requires human, one on one contact with the other person, it takes time, it takes a real connection.

So doing that on the internet is exponentially more difficult, because you can't control the environment - the person on the other end, while you're having a friendly chat, is likely to be yukking it up with his pals about the libcuck he's pwning.

Or they're just in a bad place that you have no control over, that is likely keeping them pinned down with their views, that some random person on the internet isn't really equipped to deal with.