Forced to ignore the multiple anti-LGBT laws republicans have passed in the last few weeks, I see.

There's being a sitting duck, and there's outright denial.

America is far from perfect, but its culture is very progressive compared to the culture that a lot of middle-eastern refugees come from, especially with concern to homosexuality. Gay marriage was legalized in the states recently, and the approval rating for it was over 50%. In some of these places sodomy is still a serious crime, and gays are lynched or murdered.

A random person coming out of a country like that is probably far more likely to be homophobic, and also to a higher degree than a random american.

That's just my impression though. I could be way off base.

Being homophobic isn't a good reason to deny immigration though, and there are plenty of homophobic people here already, including the majority of our government, that it would be absurd to deport.

And like azureshade said, I suspect that they would become less homophobic on average after coming here, as they become influenced by the new culture.

I haven't endorsed anything your stupid government has done.

The notion that roughly half of my country is deeply homophobic is incredibly insulting.

This thread has been depressing for several pages now (and I didn't even read all the spoiler blocks) and I'd like for it to stop now.

We could start clean with a new thread. I'm not sure if there's a policy for that, but we're at 100+ pages now.

Considering said marriage equality is already being undermine by various bills, "freedom of religion" laws threaten to allow murder by proxy (already explained several pages back) and physical violence has been endorsed, it's not really saying much.

Refugees are often very prejudiced, that I don't deny. But they're comparatively harmless, since they do not yield political power. A few violent confrontations would never be as damaging as state-sanctioned discrimination.

What's depressing about it, yxoque?

I will never understand the human's need to argue about this stuff when neither side will budge.

I support this suggestion.

It is pointless, yes. No one is really interested in this being a conversation, just an exercise in humiliation.

We live in a democracy. In a democracy, people's opinions shape policy, and for millions of people, that policy determines whether they get healthcare or die on the street. It determines whether they have a well-paying job, a **** minimum wage job that they have to work 70 hours a week to make ends meet, or no job at all. It determines whether they have access to safe abortions, or whether they have to get a dangerous illegal one, or bring an unwanted child into a life of abject poverty. It determines whether their education tax dollars go towards providing a public education, or to a private company willing to leave them in ignorance if it means making another billion dollars. It determines whether criminals go free, or whether the innocent or those who commit minor offenses spend years behind bars. It determines whether refugees fleeing war get a shot at the American dream, or get sent back to die.

Changing people's minds isn't pleasant, easy, or even likely to work. But it's important enough that it has to be tried.

Yeah, I'm so stupid. If only I could be smart like you and not care about anyone or anything except myself.

Are you a teenager?

Arguing and discussion makes me extremly uncomfortable so its much better to just post little quips or jokes instead of actually getting into why I disagree with something.

And Im probably older than you.

I'm sorry if people disagreeing with you makes you "uncomfortable", but you're an adult. You can't just use quips and jokes to protect yourself from contrary opinions.

So is it done.

I primarily argue as a means of understanding people better, and to a lesser extent as a means of simple socialization. I don't really care whether or not the other person comes out of the argument any different, as long as i take something from it.