Hey guys,
It would seem that as of late, examples of intolerance have been in no short supply. Enter Vincent B. Smith of Johnston. Smith had a restraining order issued against him because he repeatedly hurled homophobic and racial epithets at neighbors.
One of Smith’s neighbors is a multi-racial family with bi-racial children… the children were often the focus of Smith’s verbal assaults causing the family to move from the neighborhood. Smith’s other target was a gay neighbor who has claims that Smith has smashed in the windows of his apartment and verbally assaults him whenever he gets the opportunity. Smith is being charged with breaking the windows.
A judge has put a no-contact order against Smith. If he has an unwanted contact with either party, Smith can be arrested and thrown in jail.
These types of stories are in the news almost every day, and the more I read them, the more I can’t understand why people cannot simply live and let live. People have different beliefs and different values, and that is what makes America great… however America’s strength lies in its diversity and tolerance…
Have your own beliefs, have your own values… but understand that having those beliefs and values does not give you the right to take away the rights and safety of any other person…
What do you think?
How unhappy with your own life are you that you feel the need to make someone elses life that miserable? If you hate your neighbors that much, move.
ReplyDeleteThis is just absolutely heinous. These neighbors of Smith have done nothing wrong whatsoever, and yet they are the victims of his incessant, hateful words and statements.
ReplyDeleteI find it unbelievable that people can be so disrespectful, and ruthlessly insult the innocent members of society. Why can't people just keep to themselves? I see strange things in public all of the time. I see a pizza guy walking through the mall with empty boxes, I see a girl with hair higher than the ceiling, and I see a guy with a ring in his lip larger than a compact disc. Sure, I may not approve of all of their decisions; but do I insult them until they are so torn up inside that they change who they are? Absolutely not. I would view myself as a villain if I ever did that.
If this ever happened to me, I would simply ignore the hatred, and, much like the people in the actual incident, report the man trying to ruin my life. However, I would act much differently if someone broke my windows and tried to physically hurt me. I would not necessarily take up arms to defend myself, but I would always be ready to fight an intruder, or someone trying to harm me, or my family.
I find the actions of Smith to be deplorable, and I believe that he should shut his mouth and keep to himself from here-on-out.
-Jake M.
When it comes down to it, vile scum like him (or at least how hateful acts that he is doing portray him as) are barely worth an opinion. It's just plain wrong.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a society where diversity and openness are, in most cases, embraced. And while having and expressing an opinion is good... idiocy is not. I can see maybe he disproves of somethings of his neighbors - which is fine, but he's not going to change them with hateful and inappropriate comments. They're not trying to change him...
I'm sure we can all think of quite a few explitives to describe this unhappy man, but I think Violette gave a pretty good solution up there - move.
Smith is a complete jerk. I dont understand why people feel the need to be complete jerks to people who are just innocent bystanders. This guy needs to realize the fact that the world doesnt revolve around him and that he does live in America. Not everyone in our country looks alike, and we all dont support the same views or opinions and like Mr. X said thats the beauty of our country. As a whole we came together to give people of different races and beliefs a place where they could be accepted in the world, its about time that Smith and everyone else who acts like him start respecting and tolerating people who may have different views or a different skin tone.
ReplyDeleteSmith is the type of guy who makes Americans and (I'm assuming he's Christian) Christians look bad. Not all people are like this but only these stories make the news because people are expected to tolerate others and when they don't it's big news. Why this guy can't keep his beliefs to himself is beyond me, but I hope he gets put in jail. I don't even know the guy but I know he's the type of person I'd love to see rot in a jail cell.
ReplyDelete-Brandon Maxwell
The reason that America seems like a great place to live is also its downfall. We are allowed the right to free speech. That does not just include what you say. It's how you think, how you act (within the law of course), how you dress, and how you're different from everyone else. To mock someone else's differences in this country is one of the biggest tragedies, because it's essentially mocking how America even came about. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. If that guy thinks that homosexuals are put on the earth by Satan to bring all the good God-fearing folk down to hell or whatever, he does have the right to think that. Unfortunately, he also has the right to spill his vitriol wherever he wants to. But that shows an insecure person; a bully. Because he is not secure with who he is and his position in life, he tries to block it out, by making fun of those who he perceives to be weaker than him. So I don't hate him as much as pity him. That someone could be so insecure as to judge and mock people who cannot help their differences. Some things can be changed. Some can't.
ReplyDelete