quote:originally posted by Darknight613: As for the loaded argument, I can't help feeling that you're trying to justify your generalizations and that they're under attack, because you're being very over-defensive. All I'm saying is there are exceptions to every sterotype out there, and we should consider that fact before we rely on sterotypes to make our point.
First, you're accusing me of generalizing. And you're also accusing me of being "overly defensive" of my generalizations. And you accuse me of trying to justify my generalizations.
The only part of this that's true is that there are exceptions to every stereotype. Which has nothing to do with what I said.
My point is that anyone can make statements of "all" of a group, and that's a stereotype. But even qualifying statements (such as "most" or "a majority"), can be shot down by the opposition as generalizing saying (without statistics) "But there are many who oppose it too." So my point is, for example, no matter what percentage of Muslims in other countries are Al Qaida terrorists, or openly endorse Al Qaida terrorists, or are sympathetic to terrorism in general, or who boycott American goods and businesses since September 11th, it can be spun to say "not all Muslims feel that way".
Which may technically be true, but belies the fact that a majority of Muslims are hostile to the United States.
