Should I Challenge My Friends About Their Bigoted Views?

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2019

"I have longtime friends who, despite being the type of people who would give you the shirts off their backs, have become extremely xenophobic and express hateful social views. They will say they are socially liberal but fiscally conservative, but they nonetheless like to fearmonger, warning that the United States is becoming a nonwhite nation.

Recently they circulated a hateful email to a large group, including me. They know I disagree with them and think this is repugnant. Do I (1) ignore the email, (2) respond individually that it is hateful or (3) respond to the entire group? My husband, who feels the way I do, tells me to just ignore it because they are part of a larger group of very longtime friends, and he thinks that over all, their personal charity and loyalty outweigh their misguided political views. I think I am not speaking up when I should. What to do?"

Read the Ethicist's reply here.

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