The Audacity of Disagreeing with Another

Recently I was engaged in an interesting online political discussion. Here's the gist of what I said:

The fear of being political incorrect too often seeps into people's comments these days. I fully understand why, though am saddened anytime anyone feels the need to first preface any comments they think might be controversial. I did it myself constantly in my 20's and even now need to check myself anytime I start walking down that path again.

This reminded of Godwin's Law, something I first learned of from a female friend of mine from Philadelphia. Her take on it is that anytime someone calls another person a "Nazi" in a heated Internet discussion that the person using the phrase automatically and immediately loses the argument.

I think this "law" needs to be expanded for anyone who labels another as a "Racist" or "Sexist". For if one can't disagree or even detest someone who happens to be of another race or sex then we are truly at a sad state in our collective history.

P.S. I'm doubly amused when some people have called me a racist sexist white male simply because I disagree with them on a political issue. To each of these folks I always ask the same simple question: "If Condoleezza Rice were running in this election as the Republican Presidential Candidate, would you vote for her?" Their response is always the same: Absolute silence at first and then a long, twisted diatribe about why that's "different". It often ends in them calling her a Nazi. :-(

Though I don't like his frequent use of the F & N words, Chris Rock has some interesting things to say on this subject. Why do I doubt that anyone would ever call him a racist or a sexist?