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Brennan Lee Mulligan is a treasure.
But what if the entirety of people making themselves obstacles to a kinder world actually start to push the world away from kindness? What if they force the world towards hate until that hate breaks the world, wars are started and thousands die? Are those obstacles still to be respected?
In other words, how does the statement in the OP stack up to the paradoxon of tolerance? “If you are tolerant towards the intolerant, you will find the intolerant break your tolerant world.”
Don’t mistake respect (acknowledgement) for “respect” (authority)
See this is where I said “context is king”
Because I assumed the quote meant that you don’t have to respect the free will of all beings, especially those who make themselves an obstacle to a kinder world.
I could be wrong but my understanding of it means “don’t make excuses that someone doesn’t know when they’re being repeatedly callous and evil.”
In other words, acknowledge they’re making conscious choices with their own free will and behave accordingly (say, Nuremberg style if we’re being polite).
Tolerance is a contract, not a paradox. Break the contract of tolerance, and find yourself no longer covered by it.
Respecting their free will doesnt prevent me from shooting them in the head if they are a Nazi.
