Q&A: A Statement by the New Police Commissioner
A Statement by the New Police Commissioner
Question
From you I learned to distinguish conceptually between an opinion and a report about a feeling, etc.
Yesterday, quotes by the new police commissioner were published, as follows:
“Gays on the street disgust me.”
Since then he has been getting ambushed by the liberal wing in the country.
My question is:
Even if homophobia is objectionable,
maybe this isn’t homophobia?
It’s a report about a feeling,
not a call to implement a norm.
He didn’t say that sex between men should be prohibited (in which case he would not be aligned with Western values),
he reported his feelings.
Or is that a disingenuous claim?
Because given the sensitivity regarding attitudes toward a discriminated-against group,
a statement like this is entirely taking a position, with consequences (insofar as you are a person of influence).
Like, for example, if the police commissioner of Berlin were to say: I am disgusted by Jews.
And people would call for his dismissal.
Answer
Clearly that distinction has significance, but that is on the philosophical plane. Someone who says such things publicly is first and foremost lacking in sensitivity, and it is doubtful whether he can serve in a public role. Can he be trusted to give proper and equal treatment to populations that disgust him? Beyond that, I’m not sure to what extent these people are aware of those philosophical distinctions, and really mean only to report their feelings and not their positions.
Discussion on Answer
Here I saw that he added that what disgusts him is when they do it in public. That is already very much within the realm of the quite reasonable.
https://mobile.mako.co.il/tv-avri_and_sherki/articles/Article-628cd34de87f191026.htm
It should be noted that he did not say this publicly.