[stcredzero]

We're not discussing social media. We're discussing whether to extend the graces of polite society to people with abhorrent views.

Extending the graces of polite society is one kind of tolerance. Another lesson of history is that peace and harmony is found through commerce. One of the closes friendships in the house when I was an undergrad was between a gay man and a woman who started out rabidly homophobic. They became best friends because they watched soap operas together. Had he behaved as you advocate and shunned her for what she thought, then she would never have become his best friend and she would never have realized the unfounded errors of her upbringing.

Yes, people who have done bad things should be punished. Going around punishing people for stuff they've said is simply intolerant. A society that enacts a regime like this through social means is not virtuous because it has tolerant and protective laws. It would be no better than a society that has granted racial minorities equal status on paper, but continues to oppress them through other means. (Yes, I am talking about the US.) One of the key messages of Gandhi and MLK is that your moral and philosophical consistency is vital, lest you unwittingly become yet another oppressor.

OK to not tolerate those whose unimpeded actions would to destroy your tolerant society.

Being tolerant in just the letter of the law but highly intolerant "in spirit" will destroy a tolerant society. It is happening right now. As with many things, it is harder to see at the top of the socioeconomic ladder and much easier to see at the bottom.