IMPORTANT: “Criticism” that starts with “All *…” or is obviously insulting, or defaming beyond verified facts is excluded.
You might be thinking “no shit, Sherlock”, but it is really common that legitimate criticism is dismissed as anti-* or *-phobic, or because of political or religious ideology.
I knew someone would reply with an absurd example, like criticizing newborn babies. The good thing is, that you can quickly educate someone if they genuinely don’t know why and if they dismiss any evidence, they weren’t interested in a factual discussion anyways.
It also highlights a fundamental misconception about what criticism is. It isn’t about knocking someone down a peg, it’s about identifying and remediating flaws. Criticism should be supportive, otherwise it’s just cruel and rude.
Perfectly and concisely written.
Oh yeah, don’t get me started with those newborn babies. Who do they think they are with their constant demands and not an ounce of English.