I (35M) am married to my wonderful wife (31F), and we just had our first child in August. Since becoming a father, I’ve been more protective and conscious about the world she’s going to grow up in. Recently, I had an argument with my wife’s stepfather that escalated quickly.
We were discussing current events, and during the conversation, I expressed frustration over how he continually mischaracterizes certain groups and their actions. I tried explaining my perspective, but he didn’t seem to understand. At one point, I lost my cool and bluntly told him he was ignorant and racist. This clearly upset him, and he became defensive, asking why I would say something like that.
I tried explaining that it’s difficult for him to understand certain experiences that people like me have gone through, but this just made him more upset. He argued back, saying that he felt unfairly attacked and didn’t see himself the way I described. Eventually, the conversation ended on a sour note, and we haven’t really spoken much since.
Now I’m wondering if I went too far by calling him ignorant, even though I was frustrated.
TL;DR: I (35M) called my wife’s stepfather ignorant and racist during a family discussion about current events. He became defensive and upset, and now I’m wondering if I went too far by saying that. AITA?