Sunday, September 01, 2002

Well said.

For instance, the noisy folks on the liberal end of the spectrum claim enlightened people support abortion on demand, stricter gun laws, and the recognition of homosexual "unions" as marriages. Clamorous conservatives, on the other hand, profess that reasonable people believe abortion is a euphemism for baby killing, homosexuality is an abomination, and the only gun control a person needs is a steady hand.

In casual conversations with a quieter segment of society I hear a different story.

The people that I talk to don't believe the government has the right to tell a woman what to do with her body. But neither do they think that abortions should be so convenient they take the place of abstinence or birth control. They don't believe that discrimination based on sexual orientation is acceptable. But they don't think "loving relationships" between homosexual partners measure up to their standards for marriage.

These people believe that reasonable gun laws are a good thing. But they don't believe that guns are the cause of violence in our society. They abhor discrimination and condemn slavery. But they don't believe that past sins are justification for any group of people - black, brown, or WASP - to receive special treatment today. And they don't believe trillions of dollars in "reparations", 100 years after slavery was abolished, is going to fix anything.

I also hear something else - something that troubles me. I hear people saying they are reluctant to speak out against the liberal view on so-called "sensitive issues." They have no qualms about speaking out against Falwell, Liddy or Limbaugh. But they slink away and speak in hushed whispers when faced with the prospect of going up against Rosie or Oprah.

When you examine the situation, their reluctance is understandable. The liberal movement is extremely powerful. Its followers have staked out the moral high ground by claiming to be defenders of diversity and tolerance. And they have made it clear that the debate is over. There is nothing left to discuss. Get over it. Anyone who opposes them is branded a racist, a bigot, or a homophobe.

Taken in small doses, the liberal stance is admirable. Diversity and tolerance are noble goals. But extremism in pursuit of a noble goal is still extremism. The fanatical pursuit of tolerance leads to intolerance. Excessive virtue is a vice.

The zealous pursuit of tolerance has brought the liberals full circle. They now rigidly demand that everyone be "tolerant" like them. And anyone who refuses is severely ostracized. The purported defenders of diversity and tolerance have been blinded by their passion and have lost the ability to see their own flaws. With tragic and poetic irony, the enemies of bigotry have themselves become bigots.

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