The dictionary definition of the word tolerance is as follows: the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of OPINIONS or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. Speech that is peppered with ethnic or anti-gay slurs or espouses inherent racial superiority is most definitely hate speech. Having a different opinion even if it is unpopular in certain circles does NOT constitute hate speech. Antifa has been known to rip up and burn signs that simply say “FREE SPEECH.” For example, I have never said that Muslims are bad. I have said that some of the tenants of Islam are in dire need of reform. There is a difference. Particularly offensive are support for the death penalty for gays and apostates as well as failure to universally condemn terrorist attacks. Is that hate speech? Some would say so. Who decides which speech is acceptable? Antifa of course. This is a common tactic among both fascists and communists.
Until about 2 decades ago, most people viewed political opponents as well-intentioned but misguided. Nowadays, they are treated as “the enemy” and must be stopped and silenced. There was a poll during Obama’s first term in which Democrats were about evenly split about whether Islamic terrorism or the Tea Party movement was the “greater threat to America.” I went to college during the first half of the Bush-43 administration and I thought those were some politically divisive times. It’s 10 times worse now. What really makes me sad is to see old college buddies who used to be politically moderate that have now gone off the deep end into radicalism. Surveys show that liberals are 2-3x more likely to cut off a friendship over politics than conservatives. It is nearly impossible to have a rational dialogue with those on the far left so I will no longer attempt it. The Unfollow link has become quite useful to me on Facebook.
Who is to blame for the national division? Part of the blame lies with partisan politicians who are unwilling to make compromises for the good of the country. Take a look at the Immigration Issue. The far right is unwilling to accept anything less than mass deportations while the far left insists on blanket amnesty with no additional border security. Congress has been unwilling to meet in the middle to solve the problem so it is no surprise that their approval rating hovers around 14%. My position is for border security such that future illegal immigration is shut down cold by any humane means necessary. While I don’t favor a path to citizenship without going home and through the same legal process as others, I do believe otherwise law abiding folks should be shielded from deportation, especially DACA children. On the other hand, Democrats won’t support Kate’s Law, which imposes tough prison sentences for felons who re-enter after deportation because it does not address “comprehensive reform”. That is unconscionable. Would my plan pass Congress? Probably not. It’s way too strict for the far left but not strong enough for hard liners on the right.
More than anything else, I blame the media. A bit of a leftward tilt was detectable among the mainstream media back in the 1990s but now, they don’t even pretend to be objective. 93% of their stories about Trump are negative. His words were completely misrepresented in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville. The media ignored his criticism of the “evil” of racism and calls for love, respect and unity regardless of skin color and political views and instead focused on the 3 words “on many sides.” Headlines read that Trump was actually supportive of Neo-Nazis, which is a blatant falsehood. The term Nazi should NEVER be used to describe political opponents because it is disrespectful to Jews and dishonors the few remaining American heroes who fought in WW2. Yes, I am aware that some right wing extremists in the Tea Party compared Obama to Hitler. You better believe that I spoke out against that as well.
As a result of so much negative coverage, many of Trump’s supporters have become so fed up that they will automatically defend him even when his words or actions really should be criticized. To be fair, I will admit that Fox News has drifted further right in recent years and talk radio has been dominated by conservatives for many years. Add to that is the explosion of right and left bloggers and You Tube channels and it is very difficult to find news that is fair and objective. As a result, both sides exist in an echo chamber and rarely even hear much less consider opposing points of view.
Clinton called half of Trump supporters “deplorable” and irredeemably bigoted while turning a blind eye to hateful views on left side of the spectrum. I've heard calls for white genocide from left wing militants. Condemnation of that garbage does NOT mean that I am somehow siding with Neo-Nazis. Both the far left and the alt right are composed of despicable groups of people. I live in Alabama so take this from me: The vast majority of Southern conservatives in 2017 are NOT racist and would quickly condemn hate from the extreme right. False accusations of bigotry are hurtful and divisive. IMHO, the Left’s failure to condemn its own violence and hate is another factor in the national division.
I would NEVER respond to a case of prejudice and discrimination with an assertion that “some blacks are racist too.” That would be hurtful and insensitive. For my African-American readers, let me assure you that I share your outrage if you’ve faced prejudice and stand with you in fighting those attitudes and actions. However, I do have a BIG problem with those who say that only whites and conservatives can be racist while insisting that the far left is free of bigotry and believes in “human rights for all.” That’s simply not true and should be met with a strong response. In my experience, there is nothing more triggering to liberals than exposing hateful attitudes on their side of the spectrum. I believe that failure to condemn groups like Antifa and the Black Panthers will amplify the voices of actual bigots on the far right, resulting in more division as well as silence from fair minded individuals on both sides who are often afraid to stir up controversy.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the far left will not be satisfied with anything less than a violent revolution to overthrow the whole system. They seem to think that once that’s done and their ilk takes power, it will be a socialist utopia free of oppression. Sorry, that’s a fantasy! We’ve seen what happens in history. It’s called Communism and it’s led to death camps everywhere it’s been tried. The Soviet Union was so bad that after Lenin died, Stalin and Trotsky fought to become his successor. The Stalinists emerged victorious and unleashed a great purge of Trotsky supporters. That’s right, dissidents even among their own ranks will not be tolerated. This ideology is every bit as dangerous as actual fascism.
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