Tuesday, July 20, 2010

So Who's Intolerant Now?

Earlier today one of my sisters-in-law made some comments about some idiocy going on among some of the fringe-type so-called Christian right.  Of course, it isn't that surprising to see people act like lunatics.  But I observe that it is not only right-wing types who do so.

Here's a link to a two minute interview with a lady who attended a peaceful rally with her husband and her three small children.  She wanted to express her support for traditional marriage as the best way to raise children and nurture our society. The baby needed to be fed so she slipped to the back of the crowd to find a quiet place to nurse.

I observe that the counter-rally people who surrounded her and whom she found intimidating were carrying signs and wearing shirts talking about the kind of love they had. If that's love, I don't need any hatred.  It seems the time for civility in discussion of differences is coming to a close. Unfortunately, it is the people who wave their flags of tolerance and liberal good will who seem to be bringing it to a close, attempting to shout down all opposing voices. Maybe it's asking too much to debate issues using facts, historical data, and reasoned civil tones. Yet I certainly hope and pray it isn't asking too much. For my part, I plan to continue to disagree with those I think are genuinely wrong.  But I plan to do so in a civil way, with arguments based on facts and not hyperbole, and all the while my intention is to defend the right of those who are opposed to me to speak out in a civil manner themselves.  If we don't do that, we have departed from all that makes human discourse uniquely human.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com