Tolerance

It's hard to be hopeful about the future of liberty in the United States. Currently, we are undergoing a massive socialization of the economy through the bailouts of the financial and housing markets. This socialization is almost certain to expand under either an Obama or McCain administration (although much more so under Obama).

This post is not about the socialization of the economy, however. One of the greatest casualties of the current presidential campaign is the steady erosion of free speech and the respect of opposing political viewpoints. Now, I am the first to admit that I do not agree with the liberal view of the proper role of government and am not afraid of challenging those I disagree with. That being said, whenever I do disagree with someone I make every effort to respect their point of view - especially if that person has arrived at that point of view by honestly considering the issues. In fact, I have several close friends who are liberal and we get along just fine because of the mutual respect we have for the other's right of belief. This campaign season, however, has seen a steady erosion of this respect and a desire to silence dissent - coming especially from those on the left. This is not to say that the right doesn't have its own problems in this area (note to the morons at McCain rallies shouting about Obama being Muslim and yelling "off with his head" - please don't vote because I really do not want to be associated with your idiocy), but it is much more isolated than it is on the left. From the beginning of this campaign, we have seen an organized effort on the left to paint anyone who dares oppose Obama as a racist (I will not go into details as I have examined this phenomena extensively in previous posts). Personally, I have been yelled at and threatened on numerous occasions for daring to question the wisdom of liberal dogma. The catalyst for this post, though, was something that just happened to a friend of mine. Over the weekend, an Obama supporter defaced her car with black spray paint so that she would know that he was not happy with her McCain bumper sticker.

Another event, which caught my attention was a video of a pro-McCain rally that occurred in New York City about a month ago. I do not necessarily agree with the text that scrolls across the screen, but the events in the video are very similar to what I have experienced while attempting to engage the left in debate.




These kinds of events seem to be occurring with greater frequency. People, we need to respect each other's right of belief. The right of self-determination is at the very foundation of the idea of liberty upon which this country was founded. Disagreements are fine, but when we start trying to silence those we disagree with by threatening them or vandalizing their property, then something is seriously wrong.