Jedediah Bila
Merriam-Webster defines tolerance as “sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own.” Dictionary.com defines it as “a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own.”
And America’s Left defines it as compassion for those they agree with, coupled with a deluge of hatred for those who dare to think differently.
Enter Exhibit A.
The National Organization for Marriage has been on a one-month, 23-city tour to – as one of its website’s featured videos reveals – “promote and protect marriage between a husband and wife.” Its “Summer for Marriage Tour 2010” has met with a little – shall we say, resistance – from gay-marriage protesters.
Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, talked to The Daily Caller about the NOM rally in Providence, Rhode Island: “As I was speaking, three protesters jumped in front of the podium and started screaming in my face as I was trying to speak.” The behavior of protesters included shouting, bullying, shaking bottles filled with rocks, and intimidating adults and children. You can catch a video here. Brown added, “I’d never seen anything like it in my life.”
What an interesting approach from those advocating for open minds and open hearts.
And now for the bigger picture: the bigotry of the self-proclaimed tolerant Left. So, what does the true face of the Left’s “tolerance” look like?
How about a President who campaigns on the premise of bringing people together and proceeds to tell his critics “just to get out of the way”?
Or a persistent war against a cable news network and conservative talk radio by an administration that can’t bear to see the reality of its ineptitude brought to light?
What about self-proclaimed pro-woman feminists ripping apart female political figures because they’re pro-life?
And then there are the likes of writer and researcher Richard Yeselson, who wrote this on the now-defunct Journolist listserv about those who attended health-care town hall meetings in the summer of 2009: “But it’s all the same old nuts in the same old bins with some new labels: the gun nuts, the anti tax nuts, the religious nuts, the homophobes, the anti-feminists, the anti-abortion lunatics, the racist/confederate crackpots, the anti-immigration whackos (who feel Bush betrayed them), the pathological government haters (which subsumes some of the other categories, like the gun nuts and the anti-tax nuts).”
How about the vicious comments that followed Rush Limbaugh’s hospitalization in Hawaii in December of 2009?
Or you could just tune in to Keith Olbermann. Think of it this way – you’ll get to see something that most of politically-engaged America doesn’t. Why? Because they’re watching O’Reilly or listening to Mark Levin.
Much like the Al Gore-style, energy-guzzling, don’t-flush-your-toilet-while-I-take-my-jet-out-for-a-cruise deceit of some far-left environmentalists, the Left’s “say one thing, do another” approach to tolerance has reached the end of its rope.
People are entitled to their own beliefs. That includes the far-right, the far-left, and everyone in between. But do us a favor, lefties – if you can’t back up your tolerance-preaching with tolerant actions, quit the cheap talk.
And be prepared for America to judge you – that’s right, I said your dreaded, five-letter nightmare, “judge” – on the basis of your actions, not your words.
The left is fond of labeling conservatives as reactionaries. The only problem I have with that, is that we react ineffectively.
Conservatives live their lives rationally. They are good business people. They understand how life works, and live it well.
Unfortunately, they seem to lack a talent for creative ideological tactics. We have more than sufficient evidence to make our case in a powerful way, yet we fail to do so. We have not figured out how to defeat our main enemy, the guy in the red velvet suit and the fur trimmed cuffs. He normally visits once a year, but the theftocracy has stolen him, and uses him on a daily basis. It’s time we figured out how to deal with this ongoing problem. Telling people to just say NO, has not worked. We become too abstract for those with an inability to grasp the obvious.
Conservatism is a way of life! A way of life that works. It would be a powerful tactic to promote such things as: living under your means, not spending money you don’t have, not paying 20% or more for unpaid credit card debt, taking care of the things you own, getting the full life expectancy out of the things you own, thereby extending the time between the original purchase, and the time you have to replace it, for as long as possible, avoid drugging, drinking, gambling, and burning the candle at both ends. Last, but not least, learn by watching other people make mistakes and avoid those same mistakes yourself.
Let the left attack these things. Good luck. We rely on salesmanship, not coercion. They love theft, they practice theft, and they could not survive without theft.
Where is our offensive game plan? Good luck finding it, because it doesn’t exist! The job of Congressman or Senator is just too good to risk, by getting seriously aggressive with the left.
Leftist legislators don’t care what we think. Conservatives do care, and that’s why it’s time to demand more from them in the way of publicly articulating our positions and putting the left on defense.
I agree with everything you have pointed out!. You go girl!
It is time for Conservative, American-loving people to wake up and take a stand. November is coming. Are you prepared to vote in NEW people who hate what both Dems and Repubs have been doing to our country? I for one think Sarah Palin has the guts and, like Ronald Regan, a backbone of steel. It will take someone like her (a “rogue”) to:
(0) IMPEACH OBAMA before further damage is done,
(1) Overturn the “laws” that have been done during Obama’s term to convert America to a Government-run Socialist state (may God forgive us for letting this be done),
(2) Force Congress to stop getting paid for life even for a one term wonder,
(3) Force Congress to go on Social Security just like the rest of America they presume to represent so they will quickly restore the SS funding and stop spending it,
(4) Stop voting anti-Constitution judges into office – for ANY reason,
(5) Use our Military budget wisely to protect our country and our young men and women WARRIORS who lay down their lives for liberals to have the freedom to expound their toxins against America ( I hate to think of liberals in the same thought with WARRIORS),
(6) Limit the number of terms anyone can have in Senate or House to TWO max, and make them both 4 year terms,
(7) Limit the number of terms for the President to ONE as it is in their second term that real damage is done as they now have their cronies in power with them,
(8) Close our southern border and expel all illegal aliens,
(9) Restore and empower the INS to allow into our GREAT America those who legally apply for citizenship,
(10) Enforce all American citizens to speak English (the rest of the world does, except our illegal aliens that liberals pander to),
(11) Insure that voters have a LEGAL voter registration card, with their American citizenship proven before they are issued the card),
(12) Stop giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens so they stop killing our children and grandchildren,
(13) Prevent the flow of money out of America to “home” countries. If you are a legal American, your money should stay here and support our economy (wonder why the lack of “consumer buying” is dragging our economy down?),
(14) If someone CAN work, provide a job – ANY JOB – if they get paid by the gov’t. No free handouts – everyone works to enjoy what they earn. Who knows if there are men and women out there with incredible talents, but who are stuck in the welfare system and won’t try to use their God-given talents.
I think Sarah Palin would be able to make these happen as she is like most Americans, she EARNED her way to the top. Let’s give her a chance to win.
I question if we should elect ANY incumbent back to office. Anyone who is GUILTY of voting the Dem or Rep party line should NOT be re-elected. They are lemmings who don’t vote what their constituents desire and want them to vote.
It is time we take America back before our Freedoms are gone. I am NOT an anarchist. I am a Senior Citizen who grew up with freedom in America, I was PROUD of MY America and I don’t want to see my children and grandchildren strapped with a debt that can never be paid… or lose the freedoms Americans enjoy, but may soon lose if we don’t fight against liberalism, socialism and marxism. May God bless and protect you for the enlightening you are giving to Americans.
Excellent article – actions do speak louder than words! As Glenn Beck has been shouting over and over the radicals of the 60’s and 70’s are now in positions of power under this President. How mant radicals from this time period do you know personally? It’s time we started our own NAACP group except this “C” would stand for color-blind.
For Lefties it’s ALWAYS do as I say, not as I do. And if you won’t do as I say or agree with Lefties position they will call you meaningless names, smear you in any way they can and try to marginalize you. Just the typical “Rules for Radicals” Saul Alinsky crap techniques! Like the old SNL debate tactic: “Jane you ignorant slut”! ;-)
NIce and succinct, a direct challenge to the hypocrisy that characterizes the liberal left approach to ‘open discussion’. An oxymoron, as they seldom can openly discuss the issues without castigating their opponent. On the strength of good sense, they lose. Anyhow, good call-out, JB.
Well said, Bila. For myself, the Left has created a VERY non-tolerant person who has taken to returning their smarmy insults with extremely unflattering opinions of my own. They are baby killing, anti-semitic, commie thugs. That’s OK, I can get thuggish right back. Sorry, I’ve just had it with the threats, intimidation and outright violence foisted on us. I learned a long time ago that the only thing a bully understands is a broken nose. Thank you for speaking for us, Bila. Your safety is in my prayers daily.
Right on point, as always. I couldn’t agree more!