Tolerance for Some, Totalitarianism for Others

Last week, conservative syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer penned an op-ed in The Washington Post where he stated: “the left is entering a new phase of ideological agitation — no longer trying to win the debate but stopping debate altogether, banishing from public discourse any and all opposition. The proper word for that attitude is totalitarian. It declares certain controversies over and visits serious consequences — from social ostracism to vocational defenestration — upon those who refuse to be silenced.”

In his piece, Krauthammer references Brendan Eich, former CEO of Mozilla Corporation, who was recently forced to resign due to a $1,000 private contribution in 2008 supporting California’s Proposition 8 referendum defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Apparently, the co-founder of the technology giant was fit to trail blaze many of its innovative products and ideas, but was too bigoted to lead the company because the issue of homosexuality — and by extension, gay marriage — has been settled as a natural equivalent to traditional marriage. Anyone who opposes must be cleansed from any position of authority, or worse, must not be allowed a public platform of any sort.

Public outrage continues towards Mozilla’s actions, from petitions threatening to boycott the company, to formal letters signed by dozens of pro-family organizations seeking clarification of the corporation’s policy on diversity. Naturally, the free market will settle this type of nonsense, as it did with A&E’s Duck Dynasty fiasco. If enough people cease to use Mozilla’s Firefox web browser and let their voices be heard, the corporation will be forced to rethink its policy of putting political correctness over sound leadership despite certain unsavory political views its management holds. But this and other recent free speech controversies is cause for concern.

Take, for example, a recent fluff article published in The Guardian about Newsweek’s new co-owner, Jonathan Davis, who last year described on his personal Facebook page, an op-ed from yours truly about homosexuality and the possibility of sexual orientation change, as “shockingly accurate,” saying it “cuts like a hot knife through a buttery block of lies.” While the article’s conspiracy theories of Davis’ connections are dubious at best, the underlying implications of such journalism reinforce the latest tactics of the grievance industry: dare not affiliate yourself, nor endorse, nor even think about going against the accepted talking points of the liberal machine, lest you be silenced and destroyed.

But it’s not enough to defame and censor such voices, they must be completely shut down, labeled as “hate speech,” and relegated to the dustbins of antiquated thinking. Just this week, pro-family Christian activist Peter LaBarbera was first detained at the border, then later arrested while distributing literature at a Canadian university opposing abortion and homosexual behavior. His charge: “Biblical Hate Speech,” which is not protected under Canada’s Human Rights Code. In totalitarian fashion, gay activists cheered while LaBarbera was handcuffed and removed from the “open-minded” public university.

The reality is, allowing such “hate speech” would likely challenge the grievance industry’s collective support for liberal politicians, who in turn grant them special rights in favor. Is it any wonder why gay activists consistently assault Christianity for its failure to capitulate its doctrine to support gay marriage, yet barely mention Islam’s identical, if not more hostile, stance on homosexual behavior? To do so would disrupt a solid democratic voting block in support of consistency – but let’s just be quiet about that inconvenient fact while beating the drum of tolerance and diversity to score cheap political points.

Sooner or later, the American populace will wake up to the reality that their freedoms are being used as pawns on a political chessboard to manipulate and control thought in the effort to dictate moral conscience. There are few more ways to divide the country in order to continue the smorgasbord of promoting diversity in the effort to right social wrongs – but eventually the wrongs will have gained the necessary power to exercise a new brand of justice, totalitarian style. But that’s not a new idea, just an old death sentence disguised in the name of tolerance — for some. (Note: This article was originally published at BARBWIRE at: http://barbwire.com/2014/04/17/unfinished-tolerance-totalitarianism-others/)

Christopher Doyle is the President of Voice of the Voiceless, the only anti-defamation league for former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions, and their families. His work has been featured in USA Today, Associated Press, The Washington Post, NBC News, The Christian Post, and many more. For more information, visit: www.VoiceoftheVoiceless.info . Follow Christopher on Twitter at @VoVChrisDoyle and Facebook by clicking here