Monday, May 18, 2009

Standing up

Personally I don't consider my self either conservative nor liberal. The closest political word for my beliefs is Right-Libertarianism. I believe in freedom. I believe in small government. I believe, like Ronald Reagan, that government is the problem not the solution.

I don't want Gay-rights limiting my opinion. If homosexuals want to have the same rights as heterosexuals- fine. Just don't make me have the same opinion as you do. Give me the freedom to disagree and protest without labelling me a bigot.

I don't want the NRA limiting my opinions either. I don't support the gun laws. I want the right to say so. I also don't support the anti-gun movement. I want the right to say they are both ridiculous.

I don't support abortion. I believe that babies have rights. But I believe that if it's legal, I want the right to say I think it's wrong, just as if it's illegal you want the right to protest about the woman's choice.

I don't like President Obama and the socialist practices he is implementing. I don't approve of President Zuma and the communist policies he is shoving down our throats.

I wish to reserve the right to disagree. And this right is so slowly dissolving under the word "tolerance" and the dogma of being narrow minded.. What is narrow-mindedness? According to Merriam- Webster narrow-mindedness is lacking in tolerance or breadth of vision. According to many, I am narrow minded because I don't agree with popular opinion.

But real narrow mindedness is placing your opinions above others. Being narrow minded is the lack of width in your vision, that you can't see that all this mumbo jumbo is truly just that. Mumbo Jumbo.

Isn't that what tolerance really is? It's not supporting gay rights. Nor is it supporting liberal ideals. True tolerance is respecting opinions, both those that support your view and those in disagreement.

Free Speech as a constitutional right is slowly disappearing. God forbid that Facebook refuses to shut down Aryan Supremacist groups! Where has the freedom to state unpopular opinions gone?

I support a new kind of tolerance. Not of the popular Obama catch phrases but of the respect of differences.

Martin Niemoller said: "In Germany, the Nazis came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me."

The same can be said for our constitutional rights. First they came for Gun rights and I didn't stand up because I didn't own a gun...

The 'tolerants' are coming for Free Speech and I am standing up.

What are your thoughts?

2 comments:

ScoMan said...

My first thought is this is a great post with some thought provoking arguments.

As for my beliefs, well it's like the line in the Nine Inch Nails song.. "I used to stand for something, but forgot what that could be"

Kimberly said...

I'm going to agree with ScoMan about this post being thought provoking and add in, intriguing. I love when you post like this.

I agree to your: "True tolerance is respecting opinions, both those that support your view and those in disagreement."

My opinion: I think we should stop trying so hard to make everyone uniform and just let it be. Plain speaking. I love, love, LOVE that everyone is different with different opinions and ways of thinking. Without differences we would all be gray blobs and robots, beeping along in a world we no longer care to be in.