Sunday, May 11, 2014

Intolerance: Thy Name is Tea Party

Intolerance takes on many forms from the comments of Donald Sterling to ultra-right-wing talking heads of the Tea Party spouting off about the lack of freedom in America. You may say, “How is complaining and whining about the lack of freedom intolerance?” It is intolerance in that their constant diatribe is a completely erroneous and baseless lie used to attack anyone or view that does not fit into their blueprint of their world order.

These people will not tolerate any dissensions in the ranks at any level. They will beat the drums against anyone that they feel will not carry out their agenda in lock-step with their philosophical underpinnings. This is the definition of intolerance. Moreover, they love to attack liberals or progressives and label them as socialists and do not consider this as intolerant speech.

These people that they like to identify as such usually fit under one tent branded with a capital D. The hated Democrats were the enemy that all true conservatives could rail and rally against. They represented the evil empire of knowledge and acceptance, which believed that people no matter their color, religion or sexual orientation were welcome to join just as they were. This group was an easy target for the ultra-conservatives who saw themselves as knights on white horses out to save the world from all the evil that came from these despicable creatures.

The world was right when the lines of good and evil were so clearly demarcated, however, something changed in the water once the Tea Party rolled onto the scene. Clear and traditional boundaries between political parties and ideologies suddenly evaporated. Those called traditional or moderate Republicans are now the target of ultra-conservatives. They are seen as traitors to the cause of freedom, liberty and Christianity because they see the value in the idea of compromise.

For the Tea Party, any and every one that refuses to follow their lead is the enemy. These fanatical followers of narrow-minded policies are unable to see that freedom and democracy are based on the tradition of compromise.  Compromise is as hated a word as socialist, liberal, progressive and moderate Republican.

If it wasn’t for George Washington and his ability to broker a deal, there would be no constitution and we would be living under the Articles of Confederation, which nearly destroyed what we understand to be the United States of America. These new right-wing, Tea Party blatherers would have one believe that any dissention that is not initiated by them is un-American.

But, it is more than that. Whenever you question these ultra-conservatives’ motives, you are now infringing on their freedom, but when they are attacking progressive philosophies, they are exorcising their God given freedoms. For them, freedom is a one-way street in which they are in sole possession of the right-of-way, and the rest of society better get the hell off the road or be run over in the process.

It is the arrogance of this position and their talking points that I find so infuriating. They see themselves as the only ones that know what is going on in the world, and the rest of us need to bow down to their intellectual superiority. No matter which side of the aisle you fall, you must subvert your views to theirs or be attacked mercilessly.

What they fail to understand is the power of dialogue and how it has been used and is being used to foster the growth of the democratic principle known as: cooperation. George Washington so believed in this principal that he forsook the idea of political parties and saw them as the bane of our republic. He believed that they would lead the country into the kind of impasse that is transpiring today.

For the ultra-right-wing, Tea Party conservatives there is no concession possible in politics. This concept is as foreign and distasteful to them as water is to cats. They will do any and everything in their power not to concede a position or idea no matter the costs. It is time to end their reign of terror over the American people and vote them out of office, moreover, demonstrate through the power of the polls and grassroots organizations that money does not determine the fate of America and we will not stand for their brand of intolerance.

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