March 29, 2013 6:27 AM

Memo to Rick Perry: Fighting bigotry doesn't translate as "intolerance"

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) stood before conservatives gathered at a Faith and Family Rally in Austin on Tuesday and spoke about what he perceives as a sustained attack on their values by gay rights activists…. “This is a very unsettling time in our nation’s history,” Perry said, according to the Associated Press. “These are the days when a person is vilified when they state that they believe fundamentally that marriage is between one man and one woman.”…. “The underlying problem is that there is this very vocal, very litigious minority of Americans willing to legally attack anybody who dares utter a phrase or even a name that they don’t agree with,” he said. “In a twisting of logic, they insist on silencing the religious in the cause of tolerance. Now I ask you, where is the tolerance in that?”

Don’tcha just LOVE it when poor, put-upon Fundamentalist Christians portray themselves as victims? “Of COURSE we have the right to hold to beliefs that deny basic human rights to a minority class. We find their behavior disturbing, immoral, and…well, just plain icky. No way Jesus would EVER have stood for such immorality and ickiness.”

Well, of course they have the right to believe as they see fit. That doesn’t make them right, moral, or superior to those they despise. They can certainly exercise their 1st Amendment rights, as any American can. There’s another aspect of their rights that fundies like Governor Goodhair conveniently choose to ignore: they don’t get to characterize fighting bigotry as intolerance. They don’t get to play the victim and claim that their religious rights are being trampled. They can speak their mind, and demonstrate themselves to be on the wrong side of history and morality from now until the Apocalypse if they choose. The rest of us can call out these bigots for their hypocritical, self-righteous, faux-Christian ignorance and fear mongering.

Rick Perry has built his political house on the soft sand of “Holier than thou” Christianity. His latest speech is merely confirmation this his bigotry and hypocrisy is exceeded only by his willingness to play the victim. Nice try, but it doesn’t work that way, Governor.

Tolerance doesn’t mean accepting any and all viewpoints. Tolerance isn’t about agreeing with what you say simply because you have the right to say it. And tolerance most certainly doesn’t mean accepting and condoning bigotry as a civil right. My tolerance ends where your beliefs would lead you to deny basic human rights to a minority class whom you happen to despise. There is no “right” to discriminate and oppress those whose lifestyle you find sinful and “icky.”

That doesn’t make you a victim, Governor; it just makes you a bigot who should be exposed for the hater your are. Your religious “rights” don’t include cloaking your prejudice in Scripture. Of course you’re free to believe as you see fit; neither I nor any American should be advocating otherwise…and I’d certainly defend your constitutional rights in that regard. What you’re not free to do is to use those beliefs as justification for oppressing those you hate.

Haters and bigots like Perry are prone to elevating their beliefs over those who happen to live, love, and/or believe differently. There’s a word for that; it’s called “intolerance.”

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 29, 2013 6:27 AM.

Indiana Republicans: Repressive invasion of privacy...or denying women reproductive health care? was the previous entry in this blog.

You might be a Republican if.... is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.2.2