"Shut up," he explained

As I've said before, I'm not a conservative. I'm also no longer a liberal. In the 1960s and 1970s - when I first became politically aware - it was the left that was preponderantly the source of ideas, and a coherent (if tragically mistaken) world view.

All gone now.

All that's left is intellectual bullying that makes me suspicious, even when I would be otherwise sympathetic. For example, I've said repeatedly that I simply don't care if Jim and Bob run off to Provincetown to get hitched. I'm also pretty uncomfortable with the courts ramming this down everyone's throats. I think that the "winner take all" strategy of the courts causes both sides to dig in, and kills any possibility of compromise.

In short, while I'm very sympathetic to Gay Rights - Bob should be able to see Jim if Jim is in the hospital, he should be able to inherit if Jim should die, he should have all the rights of a Jane in the same situation - the Gay movement starts to lose me when NAMBLA is welcome to march in the Gay Pride parade.

And the "discussion" about people with children being concerned about the Gay couple next door? They're Gay Bashers. And good lord, I start out on their side - it makes even a guy like me want to vote for the Christian Right. We'd all be better off with the political process, because it would give incentives to the many grown ups in the Gay Rights movement to throw out the kooks who are just there for the party. The country would move towards the middle, and everyone would be better off.

Instead of persuasion and compromise, the left has turned everything into a holy war. In a winner-take-all contest, if your side is on the side of Truth and Justice, then your opposition must be on the side of Deceit and Oppression. Their arguments can be granted no legitimacy, and the only Proper Response to any deviation for the Accepted Cannon is "shut up."



Sadly, this is essentially impossible to argue against. Memo to what's left of the thinking left: guys like me are precisely the ones you want on your side. I don't agree with you all the time, but I do on a lot of issues. But every time your side throws me under the bus - "racist," "homophobe," "sexist," "Dead White Male lover" - you drain your brand of what little value remains. I'm willing to be persuaded, but I will not be ruled. Even if I think you may be right on some issues.

The grown ups on the left need to get the children off to bed, or something.
Hat tip: Little Miss Attila.