"No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God." Micah 6:8
President Trump came out today with what he meant to be a much stronger condemnation of the radical racist groups in Charlottesville by specifically calling out the names of several hate groups involved in the violence Saturday. As strong as it was the statement was criticized as being 48 hours too late by his detractors.
Perhaps the President will realize some day there is no pleasing his critics. Such is the job of President these days! Critics criticize! It's what they do! Leaders need to lead. It's what they do!
The evil of racism reared it's ugly head in Charlottesville last Saturday and was universally condemned as it should have been. But there were several other dangerous ideologies in play that seemed to go unnoticed by the media. I mentioned one of them in my previous post and that is the destructive idea of history revisionism. If you missed that post you can click back a day or scroll down to read it.
Yet another dangerous ideology that contributed to the violence in Charlottesville is intolerance. Everyone who showed up to demonstrate had a First Amendment right to be there and state their views. Freedom of Speech gives people the right to be idiots and say stupid things just as it gives me the right to preach and teach the Gospel. To protect that First Amendment right I must tolerate dissenting viewpoints because I want the freedom to speak my ideas and be tolerated.
A phrase I often heard while I was coming through high school and college was, "I may disagree with what you are saying but I will defend your right to say it!"
That is what tolerance looks like! It was a respected value in those days.
We don't see that much anymore and we certainly didn't see it Saturday. As repulsive as the racist, supremacist and Nazi groups are, if their protest would have been ignored (the proper way to tolerate it) by the counter protesters there would have been no violence.
I am not defending these despicable groups but simply acknowledging it takes two to fight. And all it takes for a fight to be avoided is one group to decide they will tolerate the distorted views of the other group.
Those groups branded racist should have tolerated the views of those desiring to revise history by removing the statues.
Perhaps you are thinking, "Brad, are you saying racism should be tolerated?"
It should be vigorously opposed, debated and debunked by better ideas. Where laws are needed to protect people from discrimination those laws should be implemented.
But we should not revoke the First Amendment on someone who wants to publicly espouse that view.
If you want to counter the views you disagree with you can schedule a press conference and make the case for your viewpoint.
In a free society there must be a tolerant debate of opposing viewpoints so that ultimately the best ideas win out. That is how America has worked for over 200 years. It is how we became great. And that is why what happened in Charlottesville Saturday was far from great.
Actually, it may be possible to oppose the removal of historic statues and NOT be a racist. But an intolerant attitude would not be willing (or able) to make that distinction.
When you demand tolerance but refuse to tolerate others you are under-minding your own cause. That was dramatically demonstrated on Saturday. And that is a direct threat to free speech.
That happened on Saturday in Charlottesville and was totally missed by the media and much of the public. The most dangerous threats are the ones we don't see coming.
Yet another dangerous ideology that contributed to the violence in Charlottesville is intolerance. Everyone who showed up to demonstrate had a First Amendment right to be there and state their views. Freedom of Speech gives people the right to be idiots and say stupid things just as it gives me the right to preach and teach the Gospel. To protect that First Amendment right I must tolerate dissenting viewpoints because I want the freedom to speak my ideas and be tolerated.
A phrase I often heard while I was coming through high school and college was, "I may disagree with what you are saying but I will defend your right to say it!"
That is what tolerance looks like! It was a respected value in those days.
We don't see that much anymore and we certainly didn't see it Saturday. As repulsive as the racist, supremacist and Nazi groups are, if their protest would have been ignored (the proper way to tolerate it) by the counter protesters there would have been no violence.
I am not defending these despicable groups but simply acknowledging it takes two to fight. And all it takes for a fight to be avoided is one group to decide they will tolerate the distorted views of the other group.
Those groups branded racist should have tolerated the views of those desiring to revise history by removing the statues.
Perhaps you are thinking, "Brad, are you saying racism should be tolerated?"
It should be vigorously opposed, debated and debunked by better ideas. Where laws are needed to protect people from discrimination those laws should be implemented.
But we should not revoke the First Amendment on someone who wants to publicly espouse that view.
If you want to counter the views you disagree with you can schedule a press conference and make the case for your viewpoint.
In a free society there must be a tolerant debate of opposing viewpoints so that ultimately the best ideas win out. That is how America has worked for over 200 years. It is how we became great. And that is why what happened in Charlottesville Saturday was far from great.
Actually, it may be possible to oppose the removal of historic statues and NOT be a racist. But an intolerant attitude would not be willing (or able) to make that distinction.
When you demand tolerance but refuse to tolerate others you are under-minding your own cause. That was dramatically demonstrated on Saturday. And that is a direct threat to free speech.
That happened on Saturday in Charlottesville and was totally missed by the media and much of the public. The most dangerous threats are the ones we don't see coming.
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