"Liberals are supposed to believe in diversity, which should include diversity of thought and belief. Instead, an alarming level of intolerance emanates from the left side of the political spectrum toward people who express views that don't hew to the 'settled' liberal worldview. The passion for silencing isn't reserved for conservatives or orthodox Christians. Moderate Democrats, independent minded liberals, and the ideologically agnostic become targets if they deviate on liberal sacred cow issues."
"This intolerance is not a passive matter of opinion. It's an aggressive illiberal impulse to silence people. This conduct has become an existential threat to those who hold orthodox religious beliefs. But increasingly I hear from people across the political spectrum who are fearful not only of expressing their views, but also as to where all of this is heading…It's become clear that the attempts-too often successful-to silence dissent from the liberal worldview aren't isolated outbursts. They are part of a bigger story."
When the previous sentiments are expressed by conservatives, the authors (whether local or national) are systematically attacked by a "politically correct lynch mob" that fabricates false motivations, repeatedly invokes the insipid "tin foil hat wearing kooks," and engages in politics of personal destruction and vituperation that ranges from kindergarten invective to patently vulgar name calling. However, the foregoing passage was written by a lifelong liberal Democrat named Kirsten Powers in her book THE SILENCING; HOW THE LEFT IS KILLING FREE SPEECH. She coins the term "illiberal left" and points out how they are most prevalent on campuses, in the media and how their "tentacles" are expanding into every sector of society. Their goal is to quash dissent and debate of all "wrong" views and to demonize any who challenge the authoritarian thought police. Maybe that's why Ms. Powers has seventy pages of footnotes and documentation to support her two hundred pages of text!
For example, in the chapter on "Repressive Tolerance," she notes that the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) documents that in the years 1987-2008, "…138 protests of planned campus speeches led to 62 incidents of an invited guest not speaking. Yet in just six years-2009 through 2014, 151 protests have caused the cancelation of 62 speeches on campuses across the country." Of course, conservative speakers are targeted at twice the rate of liberal speakers even though "…conservatives are far less likely to be invited to deliver speeches in the first place." This is documented by another liberal author and FIRE president Greg Kukianoff in his book FREEDOM FROM SPEECH.
While free and open discussion and debate should be the hallmark of this nation and our educational system, many of the "illiberal left" have a different view of dissent. For example, prominent environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that "I wish that there were a law you could punish them under" and the Koch brothers should be charged with "treason" for disagreeing with his views on climate change. This fits in perfectly with the author's premise that "Any person who dissents from the illiberal left's settled dogma is viewed as an enemy to be delegitimized, demonized, and dismissed."
On campus, there is a school of illiberal leftist sharks constantly circling and searching for a real or perceived offense that they can seize upon in a feeding frenzy. Safe spaces, micro-aggressions, triggers and trigger warnings are their bites for the unwary. There's a reason why comedians as diverse as George Carlin, Chris Rock, Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld avoid universities and mock ingrained liberal hypersensitivity. This authoritarian "thought police" is the antithesis of a liberal education, of robust debate, of a free and open exchange of ideas. The entire college campus should be a free speech zone, not a small designated area where permission must be granted and scheduled for use!
Unfortunately, this absurdity has reached the point where a class of delicate hothouse flowers must be safeguarded from any thought, idea, theory or concept that might cause discomfort. Should anyone deign to challenge their illiberal leftist dogma, they automatically propound that said disrupter is guilty of "hate speech" and must necessarily be destroyed by any means necessary. There will be no debate; there will be no discussion; there will be no tolerance. The illiberal left will wallow in their emotional angst, their sufferings "caused" by contrarian viewpoints, and use that fuel to justify retaliation, demonization, and the destruction of opposing voices. Facts will be irrelevant; context will be irrelevant; truth will be irrelevant; means will be irrelevant. The only thing relevant is the complete and total destruction of all opposition to their illiberal leftist thought and theory. Read it and weep.
