The left’s intolerance and the meaning of ‘marriage’
From time to time there is evidence in The Dispatch that certain persons are working hard to find ways to express their political positions.
To cite a specific example, someone went to considerable trouble to come up with “The House That Scalia Built” by Jamie Stiehm, a little known anti-Catholic and strong Hillary Clinton supporter, which appeared in Sunday’s February 21st issue, the day after Mr. Justice Scalia’s funeral. The “cartoon” by Luckovich which accompanies the Stiehm column says in effect that Justice Scalia believed God’s commandment to love our neighbors does not apply to gay persons.
Ms. Stiehm predictably calls Justice Scalia callous, polarizing, uncivil.
Which takes me where I’d like to go. Why is it totally acceptable, even laudable, to be in favor of abortions and same-sex marriages but totally unacceptable to be opposed to such practices? Those in the first category are looked upon as fair-minded and enlightened. The second is composed of the haters, Nazis, fascists, bigots. Yet, those who villainize the second group constantly call for cooperation and understanding between the two groups.
What they really mean is simply “Come over to our side, think as we do, and be cleansed.” To those on the Left, there is no valid position but theirs. They reject the belief that there can be opposing and respected points of view.
Among the many very serious problems facing our country and its citizens is the one-way street of thought control. There is no good reason to change the meaning of the word “marriage” in order to fully extend all civil rights to homosexuals. The latter in no way depends upon the former.
When words lose their meaning, honest communication ceases to exist. Yet, that is what the Left wants and now has: the absence of more than one side of any former question, in other words one position on any issue and no others.
Ben C. Toledano
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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