World

Intolerance in the Name of Tolerance

by PEP | September 25, 2007 at 06:30 am

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I don't read Cal Thomas very much. But in this provocative editorial, he makes a good point: is free speech really free if it isn't extended to all points on the political compass? If one can be tolerant of a dictator and terrorist supporter, why isn't the same tolerance extended to American conservatives in America?

Some may find what he says to be fightin' words. Others might find his words to be challenging words. But overall, we need to ask: is the newest form of intolerance specifically targeting conservatives, or even moderates, in favor of the far left? This, I think, will be an important issue in the upcoming presidential campaign.

I would not be as bothered by Columbia University's decision to host Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad if Columbia and other universities had a consistent policy toward those they invite to speak and the rules applied equally to conservatives and liberals; to totalitarian dictators and to advocates for freedom and tolerance.

Any conservative who has ever tried, or actually succeeded, in speaking on the campus of predominately liberal academic institutions knows it can resemble to some extent the struggle experienced by African Americans when they attempted to desegregate lunch counters in the South during the civil rights movement.