America the Intolerant

In a postmodern age (whatever that term means) when many people believe in moral relativity, I find it truly amazing that the same people who we may find as the proponents of relativism use such absolute language to define their political opponents.

Take "The Human Rights Campaign" which is America's largest gay rights organization as an example.

President Elect Barack Obama has recently named Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. This has sparked a flurry of controversy and outrage from some groups. The aforementioned "Human Rights Campaign" has publicly branded Rick Warren that ever so popular and convenient term...INTOLERANT!

(The following is exerpted from an article on CNN.com) "Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights campaign, said Wednesday he feels a 'deep level of disrespect' over the choice of Warren and is calling on Obama to reconsider the move. 'By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table,' Solmonese said in an open letter to Obama that was released by his organization." Thereby, Mr. Solmonese may be implying (ever so slightly) that Obama himself is intolerant.

Here is a definition of intolerance from encarta.msn.com: "Unwillingness or refusal to accept people who are different from you, or views, beliefs, or lifestyles that differ from your own."

I guess, by this definition, Mr. Solmonese is right. Pastor Warren is intolerant. He publicly supported Proposition 8 in California and believes a marriage should be between a man and a woman. I suppose maybe Obama (by a stretch) is intolerant for associating with SUCH people.

However, what we don't see acknowledged by Mr. Solmonese, the "Human Rights Campaign", and other liberal groups is that they themselves are intolerant. If intolerance is an unwillingness or refusal to accept people who are different from oneself or whose beliefs are different than one's own, the "Human Rights Campaign" is intolerant of Pastor Warren's beliefs and apparently, is intolerant of President Elect Obama's attempts to atleast listen to a diversity of opinions.

Obama has defended his inviting of Pastor Warren as exactly this...an opportunity to involve people in his administration from all different perspectives, viewpoints, and beliefs. For the bulk of his campaign and also during his victory speech in Chicago, Obama has promised to be a president to all Americans and involve people of different political persuasions in his administration. So far, he has made attempts to do this.

It is absurd to think that Obama agrees with Pastor Rick Warren. He doesn't on many issues including abortion (Warren compares this to the German Holocaust) and gay rights (although both Obama and Joe Biden stated that they oppose gay marriage but support civil unions). However, the two men do agree on helping the poor, fighting AIDS in Africa, and many other social issues.

Obama may find the attempt at the middle road a pretty lonely place. He'll be gutter sniped from all sides. Some on the right wing will always criticize him as a far left zealot and some of those that are a part of the left wing will call him a traitor if he doesn't shove a far left agenda down the throat of America.

But let's stop with this nonsense of using stupid terms like "intolerant" through the media. We are ALL intolerant. We ALL discriminate as we see the world from our own perspectives and judge others accordingly. We are America the intolerant. Let's be honest now for this is our common ground.