HGTV cancelled its upcoming show “Flip It Forward” hosted by twin brothers David and Jason Benham over their views on homosexuality and abortion.
HGTV pulled the plug because Leftwing group “Right Wing Watch” portrayed the brothers as supporting the killing homosexuals. “Right Wing Watch” also conflated the brothers with their outspoken father through wordplay and obfuscation.
What do the brothers say to these charges?
“We love homosexuals and love Muslims and have nothing against [either]… The point of this is there’s an agenda that is seeking to silence the voice of men and women of faith. That’s what all this is about. I absolutely think any sex outside marriage is not healthy for human flourishing. I think it’s very important we set the record straight… There’s a difference between people and agenda.
“…
“[T]he brothers issued a statement in which they said ‘anyone who suggests that we hate homosexuals or people of other faiths is either misinformed or lying. … Over the last decade, we’ve sold thousands of homes with the guiding principle of producing value and breathing life into each family that has crossed our path, and we do not, nor will we ever discriminate against people who do not share our views.'”
This, then, is the Left’s Sith logic: “If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.” They conflate opposition to policy and behavior with hatred for people who support those policies and engage in such behavior. In their manichean worldview, you either fully support the proffered policies and behavior or you want to oppress and hate those who hold those policies and engage in such behaviors.
In other words, you are either an oppressor, or you are trying to overthrow oppression by supporting policies and behaviors that challenge the systems of oppression. This is seen when the Left often say that they are simply intolerant of intolerance, and are thus tolerant. They can not conceive that you can oppose what people believe and do, but still tolerate it; it stands in complete contrast with their worldview.
This is also what happened with the Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty. Mr. Robertson expressed his belief that homosexual behavior, among other things, is sinful. He did not express hate, but actually expressed toleration and even Christian love for gays and others. Unlike Duck Dynasty, which is highly popular, the show Flip It Forward had not been aired yet, and the Benham Bros. did not yet have a fan base to rally around them.
The Left demands intellectual conformity with their worldview, and are intolerant of those who disagree, no matter how tolerant those who disagree are. The idea that they are simply “intolerant of intolerance” is a lie. Any divergence is seen as something to be intolerated, even to the point of being intolerant of those who agree with the Left but simply expresses tolerance with those whom they disagree! The Left is intolerant of tolerance.
Over at the Ace of Spade HQ, the veritable Ace comments on the American Left and their hypocrisy over Boko Haram. The broader worldview of the Left that he explains is a broader one, and is the same world view that leads to their intolerance of dissent:
“[It is] a strange thing for anyone on the American Left to claim — because they vigorously attempt to marginalize, delegitimize, and silence any ideas conflicting with their own.
“Why? Well, obviously they fear that ideas have power, and that if people believe ideas contrary to the left’s ideas, then the nation will change from what it otherwise would have been. It will turn from the America that could be, as Hillary Clinton would say.
“For example, if even one alleged Racist is permitted to own a basketball team, why, that would Normalize racism, mainstream it, suggest that racism is permissible and proper.
“Thus, we must ruthlessly stamp out of Racism at the ideological roots or else it will surely bloom into flowers of racist action.”
Herein we see the truth of the Left’s motivation: The desire to recast society in their preferred vision of utopia. If people are allowed to have a dissenting opinion, that would normalize that opinion, making it permissible and proper. If those “incorrect” opinions are permissible and proper, than contrary “correct” opinions would not be. Consequently, that means that in order to “correct” opinions permissible and proper, they must be normalized, and that means that “incorrect” opinions be denormalized and made impermissible and improper. To this end, the Left must become a paragon of intolerance and actually oppose tolerance practiced by others in order to impose their worldview. Opposing views must be crushed and diminished in order for the Left to remold society and make their views the dominant one.
That the Left has to take such intolerant measures is telling. They must marginalize and delegitimize dissenting views in order to impose their norms. This is antithetical to tolerance. This is an intolerance of tolerance.
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