Political Intolerance

I recently defended someone's right to express an opinion on her own blog. She stated, almost as a quick throw-away after-thought that she "loved Sarah Palin." That particular comment wasn't even the sum and substance of her blog entry that day.

What was revealing, however, was the fascism of the so-called progressives who weighed in to trash Palin (okay, fair game since she's running for office, albeit most of what they posted wasn't true) and anyone who defended this blogger's position.

Free speech is apparently reserved only for those who are politically correct. The I-Hate-Palin crowd in NYC informed those of us who disagree with them that:

(1) THEY are the "real Jews" and the rest of us are not;

(2) we are right-wingers who don't care about education, women's rights, funding for special needs children, or health care or poor people;

(3) we are brain-washed by the Republican "pro-Israel" platform.

Funny, last time I looked, the Democrats shared that same pro-Israel platform, but that apparently isn't "brainwashing" because they're, well, Democrats.

I wonder if these self-described liberal, progressive, New York "REAL Jews" can spell "Double Standard?"

(4) we are "oppressed" because we are Orthodox women and, I in particular, can't "pretend to be progressive" or a feminist because I sit in a beit knesset with a mehitzah.

One of the statements thrown at me was a pretty disgusting example of how "liberal Jews" demean Orthodox women through their stereotypes:

"And I do think it is very "funny" that an orthodox Jew would comment about feminism and being progressive. Only Islam treats their woman with less respect, and denies them more rights. It’s a real compliment to look at a woman’s bed sheets after her wedding night. That is real humane and progressive."

Proof in black and white that he's an ignorant bigot who knows nothing of Orthodox Judaism yet he's prepared to condemn all women who adhere to it on the basis on his own ignorance and bigotry.

(5) we are akin to Hitler and the KKK;

(6) we are knee-jerk voters for the pro-Israel camp, don't care about the United States at all and shouldn't be allowed to vote in the election.

The old canard -- Jews can't be loyal to their country.

(7) questioning Obama's connections with Rashid Khalidi is "irrational Jewish paranoia."

In other words, sit down, shut up and wave the Democratic flag and don't ask so many questions, because if you don't adhere to the Party Line, then you're "irrational" and somehow this "paranoia" regarding a man who has a lifelong commitment to the destruction of the State of Israel is something all of us should simply accept, or risk being tarred with a blatantly antiSemitic label.

In other words, don't think; just vote the way we tell you to, because we're enlightened and we know best. It doesn't get much more demeaning or condescending than that, and these "progressives" tell us that the political Right and Orthodox Judaism are oppressive? Telling me to shut up, don't think, and vote as instructed is the very epitome of "oppressive."

Notice how none of this is really about Palin's positions? In addition to the ad-hominem attacks, there was a lot of garbage thrown alleging that a vote for anyone other than Messiah Barak will bring back Christian prayer in school, censorship and/or book burnings, back alley abortionists, mandatory creationism in the curriculum, poverty, abandonment of the needy in our communities. In short, a lot of very hateful, spiteful and baseless rhetoric meant to intimidate and cow those who disagreed with them.

It's made me glad I'm no longer a Democrat. If intimidation, insult, and derogatory sexist and anti-Semitic remarks are now the way New York "liberals" want to get their messages across, then "liberal" is a misnomer.

Liberal used to mean favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression, free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant and open-minded.

No more. The rantings of the "progressives" who posted (some in the link above--one of the posters deleted all her remarks so you can only get a flavor of the debate by reading the responses) have conclusively proved that "liberal" today means attacking those who dare to voice a different opinion. That's called "fascism."