Getting along Peaceably

Self-righteous Manicheanism is always undesirable and often dangerous. We are seeing a some  of it lately from the winning side of the so-called culture war concerning homosexuality.  Millions of traditionally minded religious people in this country  - Christians mainly but also Muslims, Jews, and others -  believe that homosexual activity is sinful. Their holding this  opinion does not by itself mean they are hateful, bigoted, or enemies of decency. (It is worth noting that most of them also believe that non-marital heterosexual activity is sinful.) 

Attempts by leftists and homosexual political activists to brand such people as children of darkness who must be shunned and punished are wrong.  Some of them may be bigots, but many are decent, respectable, fair, worthwhile people who take the traditional doctrines of their religion seriously. They generally are not advocating making homosexual behavior illegal again or for anything else politically that would harm homosexual people. They certainly have a right to their opinions and should be free to express them without fear of reprisal.  

Homosexuals were completely right to demand tolerance.  Activists are completely wrong  to go beyond that and demand approval. No one has a right to demand others approve of him or his actions. That is their choice.  It does a person no harm if his neighbor thinks his sexual interests  are sinful or distasteful or ridiculous as long as that neighbor leaves him alone to live as he likes. (Of course it also does a person no harm if his neighbor thinks his religious opinions are superstitious or distasteful or ridiculous as long as that neighbor leaves him alone to live as he likes.) 

There is a lot of strong diversity of opinion in this country on lots of things, and it isn’t going away.  If we want to live together peaceably, we must learn to leave each other alone and not force our opinions on others.  It is not only right. It is practical in a game theoretic sense.  A’s forcing his orthodoxy and notions of correctness on B creates a precedent and incentive for B to return the favor if he gets the chance. Political winds change, and the loser now may be later to win. 

Republicans Need to Get Serious

There is still a political controversy over a plank in the platform of the Republicans in Texas endorsing so-called therapies intended to change homosexuals into heterosexuals. It is not clear to me what the Republicans had in mind with this plank. Some say they were merely affirming a person’s right to choose. Others say they were advocating such therapies and supporting their use on unwilling adolescents. What is clear to me is that they were not using their heads when they did it. There is a very nearly zero probability of the Texas legislature outlawing these practices, and they must have known that. So why burden their platform with something which was unnecessary and likely to offend homosexuals?

I believe the actions, plans, and policies of the Obama administration are a serious threat to the freedom and safety of Americans and must be resisted and reversed, starting with the elections  this November. The Republicans in Texas claim to believe this also, yet seem to have trouble seeing what it should mean in terms of action, as their conduct in this example  illustrates.

While many homosexuals may be leftists committed to Obama and the Democrats, many others of both genders are concerned, freedom loving, patriotic Americans who are dismayed by what is going on with this administration and might be more willing  to support the Republicans if the Republicans would stop insulting them.  If we really are in a crisis, that is not too much to ask of the social conservatives. They would not have to change their beliefs or prejudices. They would only have to learn to welcome allies in the important struggle wherever they could find them  and realize that if the place is on fire, the social and cultural controversies (all of them, not just the ones concerning homosexuality) are less important at the moment than putting the flames out.

Libertarians certainly have done that for  the social conservatives. Many of us will hold our noses in November and vote for some really remarkable Republican yahoos, because we believe that the threats we face are real and serious, and that those who oppose them need to make common cause to overcome them.   A great man was quoted as saying it well in a situation far more dangerous than the one we face: “we must all hang together, or, assuredly,  we shall all hang separately.” He meant it literally. We have the luxury of facing the alternative only figuratively, but leaving Obama and company unchecked will be bad enough. Surely the homosexual baiting and all the rest can wait at least until the imminent threat has passed.