Dear Friends,
It seems to me, “liberals” not only demand we approve of everything they do and think, but we must even support and pay for it, while they are entitled to decree to the rest of us what to do, and even what to think. Reminiscent of 1984 George Orwell, the thought police are here under the guise of “social justice,” “inclusiveness” and “fairness.” Progressives themselves seem blind to the chilling effect their beliefs have on open and honest debate. (Or are they)? The people who follow leftist reasoning constantly sing the praises of democracy, but true democracy requires as a precondition open debate, lacking that free debate, democracy is nothing more than a tyranny of the loudmouths. Moreover, lacking freedom of thought, conscience and action, a society quickly devolves into poverty, stagnation and oppression. Lest we follow many other great civilizations into deprivation, we have to open our eyes to this most pernicious form of thought control, highlighting it for the rest of society to see.
Like the inquisitor of old, modern “liberals” demand conformity with their way of thinking, else they are happy to use the power of the State to compel agreement. Today we are forced, through thought laws and political correctness, to support the political line no matter how absurd it is, or becomes. Christians are forced to pay for “art” that depicts Mary decorated in feces, (the sign of Baal), we are forced to pay for abortions, we must cater gay weddings else loose our businesses, etc… There is no level of oppressive action that is out of limits for the political and cultural elite to foist on Christians. In our “modern” society Christianity has negative political favor.
Christians and Jews are not the only victims of the thought police. Gun owners are regularly called vitriolic names by the political elite, and the Right to keep and bear arms is increasingly being infringed. Progressives don’t like cigarettes, so they outlaw smoking in public, and even in one’s own home, in some places. The nanny state is fueled by the leftist mindset where everything they think we should do is enshrined in regulation. From economically destructive regulations against hydro fracturing, to how many days a store can have a sign out, are common in states that have a high proportion of progressives. They regulate every aspect of what it is to be human, but cannot stand anyone else finding what they do, immoral. Anyone who disagrees with the progressive political establishment is under attack today.
Hate crime is the definition of a thought crime. If someone kills or harms another, based on a thought, IE hate, they are punished especially fervently. This kind of law is based on what a person thinks and not what a person does. Therefore, when a hate crime is charged, thought police are active. There are already laws against murder, assault and theft, and so if someone commits those crimes, they can be punished for what they do, and not what they think. This wrong is magnified by the fact that certain politically favored groups cannot be charged with hate crimes, only a disfavored race can, which is racist in and of itself. Illustrating the pernicious nature of thought laws.
Freedom doesn’t only apply to those who we agree with though. I find many things detestable, but I don’t try to outlaw the idea, I argue against them in open debate. If something is wrong society will eventually recognize it and grow beyond it. Only if there is free debate however. Lacking debate, absurdity can become entrenched, growing to undermine economic prosperity, and liberty itself. We all want to be thought open minded, no one wants people to be discriminated against, but thought laws make us closed minded and force us to discriminate, in the name of social justice and fairness, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Most people are not really engaged in the workings of politics, especially when society is moderately wealthy, they only want to work, have a family and go on vacation now and then. They don’t want to be called racists, haters or other vitriolic names and so they keep quiet and go along. Since these negative monickers are poured on certain segments of society, those people who remain silent fall into a trap set for them, believing that those segments are evil, and that disagreement with the cultural and political elite is actually hateful. So they vote, act and agree with what they know in their hearts is wrong. This is the way societies crumble, economies collapse, tyrannies rise and a new normal of economic depression is formed. Open, honest and free debate is the solution, thought laws are the problem, if we continue to embrace the problem and eschew the solution, we can kiss our liberty, and prosperity goodbye, forever.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
