Does One Raised Voice Silence Another?

You know, I keep reading about how people feel the Bush administration does not put up with opposing views. Movies like V for Vendetta and A Scanner Darkly are coming out that show an overbearing fascist government where those voicing dissenting opinion disappear.

So, what Hollywood is saying is that under Bush's conservative reign, those people who oppose his view of the world feel under attack.

Where does this persecution complex come from? My guess is high standards. Under Bush, the FCC is holding communication companies to higher moral standards of decency, fining companies such as CBS, etc. Such fines have caused Howard Stern to move to the unregulated Sirius satellite service. Also, Bush's White House has certainly been more closed off to the media than previous administrations, but with the bashing they get, can you blame them?

In the end, are dissenters really being suppressed or are they ticked off that conservative Americans are finally pulling their weight and voicing their opinion? For a long time, conservative Americans played the fat, dumb and happy role to a T. They sat quietly by and tried to be open to political correctness and social upheaval, but now they are concerned that some proposed changes are starting to erode away at their core beliefs in our society. Some changes were necessary and positive... the Civil Rights movement for example. However, it is difficult for me to find a social positive to the sexual revolution... divorce is up, sexual transmitted diseases are up, abortions are up, children born out of wedlock are up, single parenthood is up... none of those strengthen our society.

Now, finally, conservative Americans are voicing their opinion, standing up for what they believe, and it appears to me that the liberals are having a hard time dealing with it. They have stirred the sleeping giant of majority moral opinion from their four decade slumber and are now whining because conservatives are following the liberals lead... demanding that society reflect their morals.

I've always found it interesting that liberal opinions are considered open and conservative opinions are considered closed? Have you noticed that?

• If I support gay marriage, I'm open minded.
• If I support traditional marriage, I'm closed minded.
• If I support pre-marital sex, I'm open minded.
• If I support abstinence until marriage, I'm close minded.
• If I support abortion, I'm open minded.
• If I support that life begins at conception, I'm close minded.

The prevailing attitude is that liberals are progressive, conservatives are restrictive. Who the hell made up those frickin' rules?

• Liberals want the government to stay out of their personal lives, conservatives want the government to stay out of their wallets.
• Liberals think the rich should support the poor, conservatives think individuals should support themselves.
• Liberals think personal actions are none of the governments business and anything goes, unless, of course, those personal actions end up making you a lot of money, then the government needs half of it so they can give your money to those who's personal actions have led them to have less than you.
• Liberals want individual standards of behavior. Conservatives want societal standards of behavior.

Conservatives have lived in a progressively liberal world and they've just grown plain sick and tired of it. They're forging policy buy using their votes, their voices and their buying power, just the way liberals have done for years. So, if liberals feel they're being attacked, welcome to the club. Conservatives feel like they've been under attack since the 1960s. Get in line and stop your whining.

In reality, there is enough room in our society for opinions from both sides of the aisle. One raised voice does not silence another. To the contrary, it usually starts a discussion... or an argument.

Either way, embracing the discussion makes us stronger. Silencing either opinion, liberal or conservative, makes us weaker. As the first Republican once said... "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

We should remember that.