Intolerance Of Ideas Should Not Be A Liberal Attribute

Liberals/progressives are quick to condemn conservatives for being intolerant, and they are right to do so. Free speech and democracy demands the free flow of ideas . This does not mean that one must be tolerant of evil actions by anyone, but ideas (even repugnant ones) must be protected.

But sadly, conservatives are not the only people who are intolerant. Sometimes we liberals/progressives are also, and we need to check ourselves and remember who we are -- believers in democratic values and free speech.

The following is part of an excellent and thought-provoking op-ed from Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times. I think it deserves attention from those of us on the left.

Progressives of my era often revere the adage misattributed to Voltaire: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” For young progressives, the priority is more about standing up to perceived racism, misogyny, Islamophobia and bigotry.

The rise of President Trump has amplified this generational clash and raised the fundamental question of how to live liberal values in an illiberal age.

It’s a difficult balance, requiring intellectual humility. . . .

While I admire campus activism for its commitment to social justice, I also worry that it sometimes becomes infused with a prickly intolerance, embracing every kind of diversity except one: ideological diversity. Too often, we liberals embrace people who don’t look like us, but only if they think like us. . . .

For those of us who believe that liberalism should model inclusivity and tolerance, even in intolerant times, even to the exclusive and the intolerant, it was disappointing to see Cambridge University this year rescind a fellowship for Jordan Peterson, the Canadian best-selling author who says he will not use people’s preferred pronouns. Debate him — that’s how to win the argument — rather than trying to squelch him.

Liberals sometimes howl when this newspaper brings in a conservative columnist or publishes a sharply conservative Op-Ed. We progressives should have the intellectual curiosity to grapple with disagreeable views. . . .

I fear that Trump has made it easy for liberal activists to demonize conservatives and evangelicals. People are complicated at every end of the spectrum, and it’s as wrong to stereotype conservatives or evangelicals as it is to stereotype someone on the basis of race, immigration status or sex. . . .

As a liberal, I mostly write about conservative blind spots. But on the left as well as the right, we can get so caught up in our narratives that we lose perspective; nobody has a monopoly on truth. If Trump turns progressives into intolerant agents of incivility, then we have lost our souls.

As we head toward elections with monumental consequences,polarization will increase and mutual fear will surge. The challenge will be to stand up for our values — without betraying them.