I just want to point folks to a great piece by David Harsanyi in the Denver Post: Rhetoric Not As Radical As You Think
Freedom is a funny thing. It means not always getting what you want.
When the liberal radio network Air America airs a "comedy skit" that threatens the president with assassination, it's all in good fun.
But when Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson, a man with millions of peaceful followers, flexes his political muscle, he's the "anti-Christ," hijacking Christianity, a religious nut, a crusader for the new theocratic state.
How dare he speak?
When three "progressive" political activists are, quite properly, thrown out of President Bush's Social Security rally (too many "progressives" confuse the nasty act of throwing things at speakers and shouting malicious slogans as genuine debate) they're heralded as martyrs of The Good Cause.
Yet, when religious conservatives congregate to complain about unconstitutional and unheralded filibusters, they are portrayed as a bunch of retrogrades who want to turn the Capitol into a cathedral.
One recent Post letter writer opined that with Dobson, "The very values and principles on which our democracy and liberty are founded are threatened."
This is a hyperbolic talking point, wholly unsubstantiated and unreasonable. It only seeks to obscure debate.
My initial reflex has been to pile on Dobson, with whom I disagree on social issues. After reading his words, however, I discovered not a single sentence that promotes a theocracy.
Instead, what I found out was that progressives believe separation of church and state means that anyone involved in religion should avoid involvement in politics.
The whole thing is worthwhile reading.
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