Who Are the Fascists

A commenter who claims to be a libertarian - and insists that Sarah Palin is one too - has accused me, other gays who oppose the Christianist agenda, and those who support Barack Obama, of being "fascists." I beg to differ and based on his arrogant and nasty remarks, would posit that it is he and other dogmatic, far right types, not to mention the Christianists, who are the true fascists. Just ask Kathleen Parker (pictured at left), a conservative columnist, about what she has experienced since she authored a column that all too correctly stated that Christianist darling Sarah Palin was not only unqualified to be the VP candidate, but needs to withdraw from the GOP ticket. Here are some high lights from Parker's latest column in the Chicago Tribune that describes her treatment:

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WASHINGTON — Allow me to introduce myself. I am a traitor and an idiot. Also, my mother should have aborted me and left me in a Dumpster, but since she didn't, I should "off" myself.Those are just a few nuggets randomly selected from thousands of e-mails written in response to my column suggesting that Sarah Palin is out of her league and should step down.

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After 20 years of column writing, I'm familiar with angry mail. But the past few days have produced responses of a different order. Not just angry, but vicious and threatening. Some of my usual readers feel betrayed because I previously have written favorably of Palin. By changing my mind and saying so, I am viewed as a traitor to the Republican Party—not a "true" conservative.

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The picture is this: Anyone who dares express an opinion that runs counter to the party line will be silenced. That doesn't sound American to me, but Stalin would approve. Readers have every right to reject my opinion. But when we decide that a person is a traitor and should die for having an opinion different than one's own, then we cross into territory that puts all freedoms at risk. (I hear you, Dixie Chicks.)

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Our day of reckoning, indeed, may be upon us. Between war and economic collapse, we have enormous challenges. It will take the best of everyone to solve them. That process begins minimally with a commitment to engage in civil discourse and a cease-fire in the war against unwelcome ideas.

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One thing I have found time and time again in my years following the rantings of the far right. They routinely accuse their liberal and moderate opponents of what they themselves are in fact guilty of doing. Thus accusations of fascism are a failure on the far right's failure to take a good look in a mirror and an attempt to transfer their own motivations to others..