Be Optimistic, Libertarians!
Mark Shea hits the nail on the head again in this article about the hypocritical oversensitivity of our society. People now seem to have gotten the idea that the sanctity of their personhood is being assaulted when opinions differ or everything does not sit perfectly okay with them. ‘Respect everyone‘ has come to mean ‘respect everyone’s opinions in all cases, because it is not correct to have those that differ.’ Unfortunately, many times this means your speech and expression will be constrained to the point that there is little material 1st Amendment freedom left in your life.
An example that came to mind for me when reading this was the recent obsession with slamming Catholic priests with child molestation lawsuits. Besides these suits having very little to do with retribution or healing and more with monetary gain and assault on the institution of the Church (another debate in and of itself that I will be sure to take on), the glaring hypocrisy in the ‘rights’ campaign for NAMBLA in the early 90’s speaks volumes about sensitivity in our culture. It is okay to feel sensitive to every tiny word and affront to your opinions while simultaneously being insensitive to the world around you when seeking ‘rights’ – no matter how much those ‘rights’ oppress others. This preoccupation with not being offended has to stop, and soon. Luckily, most courts don’t buy into the cheap logic of ‘offense’. But some courts and legislators are moving in that direction…
The bottom line: You do not have the right to not be offended.
Read it. Shea never fails to impress…
