Letter to the Editor pt. 2
When the first link of a chain to restrict individual liberty is forged, the first freedom denied, the first spoken or written word censored, a novel or original thought / idea constrained, and the nation’s judicious way of life declared intolerant, we the People become bruised and forever altered. At the forefront of this argument, is the freedom of expression and personal opinion which, for too many, has led to either financial ruin, physically harm, or both.
An opinionated life is not safe, for in order to think, debate, and learn, you must risk being offensive. It is the only means in which humans mature into a stronger and wiser adult. However, the consequence of those who practice intolerance, shall be that they will become universally ignorant and immoral in their customs, they will sink under their own weight, society will collapse, liberty will disappear like a whisper in a strong wind, and in the end the central government will become authoritarian.
The intolerant does not seek to rule by consciences, but to terrify the People into obedience – to rule by fear. It is the intolerant who are the true enemy of the People of the United States.
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn