Some people are so averse to disagreement that they will suppress others -- sometimes violently.
That may seem extreme, but severe extremists are those who will not tolerate questions or disagreement.
America was founded by extremists. That is, by people who disagreed with British government policy. However, they soon established similar policies here, and sought to banish those who disagreed. In fact, many in the colonies who favored staying with Britain fled to Canada.
"Go back to where you came from," became the cry against those who disagree.
"If you don't like it here, go away," is echoed now.
"We were here first, so you have to follow our rules," is another chant.
These echo the identical opposition early Americans encountered, and equaled the reasons they came to the new world in the first place. That, and the need to live their lives as they choose.
It could be said that America was founded by extremists; those who wanted to live their own lives regardless of government policies that insisted on a single, specified way. Example: A state religion.
These same founders acknowledged that others had the same right, and that's why they formalized it in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
"We hold these truths to be self evident," the document says, that everyone has the inalienable right to pursue happiness their own way. In addition, the founders prohibited Congress from making any law infringing on these rights, and this was written in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Yet today, and at other times since these rights were declared, government has cut off these same rights from minority groups -- people who did not look like others in America. To these bigots, a being that did not look like them was not a person, and therefore could be treated like any other "lesser animal."
These days, however, many people maintain that there are no "lesser animals." They may be different, but they remain valued creatures in the view of their Creator, as the founders phrased it, with certain inalienable rights.
Time catches up to the most careful villain. Sometimes a careless villain gains time when villagers delay enforcing the rules that society agreed all must follow.
We now face a time when extremists want to impose their rules on all others, insisting that anyone who disagrees is un-American.
That may seem extreme, but severe extremists are those who will not tolerate questions or disagreement.
America was founded by extremists. That is, by people who disagreed with British government policy. However, they soon established similar policies here, and sought to banish those who disagreed. In fact, many in the colonies who favored staying with Britain fled to Canada.
"Go back to where you came from," became the cry against those who disagree.
"If you don't like it here, go away," is echoed now.
"We were here first, so you have to follow our rules," is another chant.
These echo the identical opposition early Americans encountered, and equaled the reasons they came to the new world in the first place. That, and the need to live their lives as they choose.
It could be said that America was founded by extremists; those who wanted to live their own lives regardless of government policies that insisted on a single, specified way. Example: A state religion.
These same founders acknowledged that others had the same right, and that's why they formalized it in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
"We hold these truths to be self evident," the document says, that everyone has the inalienable right to pursue happiness their own way. In addition, the founders prohibited Congress from making any law infringing on these rights, and this was written in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Yet today, and at other times since these rights were declared, government has cut off these same rights from minority groups -- people who did not look like others in America. To these bigots, a being that did not look like them was not a person, and therefore could be treated like any other "lesser animal."
These days, however, many people maintain that there are no "lesser animals." They may be different, but they remain valued creatures in the view of their Creator, as the founders phrased it, with certain inalienable rights.
Time catches up to the most careful villain. Sometimes a careless villain gains time when villagers delay enforcing the rules that society agreed all must follow.
We now face a time when extremists want to impose their rules on all others, insisting that anyone who disagrees is un-American.
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