• by George Simpson , Featured Contributor, June 29, 2017

Although most of our dinner-time conversation tends to orbit around schoolwork, the latest episode of this or that TV series or why in the hell Trump is still in office, we found ourselves the other day chewing on a New York Times op-ed regarding a lesbian march in Chicago where on Saturday, three women carrying Jewish pride flags — rainbow flags embossed with a Star of David — were kicked out of the celebration on the grounds that their flags were a “trigger.”

When my 20-year-old rising junior at Tulane offhandedly claimed that at least the Right is clear on its positions, it seemed a profound reversal of his Left-leaning tendencies. So I asked him to explain -- and thought his response interesting enough to share here.

By TJ Simpson

When I look at the recent ejection of proud Jewish lesbians from the annual Dyke March in Chicago, one distinct thought comes to mind: the far Left has created something more concerning than the usually extreme and boorish values of the Far Right, the constant shift of their positions making it unclear exactly what they are.

The Far Right clearly has some frightening ideologies: anti-gay rights, anti-women's rights, racism, dated economic theory, anti-Islamic, anti-Hispanic, anti-Semitic, etc. These  are inherently immoral, and negatively viewed by rational-thinking moderates. But when actions are taken by the Far Right, they are at least consistent with their unfortunate values. Their platform might not be a positive or socially acceptable one in the increasingly progressive world in which we live, but it is seemingly more forthright.

Those aligned with the Far Right fight for what they believe in regardless of who listens and they seem to stick to positions. The same was true when the progressive Left fought for gay rights, ecology, universal medical care, the social safety net, etc. But recently we have seen an increase in dissonance between the values that the Left preaches and the actions that are carried out by those who identify themselves as the Left.

The American public hears about Left values of tolerance, acceptance, freedom of expression, economic equality, etc. But increasingly we have seen the Left act in opposition to their supposed values. The exclusion of the Jewish lesbians at the Dyke March in Chicago on the grounds of intersectionality is only the latest example. The whole left-leaning concept of intersectionality seems to me fraught with contradictions and subject to whatever interpretation is convenient at the time.

The increasing disconnect was seen clearly during and in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential race, when Trump supporters (as wrong as they may have been) were condemned.  Doesn't that go against the inherent ideals of liberalism  --  that everyone has a right to express their opinions without fear of reprisal?  Yet, prominent conservatives were disinvited to speak -- or even in some cases prevented from speaking by liberals on college campuses across the country.

Is it not a main tenet of liberalism and our very country to promote freedom of speech and freedom of ideas? If the Left wants to prove they believe in what they preach, should they not rise above this behavior? What values are too precious to contradict, if any? Is the new liberal platform one where it's acceptable to bully and punish those whom you disagree with? That you don’t have to respect someone’s right to freedom of expression or speech if YOU think it’s wrong? That if someone belongs to a certain religious group or heritage that you disagree with, it’s OK to exclude them?

Liberals might want to keep in mind this often-misattributed quotation, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.'"