It is now standard for the “open-minded” liberal to label anyone who dares disagree with him as bigoted or “anti-intellectual,” as does Mr. Art Hobson. By pretending their opponents are morally and intellectually inferior, leftists find it easier to peddle their standard false-choice arguments to the under-informed masses.
It is instructive that Mr.
Hobson (April 14) says “gun safety (please don’t call it “gun control’). The left consistently seeks to control opinions by controlling language. While these changes do not alter the reality of any situation, they have the long-term eff ect of softening public opinions, something they well know.
Like many Americans, I believe members of the LGBT community should be given the same protections under the law as their heterosexual counterparts. The one thing I’ve never heard adequately addressed is this simple question: Why is it necessary to redefine traditional marriage to accomplish this goal? Wouldn’t civil unions do the trick?
It is sadly typical of liberals that the unintended consequences of their “right thing to do” legislation wreck havoc on our society.
A wise author once wrote, “Good without reason always accomplishes evil.” The policies of “The Great Society” have had a devastating effect on black culture in the United States.
The percentage of black children living with a single parent was 22 percent in 1960. “Compassionate” policies intended to feed hungry children provided an incentivie for minority parents to remain single in order to get more government benefits. By 2006 the number of single-parent black children was 56 percent! While other societal factors are involved, it can scarcely be argued that the dissolution of the black family has been incredibly harmful. Relevance? In 2011, 52 percent of all U.S. gun murders were committed by black Americans - even though they made up only 13.6 percent of the overall population. The effective rate of gun-related homicides for the remainder of the American population that year was only 2.6 per 100,000. How does the leftist war on the NRA address this societal issue? To call the rise of conservative Republicans in the South a “dark spot” is not surprising from a member of academia. The vilification of traditional American values has always been a primary objective of leftist propaganda, with the classroom serving as the primary venue. Traditional American values, to my mind, have nothing to do with contraception, abortion, sexuality or any other emotionally charged issue used to distract the masses from real issues. Traditional American values include self-determination, personal responsibility, charity, equality of opportunity, equal treatment under the law, personal integrity, and the value of the family.
In closing, the echo chamber of like-minded individuals with whom Hobson associates reinforces his views. It is not representative of the opinions of the average American. He sees demands that we abide by the rule of law and respect the principles of our founding documents as insular. We see them as the solid rock upon which our nation was built and as the only path back from the edge of the abyss.
STEVE BLEVINS
Fayetteville
Opinion, Pages 5 on 04/25/2013