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“How dare you disagree with our open minded views!” Such has been the nature of a growing sentiment in America in recent years. And it was never more evident than in the aftermath of last week’s Miss USA pageant, during which a question was posed by a judge that obviously was designed to elicit a specific response from the contestant. The thoughtful, polite and heartfelt answer given by California’s Carrie Prejean was definitely not that response. Miss California’s answer, and the subsequent reaction on the far left, has created a firestorm in America, from water cooler discussions to high profile talk shows. Partly so because the question itself was controversial and demanded that Prejean take certain risks in order to articulate her true beliefs. But mostly so because her true beliefs were the wrong beliefs in the eyes of the wrong people. In case you’ve been on the moon for the past week, the question posed by judge Perez Hilton concerned Prejean’s views on same sex marriage. Her answer certainly did not reflect the views of Hilton himself, but was very well stated and seemed to be an honest and transparent reflection of her beliefs. She said that while this is America, and people are entitled to their own view of marriage, her personal belief was that marriage should be between a man and a woman. It was a good answer. But not good enough to win her the title of Miss USA. Prejean finished as first runner-up behind Miss North Carolina. Now I’m going to say this, not as a columnist but as a man. It was a rip-off job. Now Miss North Carolina is good looking - don’t get me wrong on that one. But listen when I tell you that from this eye’s perspective, Carrie Prejean might be the most stunning woman ever to seek first place in a beauty contest. Enough said. Apparently the judges thought Prejean had said enough as well. Not only did her remarks cost her the title, they also elicited a tirade of venomous rhetoric from judge Hilton. This supporter of gay marriage; this “champion” of equal rights for all; this supposed crusader for civil liberties and freedom of expression, let loose on Prejean in his video blog, even describing her with the “B” word. Even the people in charge of the Miss California pageant, who should have been Prejean’s biggest supporters, were aghast at the insensitivity of her answer, and expressed their intense disappointment over her intolerance. Excuse me - but exactly who is being intolerant here? We seem to have reached a point in our social history where freedom of speech and expression has become a paradox. In the eyes of many liberals who treat open mindedness like some sort of cardinal virtue, freedom of thought has become limited to certain ideology. In other words, you have every right to express your opinions politely and thoughtfully - as long as you don't disagree with my liberal views. And this growing mentality is not limited to beauty contests. Among the most fertile breeding grounds for this phenomenon are colleges and universities. The academic world has long been the realm where free ideas and independent thinking have been considered sacred. According to the powers that govern most of these institutions, they still are. You just better be sure your free ideas don't threaten their established ones. Outlandish suggestions like the existence of GOD being compatible with science, or intelligent design having something to do with the origin of the universe are not welcome in these so-called bastions of intellectual freedom. Don’t believe me? Ask one of your local university officials about intelligent design curriculum and see how far you get. Yes, it’s an amazing evolution (if I may borrow a word from the other side) that has taken place with our First Amendment in the eyes of some. The addendum to our Constitution that allows individuals to express their religious beliefs and personal convictions without government interference or public discrimination, has now become a tool of manipulation by many in the liberal left. Same sex marriage is an issue that exposes the hypocrisy. To support it is a liberty, protected by the Bill of Rights. To oppose it is seen as bigotry, perhaps even hate speech. The abortion issue carries the same manipulative aspect. Protecting the reproductive rights of women is hailed as a constitutional liberty. Affording the same protection to a defenseless unborn child is intolerant and narrow minded. But I refuse to subscribe to such upside down philosophy. I tip my hat to Carrie Prejean, who saw individual freedom of expression as a true virtue of liberty. A virtue more noble than political correctness or a left-leaning social ideology. And more important than a sparkling tiara.
By Richie Beeler
Thank you Richie Beeler for this article. We need many more writers, like you, who are profound, bold and truthful.
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