I don’t understand the Left

Our nation is divided. Maybe it has always been divided, but there seems to be a greater gulf between the Right and Left than ever before.

If you have been reading my editorials for any length of time you have probably concluded that I am not a leftist or a liberal. I admit it. I don’t even want to be known as a liberal giver – maybe a generous giver, but not a liberal giver.

I want to understand liberals and even embrace them, but I must admit, “I don’t understand the left.” I suppose that the leftists don’t understand those of us on the “right” either.

First, liberals claim to be open-minded, but they think nothing of denying someone as prominent as former Secretary of State Condolezza Rice the right to speak for the commencement ceremonies at Rutgers University.

Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum in Kentucky, was to speak at the University of Central Oklahoma, but his speech was cancelled because some students were bothered by Ham’s values. They contradicted their own policies, which promote “free inquiry” and “inclusiveness on campus.”

The Academy Awards (Oscars) have been substantially transformed from a celebration of great achievements in the film industry into political rhetoric and speeches bashing conservatives. The anti-Trump and anti-conservative rants seem to be tolerated, but when conservatives assert themselves to speak on their values it is called “hate speech."

John Hall, writing for Townhall states, “To a liberal, being open-minded has nothing at all to do with seriously considering other people’s ideas. To the contrary, liberals define being open-minded as agreeing with them. What could be more close minded than assuming that not only are you right, but that you don’t even need to consider another viewpoint because anyone who disagrees must be evil?”

As I see what is happening in the nation I am concerned that the protests and activism of the Left may be disparately used to muzzle conservative viewpoints.

Second, the professed open-mindedness of liberals can be reduced to one simple premise: They believe it takes a village to raise a child. Or to put it another way, they believe the government can do the best job of raising children and solving all the problems of the world.

That is why liberals believe in big government, higher taxes, government intrusion into private lives, and a growing welfare state rather than tradition, order, responsibility, accountability, virtue, and stability.

The word “liberal” denotes liberty, but the liberty it advocates is a liberty with no limiting principles, which has, in turn, led to the normalization of abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, euthanasia, the legalization of marijuana, same-sex marriage, relativism, socialism, and when there are no societal limits and restraints on big government totalitarianism is generally the logical result.

The truth is that the government generally fails to measure up to the success of the private sector. Take the education system in America. Although we have many dedicated teachers and administrators in the public schools of America, the students’ progress in public schools has been stagnant since the 1970s, even as other nations have advanced. In contrast, students who are home schooled receive a much better education. The national average percentile scores for those who are homeschooled are far better than those in public schools.

Furthermore, The United States Postal Service has been on the brink of complete bankruptcy for nearly two decades, while the private sector courier delivery services of FedEx and United Postal Service operate profitably with net incomes in the billions of dollars. So, I have trouble understanding the liberals’ belief that the government can solve all our problems.

There are many other points that can be made to refute liberalism, but it seems that Christianity and the Left are polar opposites. Ann Coulter, author, columnist, and political commentator, stated, “Liberals hate religion, because politics is a religion substitute for liberals and they can’t stand the competition.”

History tells us that there was a time when liberalism held moral convictions. In the 19th century, liberalism embraced Burke’s social freedom and Gladstone’s view that the masses were nobler than the governing elite. The neo-liberalism of the 21st century is barely comparable to its 19th century ancestry.

Coulter, in her book Godless, said, “If a Martian landed in America and set out to determine the nation’s official state religion, he would have to conclude it is Liberalism, while Christianity and Judaism are prohibited by law.” Coulter declares that liberalism is the state-sanctioned religion in American; and that it is a godless one. Christianity, on the other hand, is becoming illegal, and there are many cases to illustrate that alarming reality.

So, I just don’t understand the Left. While it may seem to offer freedom, reason and the well being of ordinary people, it seems to offer no more than socialism and servitude.

James Kalb, in his book The Tyrannical Logic of Liberalism, may say it best: “Advanced liberalism fosters an inert and incompetent populace, a pervasive state, and commercial institutions responsible mainly to themselves.”

Kalb adds that religion plays no role in the liberal understanding of rational social functioning, so it is understood as pure principles of irrational opposition and hatred and impossible to reconcile with the Left’s agenda.

So, the ideology of the Left seems to lead down a dead end street, but Christianity offers God’s grace, forgiveness, peace, salvation, and ultimately heaven itself. I just don’t understand the thinking and actions of the Left.