Cancel culture definition: A modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles. [Author’s note: It’s a common weapon among woke anti-freedom of speech advocates.]
Have liberals created a new form of discrimination that is aligned with cancel culture? It is no longer possible for conservatives to speak freely on sensitive subjects in public places including schools, workplaces, in the media and even in the halls of Congress without being “cancelled.” Let’s explore the aggressive posture taken by Democrats in recent years.
Most recently, Dorian Abbott, a physicist and professor at the University of Chicago, was asked to make a speech during the John Carlson Lectures at MIT about “… new results in climate science to the general public.” A backlash by MIT students and alumni erupted. They called on MIT to cancel Abbot’s invitation because of his publicly stated opinions about student admissions at elite colleges. This is one instance of cancel culture at its worst. Abbott was “cancelled.”
Since when are conservative commentators banned from places of higher learning? Consider Berkeley in 2017, the original epicenter of free speech in the 60s, when liberal students burned down the town to prohibit a conservative TV personality from making a speech. Shame on them. It was another case of cancel culture.
Woke misbehavior started quite a few years ago. In 2000, for instance, if you disclosed to a liberal that you were a George W. Bush supporter, you may have been verbally abused? Did Al Gore supporters call you an idiot because you voted for the second Bush? Were you lambasted every time you spoke up for Bush’s policies that happened to champion exceptionalism, capitalism, free speech, closed borders, quid pro quos relating to welfare, charter schools, and balance budgets?
I know Republicans who lost friends because they worked at financial institutions, bastions of good economic policies and many conservative perspectives. I know people who were ostracized at their children’s school because they donated “too much money” for scholarships. In the meantime, monetary gifts were subsidizing the critics’ children.
The situation is dire. Families have splintered because a member supports conservative candidates. It has become so difficult for parents and children to have political conversations in a civil manner. I hasten to point out that young liberals don’t believe free speech is the right of all Americans, only the right of liberals. Did they happen to learn this at school or at home, or both?
Our schools and colleges are overrun with teachers and professors that discourage students from having conservative perspectives. Even in grade school, liberal minded teachers forbid the discussion of issues that are contrary to their dogma, like gun ownership and abortion.
What is the problem with the woke culture? Do they really believe conservatives are stupid, uninformed, uneducated, misogynists and outright bigots? Keep in mind that since Franklin Delano Roosevelt there have been seven Democratic presidents and six Republican presidents. There is a large contingent of conservatives in our society, and they will be heard in the political arena.
It just so happens that there are also more and more moderate Republicans in the country that were infuriated by the actions and rhetoric of Donald Trump. They are proud Americans that are educated, well read, alumni of excellent colleges and grad schools, who pay their fair share of taxes and resent the sledgehammer politics of liberals.
For the most part moderates are supportive of important social issues such as a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage and gun proliferation. They despise the radical right that sponsored the hooligans that attacked the Capitol.
Moderate Republicans don’t want medals. But they do want our leaders and lawmakers to be civil with each other and to negotiate compromises on all important issues. They want fair taxation that is driven by well thought out entitlement policies that are not perpetual. Aid should be given when needed and stopped when Americans are back on their feet.
And finally, moderates will not except lies and exaggeration from our leaders. Our presidents and congresspeople should be truthful and transparent. If you consider all these things you probably won’t ban conservatives and Republicans from your homes and schools.
The last thing Americans need is more discrimination against any group.