Liberalism is tolerant of everything- except conservatism

Until recently, I identified as a liberal. As I was told several times growing up, “The only thing uglier than an old liberal is a young conservative.” Accordingly, as a young woman in her twenties, my politics have always been of the sincerely age- appropriate sort that make baby boomers shake their heads and roll their eyes and grumble about today’s kids.

However lately, most notably as a result of President Trump’s election, liberalism has been redefined by the anger of the masses. This post is about what I think the term now represents, so if you’re easily offended, read no further.

Liberalism today means being okay with everything except conservatives. It means being politically correct to the point of being intolerant of those who are not. It means being tolerant of everything and everyone except people whom liberals decide are not worthy of tolerance. Conservatives have been collectively dubbed “offensive”, “racist”, “sexist”, “narrow- minded”, “disgusting”, “an abomination”. These are terms used, normalized and legitimized by the left- wing media– which is the only “serious” source of news and public opinion. Because watching Fox News makes you a joke.

At the risk of sounding medieval, once upon a time, friendships were sacred. People were not scared to discuss politics around the dinner table, because it was understood that politics and personal matters are unrelated. No longer. Liberals have plunged everyone not identifying as they do into the darkness that they warn will come as a result of these unenlightened opinions. The same people rioting in order to preserve discussion and openness are killing those values slowly.

And so once more, at the risk of being crucified, that to me is 21st century liberalism. All hail those harbingers of fairness and equality.