Dette er en av de beste bitene med tekst jeg har lest på lenge. Andrew Sullivan har skjønt det, og når folk virkelig har skjønt det, til den grad Andrew Sullivan har, får jeg en helt merkelig følelse i magen. Det kreves et stort sinn for å bryte ut av den onde sirkel av gjensidig forsøk på undertrykking av frihet.
So I oppose hate crime laws because they walk too close to the line of trying to police people’s thoughts.
I support the right of various religious associations to discriminate
against homosexuals in employment. I support the right of the most
fanatical Christianist to spread the most defamatory stuff about me and
the right of the most persuasive Christianist to teach me the error of
my ways. I support the right of the St Patrick’s Day Parade to exclude
gay people – because that’s what freedom of association requires. In my
ideal libertarian world, I would even support the right of employers to
fire gay people at will
(although I am in a tiny minority of gays and straights who would
tolerate such a thing). All I ask in return is a reciprocal respect:
the right to express myself freely and to be treated by the government exactly as any heterosexual in my position would be treated.
I deliberately framed my own case for gay rights away from forcing
or even pressuring any other citizen to accept me – because that
impedes their freedom and, in my view, the gay movement should always,
always be about expanding freedom for everyone, even bigots. That’s why
I focused on the government treating gays and straights alike.
Via Reason Magazines Hit & Run