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I’m Proud Of My Liberal Bubble, Where Being Intolerant Means Not Putting Up With Bigotry

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Not All Opinions Are Created Equal

There’s been a lot of talk lately about what our responsibilities to ensure someone else’s free speech rights are and what we’re supposed to protect. In the wake of accusations of being stuck in a “liberal bubble,” many of us have been accused of being intolerant of other opinions and shutting down debate before it even starts.  

And you know what? It’s true, and I’m proud of it.

Not every opinion or point of view is valid and acceptable. 

There was a time when we all agreed with that — really, we did. Not long ago the majority of people in America believed overt racism was unacceptable in our society and we shunned those who put forth such opinions. We relegated them to the outskirts of society because we were willing to speak out and say that we do not accept such bigotry here. 

(That’s not to say racism was gone, becuase we know it wasn’t. It’s just that we were willing to say we refused to tolerate obvious racism in the public square.)

But now there are white supremacists (back) in the White House and across the administration, and most of the Republican candidates ran on platforms that focused on abandoning the idea of “political correctness” — the idea that there are just certain things you shouldn’t say in public, because they’re gross and offensive. They ran on a platform of bringing back public bigotry, and they won. 

I’ve seen people I’ve formerly thought to be considerate moderates suddenly sharing articles on social media that have some of the most vile thoughts I’ve seen in print lately. These folks defend the both the opinions and their authors, in what they assume to be their responsibility to free speech and the need to “hear both sides.”

I’m not sure what they’re hoping to learn, but I don’t need to hear from a Klansman why ethno-nationalism and white supremacy are beneficial (because they’re not). I don’t need to hear from a radical Christian who says that transgender people are (a) not real or (b) only here to attack you while you use the bathroom (again, because they’re not). I don’t need to listen to that guy from high school who swears that the Muslims are going to take over our country and force all of our women to wear burqas as they impose Sharia law (once more, they’re not).  

I don’t need to read those articles or listen to those opinions because I don’t need to engage with racism and bigotry to know it’s bad. That’s not a lesson that takes much to learn. I can even teach someone else to “treat everyone equally” without ever having to give them a counter argument. 

But even more than that, I don’t need to defend those people and what they write, because nothing they say has a basis in reality. People who share and say such sentiments should absolutely be silenced because they are objectively wrong. We can prove that. 

Holding ourselves to the highest standard of free speech doesn’t mean accepting arguments that aren’t factully correct — and it doesn’t mean that every individual citizen has to listen to and validate every opinion that exists simply because someone holds it.  

The First Amendment only prohibits the government from restricting a citizen’s free speech rights. It says nothing about what private citizens can and cannot do when it comes to giving others a platform. 

I absolutely believe and support the idea that the government should protect any and all forms of speech. No one should be jailed for sharing their opinions, no matter how disgusting they may be. And I absolutely defend everyone’s rights to speak out in safety.  

But beyond that? I owe them nothing. I don’t have to invite everyone to speak at my debate, I don’t have to share their articles on my social media, and I don’t have to engage in conversation with them just because they think they have an opinion. 

There are plenty of times I’ll welcome challenging debate and engage with those whose opinions are the opposite of mine. The best way to provide healthcare? Filled with a thousand possibilities. How to increase gun control and what that might look like? Of course, because we can find common ground on how best to approach communal safety. Whether or not transgender people are real and should be allowed to exist in public spaces? Absolutely not. 

There is no gray area when it comes to discussing someone’s humanity. There is no, “Well, let’s look at it this way.” I’m not willing to tolerate “just a little” racism or bigotry or transphobia or Islamophobia and, to be sure, I’m proud of that. 

Somehow “Make America Great Again” has turned into “I get to say all the disgusting stuff I want and you can’t stop me.” I refuse to live in a world where that’s the standard. 

So, go ahead and call me intolerant. You can even make up new fancy-sounding terms like “reverse bigotry” if it makes you feel good.

If the worst thing you can say about me is that I live in a bubble becuase I refuse to tolerate racism and bigotry? Great. Bring it. I’ll take it as a compliment. 

Robbie Medwed is an Atlanta-based LGBTQ activist and writer and proudly lives in a bubble where racism and bigotry aren’t allowed. Follow him on Twitter: @rjmedwed

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News

Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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14 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

RELATED: ‘Afraid and Intimidated’: Trump Trial Juror Targeted by Fox News Dismissed

Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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News

Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

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16 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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19 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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