Over at The Hill, one good man, a liberal at that who support same-sex marriage, calls for an end to shaming Kim Davis — about her failed marriages, about her looks, about her rural roots, and about her views on gay marriage.
Don’t get him wrong, he’s for gay marriage and thinks people who disagree are wrong. Some of them are bigots. But not all of us, in his view.
Disagreeing with someone, even very vehemently, need not involve dehumanizing them with insults intended to shut down dialogue.
He includes the word “bigot” in this camp. And he notes, amazingly for a liberal, that standing up for your moral convictions takes courage:
So while many are laughing at the ugly slut of a hillbilly who went to jail for standing up for her religious beliefs, would they have the courage to do so for their own? Would you really? Or would you fold?
So let’s stop slut-shaming, hillbilly-shaming and bigot-shaming Kim Davis. Deal with the issue as an intellectual matter. I know it’s hard, and it’s a more interesting narrative to demonize the enemy and glorify those on your side. It’s our instinct to tell stories this way, but sometimes it serves to obscure not only complex issues, but also the truth.
But for those of you who continue to fail to deal with the topic as a matter of law, logic and justice, and continue to hurl insults like “slut,” “hillbilly” and “bigot,” go look in the mirror. There you will see kin of the most reviled of all modern creatures: the Internet troll.
Bravo Mr. Leonard, and thank you.
And let’s remember to do the same with gay marriage advocates: do unto others . . .
Maggie Gallagher is a senior fellow at American Principles in Action.
