The Tolerance of Intolerance

I saw a few news stories today that illustrate many people's new woldview. No longer does majority rule and the rights of the minority are protected. Now the rights of the minority supersede the authority of the majority. As I explained in Rumble of the Protected Classes, this ideology of the desire to make sure that no one is offended can only end in two minorities or "protected classes'" whose "rights" conflict going head to head.

Our first story comes from the Telegraph opinion section and evaluates a situation I had already heard about.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (Tory-controlled) has now announced that, following a complaint by a Muslim employee, all work pictures and knick-knacks of novelty pigs and "pig-related items" will be banned. Among the verboten items is one employee's box of tissues, because it features a representation of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. And, as we know, Muslims regard pigs as "unclean", even an anthropomorphised cartoon pig wearing a scarf and a bright, colourful singlet.

That's right, folks. Because one Muslim person complained about pigs, no on can have any of them displayed. Even Pooh bear. The other story comes from CNN, where opposition by the minority is driving to change history:

The banner of St. George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers during the military expeditions by European powers to recapture the Holy Land from Muslims, and later became the national flag of England.

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said Tuesday the red cross was an insensitive reminder of the Crusades.

"A lot of Muslims and Arabs view the Crusades as a bloody episode in our history," he told CNN. "They see those campaigns as Christendom launching a brutal holy war against Islam.

Indeed this is true, but who cares? Do we as Christians desire the destruction of the Coliseum in Rome because it reminds us of the many Christians butchered there? Do we as Americans desire the removal of the Union Jack or the Rising Sun as examples of those countries that waged bloody wars against us?

Both of these are ridiculous (so much so to even be humorous) examples of our insatiable desire not to infringe upon the "rights" of minorities in society. I hope that we as Americans realize the futility of these efforts and do not fall into the same trap.

UPDATE from Cox and Forkum Editorial Cartoons: Perils Before Swine