To the Editor:
Tolerance is a virtue that is a vital part of our civilization, it is embedded in our Constitution as a vital part of the Bill of Rights. Evil people have ignored it many times over history and have practiced prejudice and bigotry and claimed it as a right. In the past it was groups like the KKK , in the present it is groups like ANTIFA who intimidate by violent behavior.
Good people have always ignored them and granted them leave until it was too late.
Members of the far left have demanded tolerance but have refused to grant it to those who have a conservative point of view. We know that conservative speakers are not allowed on most college campuses and if they show up they are met with usually violent demonstrations. For them, tolerance is a one way street, “Ok for me but not for you.”
If you wear a MAGA hat in some places you will probably get it knocked off or worse. If you put a Trump sticker on your car it will be keyed if your lucky, broken windows or slashed tires if not.
If you put a Trump sign in your yard, if you’re lucky it will be just taken down, if not broken windows or worse. A Biden sign will not be touched. As a result you don’t see many Trump signs or stickers in St. Louis
It does not happen in a place like Owensville but you can see it quite often on the national news.
The Democrat leadership is reticent to condemn such behavior and sometimes they silently encourage it. Free speech is under attack in this country and we must remember history. Tolerance of free speech was one of the first things to go in Hitlers Germany and Stalins Russia and Maos China.
August Hoernschemeyer
Owensville, Mo.
