Its been about two weeks since a bunch of well-intended liberals and lefties wrote an open letter in Harpers Magazine, denouncing intolerance on the left.

Well, if the conservative crowd appreciated the gesture, they have a funny way of showing it. Lets just run down a few of the insulting, degrading, racist, anti-Jewish broadsides emerging from figures on the right over the last few days . . .

Congressman Ted Yoho called congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a fucking bitch. Then when she called him out for it, he said he didnt say iteven though a reporter for the Hill said he did say it.

Senator Tom Cotton said slavery was a necessary evil. When he was called out, he said hed been misquoted and that what hed actually said was that the founding fathers thought slavery was a necessary evil.

As if that clarification is any less offensive. Or historically accuratecause its not at all clear that many slave-owning founding fathers thought there was anything evil about owning slaves.

Tribune columnist John Kass wrote what I call a twofer column in which he dragged out an alt-right, anti-Jewish trope regarding George Soros to malign Black officials like Cook County states attorney Kim Foxx.

Thus, he managed to degrade Jewish and Black people in one swoop.

Meanwhile, Lori Lightfoots right-wing critics have called her a communist whose base, as Tucker Carlson put it, consists of angry Marxist rich kids with spray paint.

All because they didnt agree with her decision to take down the Columbus statues.

In the aftermath, there are no apologies, no regrets. Apparently, theyre proud of what they say and would say it again. As far as I can tell, they feel free to say just about anything they want.

It seems as though there are almost no consequences for right-wingers who spew mean-spirited, hate-filled invective. Tucker Carlson still has his job. As does Sean Hannity. Laura Ingraham. Rush Limbaugh. And John Kass. OK, the Tribune moved Kass from page two to the editorial page.

By the waymuch love to the Tribunes guild for taking a strong stand against Kasss Soros column.

The rights done a masterful job of flipping the switch on free expression. Theyve got the left on the defensive. As though right-wingers are innocent victims whose free speech has been stifled by the lefty political-correct police.

I almost have to give them credit. Theyve rigged the debate so that even many well-intended liberals have been brainwashed into thinking that political correctness exists only on the left.

Well, the right has its own version of rigidly enforced political correctness.

Among other things, you cant criticize Trump supporters for being utterly batshit crazy even when theyre saying things that are, you know, utterly batshit crazy. Like the people in Florida who testified against an ordinance requiring masks in public places. Becauseoh, hell, just watch them if you havent done so already.

But if you criticize them, youre an elitist.

Similarly, you cant criticize Trumpsters for forcing their religious beliefs on everyone else. Like the bakers in Colorado who went to court to win the right not to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple.

Then youre a secular humanist whos intolerant of religious beliefs.

The right recently convinced the Supreme Court to protect the religious rights of corporations to not cover the cost of contraceptives in their employees health-care plans. They even got two liberal justicesElena Kagan and Stephen Breyerto sign on to sending the case back to a lower court.

And they say the left is intolerant? Im still waiting for Justice Brett Kavanaugh to rule that doctors have a First Amendment protected right to talk about abortion with their patients.

Now, I guess were supposed to defend Tom Cottons right to describe slavery as a necessary evil and John Kasss right to employ anti-Jewish tropes. All in the name of free speech.

Generally, Im pretty open to free-speech arguments. But I dont get the feeling that its a two-way street.The obvious case is Colin Kaepernick. I dont recall many (or any) prominent Republicans defending his right to free speech when he got kicked out of the NFL for taking a knee during the national anthem.

Similarly, Trump says he supports the rights of his supporters to wave the Confederate flag.

Well, I guess I should say Trump doesnt limit that right to just his supporters. Though lets face itwho else but a Trump supporter would want to wave the Confederate flag?

Trump says waving the confederate flag is freedom of speech, even if that flag symbolizes an evil institution that is offensive to many people.

But then he turns right around and says flag burning should be against the law. "We ought to come up with legislation that if you burn the American flag, you go to jail for one year. One year, Trump said.

He says burning the flag is desecration that many people find offensive.

Oh, so when one group of people are offended, we need a law to protect them.

But when another group of people are offended, itsstop whining, snowflake!

Want another example?

Consider John Catanzara, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police. A few years back he made news when he posted a picture of himself in a Chicago police uniform holding a sign that read: I stand for the anthem. I love the American flag. I support my president. And the 2nd Amendment.

That president he supported was Trump. Well, you didnt think it was Obama, did you?

As a believer in free speech, I defended his right to post that picture.

But now hes threatening to expel any union member who takes a knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protesters.

And so it goes. When it comes to free speech, the right only wants it for themselves.v

Read the rest here:

Yoho and Cotton - Chicago Reader