On a few occasions, during debates with liberal acquaintances and family members, I have been called an extremist. My answer is that yes, I am, at least by today’s standards.
Despite the fact that “extremist” is perceived by most people today as a pejorative term, there is nothing inherently wrong with holding strong, unwavering, and uncompromising views on important issues, especially issues which reflect one’s core values, one’s principles.
Another factor to consider is that some views which are demonized by the political left as extreme are not extreme at all. When I state that an individual born with an XY chromosome is male, that is a simple statement of scientific fact. To the far left, though, that simple observation is met with shocked horror that even a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal could hold views so extreme. The left excels at propaganda and manipulation of public sentiment, and they understand all too well that labeling any view which contradicts their own as “extreme” is an effective way to silence opposition.
Our nation’s founders held views that are considered extreme by the standards of today’s political left. Below is a quote from Thomas Jefferson. Too often words are inaccurately or deceptively attributed to a historical figure to lend them credibility and weight, but this particular quote is correctly attributed. I have read claims by the left that it is taken out of context, that it does not mean what it so clearly states, but this is incorrect: when taken in context, it does indeed mean precisely what it seems to mean. It is taken from a 1787 letter from Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, the son-in-law of John Adams. Jefferson was commenting on language which had been added to the Constitution in response to a recent armed uprising, called Shays’ Rebellion, which had been suppressed in Massachusetts. He clearly supports the idea of citizens engaging in armed resistance against their government. This shouldn’t be surprising, since our founders themselves engaged in armed resistance to their lawful king and justified their doing so in the Declaration of Independence.
Yes, I have used ellipsis to link the two most relevant portions of the quote, but the omitted text does not change the context at all.
