In the past, conservatives attacked Jews, communists, and blacks as being responsible for America's problems. Today, the ACLU has become a primary target by those who are opposed to others' liberty and can't stand the fact that the liberties of minorities are increasing at the expense of unjustified privileges traditionally accorded to the majority.

Media Matters reports on O'Reilly's discussion with Newt Gingrich on December 8:

O’REILLY: All right, and that brings us to the other group. And you know, certainly ABC News is a responsible organization. They made a decision. And the folks can decide for themselves whether -- who they agree with. The ACLU, I think, is a grossly irresponsible, irresponsible organization that is going out of its way to help Al Qaeda, that I don’t think ABC News is in that category at all. I mean, I think they’re doing what they think is best for the country. The ACLU is doing what they think is best for the country they envision, not the country we have now, but certainly is aiding and abetting the enemy. Do you agree?

GINGRICH: Yes. I think the ACLU has been taken over by a group of people whose vision of America is so weird and so contrary to the overwhelming values of over 95 percent of the American people. And they are so aggressive in pushing some of the most extreme cases that one has to wonder what their underlying core values are. I mean, it’s almost as though they were into destruction for its own sake and weakening and undermining America for its own sake. And certainly in a free society, you have to put up with a certain amount of this kind of behavior. But I do think there’s a point to which it’s legitimate to say that the ACLU is a consistently destructive organization that is opposed to and undermines the values of most Americans, and takes positions that are consistently weakening the security of the United States. [emphasis added by Media Matters]

When people make attacks like this, they either don’t cite any specific cases which would support their allegations, or they cite cases where organizations like the ACLU fights for basic civil liberties being applied to everyone — even those accused of terrorism. In both situations, it’s the accusers who are behaving in a grossly irresponsible manner. That’s just standard for Bill O’Reilly, it seems, because I can’t remember the last time his behavior and statements could be described as even remotely responsible.

At one time, conservatives portrayed their political philosophy as one of big ideas and argued that “ideas matter.” Anymore, the only ideas conservative leaders are defending appear to be the values of torture, increased and unsupervised police powers over Americas, decreased civil liberties, greater deference to expanded presidential powers, and unsubstantiated attacks on anyone who dares to question or criticize those in charge.

 

Read More:

• Godless Liberalism
• Godless Political Notes
• Godless Constitution
• Christian Nationalism & Anti-Semitism
• Christianism & Christian Nationalism