The tyranny of the majority

Before I start today, I encourage you to read this excerpt from John Stuart Mill's essay on liberty:

Like other tyrannies, the tyranny of the majority was at first, and is still vulgarly, held in dread, chiefly as operating through the acts of the public authorities. But reflecting persons perceived that when society is itself the tyrant — society collectively over the separate individuals who compose it — its means of tyrannizing are not restricted to the acts which it may do by the hands of its political functionaries. Society can and does execute its own mandates; and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself. Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough; there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling, against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them; to fetter the development and, if possible, prevent the formation of any individuality not in harmony with its ways, and compel all characters to fashion themselves upon the model of its own. There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence; and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs as protection against political despotism.

Okay, so 'king W.'s whole administration and his congressional cronies, including Sen. Frist, have been exemplifying the tyranny of the (slight) majority--or, more probably, the tyranny of the vocal minority. They have been acting like they received a mandate even though the country is still pretty closely divided 50/50 on pretty much everything. They are in power, and they want to ensure they stay in power. They also want to force their opinions on basic birth control, a woman's choice, creationism, marriage, sexual preference, end of life issues, and general morality on everyone. Remember, Dr. Frist (yes he is apparently a real medical doctor) is the doctor who still doesn't rule out tears and saliva as major AIDS tranmission methods, even though it's basically an accepted fact they are not--but I digress.

Dr. Frist and 'king W. have also gone as far as saying that those who don't agree with them are against "people of faith." Apparently, these two men have a monopoly on God and what he wants (I've discussed this before). I'm sorry, but I believe in God and call myself a Christian. Yet, I certainly don't agree with these "people of faith." Where does that leave me? I am, apparently, a godless bastard doomed to an eternity in hell.

I am so very tired of the religious right-eous tyrannizing those who disagree with them. Although they would say that THEY are the ones being tyrannized. They brand those of us who disagree with them as faithless, yet they get mad when 'king W. is branded a "loser" (and yet he can get away with calling a reporter an asshole). I just don't get it! Isn't the hypocrisy glaringly evident to everyone?!? I believe that God probably sees it.

Let's get the church the hell out of government and back across the line into the churches again.