The limits of tolerance

Opposition to the same-sex marriage voiced recently by various 'ethnic' groups has not gone unnoticed by members of the Liberal elite. Here goes certain Bradley Miller's column in the National Post, June 6.

For once, ethnic minorities have been bounced to the front of the social conservative bus. Thye're now taking centere stage in the fight against same-sex marriage, flaunting their outrage at deliberately multiracial rallies and airing their disgust in the media.

These minority communities are making a strategicc mistake. By opposing gay rights, they are betraying the very ideals that won them a place in Canadian culture. They are also encouraging an anti-immigrant backlash among those who already fear that immigrants are a threat tolerant Canadian values.

Then Miller proceeds to tell us two things: that there's been an anti-immigrant backlash in Europe.

Rather than cast immigrants as libertines and layabouts who would threaten the traditional, Christian social order - as generations of bigots have done - the new nativists see immigrants as a threat to liberal values such as tolerance and secularism.

Note the distinction being drawn here: those who dared to opppose immigration based on Christian values, were of course bigots, whereas the 'new nativists' are evidently not.

And finally the conclusion:

As that idea spreads, it will find a natural home in Canada. Polls here have always shown that although Canadians don't have many hang-ups about skin colour or religious affiliation, we want our immigrants integrated.

The 'diversity crowd' would cheer and agitate for any kind of diversity except the one that matters the most: the diversity of opinion. The abovementioned article is a vivid example of this.