There is no value that we will proclaim here with greater trepidation, because so many will read so much into it, that isn't there. This word has become a rallying cry for those who, in the 1990s, came to be known as "the sensitivity nazis", often with fairly good reason. So, let's be clear. If, in this value, you read an obligation to support radical feminism, affirmative action, the imposition of western liberal values on the rest of the world at gunpoint (a la Clinton), open borders, etc., you've read too hastily. The Shrine is not in the business of dictating political allegiances or ideologies to its membership. Remember, the code is primarily one of prohibition - it rules out some philosophical positions, but it rarely mandates others.
If you feel the need for clarification on this point, a little commentary is offered. It's lengthy, and not realluy that essential, though it does a good job of illustrating exactly what it is that is meant by this value, I think.
- The Local Nature of Limited Egalitarianism
- Tolerating the Intolerant, Up to a Reasonable Point
"What are you, some kind of reactionary (expletitive deleted)?", some will ask. No, I do not personally favor the adoption of any of the preferences described, nor is it Shrine policy that its members should, but I do seek to peacefully coexist with those who hold them, and feel that given the considerations mentioned, that rational discourse with them is both possible, and worthwhile. As such, I would not exclude them from the Shrine, merely over a difference in taste, or opinion. What a shame, that it is so habitual now, for people to assume that such exclusion, and a refusal to listen, is the natural response to a strong disagreement.
When people stop listening, eventually they start shooting. We view the maintenance of civil discourse as more than a defensible act. We view it as a social obligation, and so keep the limits on that discourse to a minimum.
Guys, the 90s are over. It's time to bury them. Let's move on to a discussion of civility.