The Stigma of Political Conservatism

A recent article on FOXNews.com detailed how conservatives in Hollywood are being encouraged to "come out of the closet". It's unfortunate that in our democracy that there's so much fear of repercussion to voice dissenting ideas, and it's pervasive in all environments. Progressives in conservative regions of the company likely feel that they need to silently smile uneasily when "liberal-bashing" arises in the same way that conservatives quietly shuffle their feet when a group of people make jokes about the idiocy and doom of conservative ideals.

In the article, Jerry Molen, the Oscar-winning producer of big Hollywood hits like "Schindler's List," "Jurassic Park" and "Rain Man" states "In too many cases, conservatives are immediately labeled racist, homophobic, bigoted, hateful, demonic, or even un-American without the benefit of debate, and are locked out of the hiring process, with a few exceptions."

I'm sympathetic. Try being a socially conservative Christian working in New York City and living in a nearby suburb. Even within the church, I suspect that there's fear of expressing or pressure to hold certain political ideologies, though I think my own church tends to be fairly diverse politically. I know this for a fact, as we've had political panel discussions in which I've strongly disagreed with one of our members - but importantly, there was some open dialogue and debate. As Voltaire said, "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

We claim to be a country which embraces diversity of ideas, but in practice, even those who claim to value diversity seem to be selective in embracing certain diverse ideas over others.

But if perceived anti-conservative bias in Hollywood really bothers you, go out and rent "Team American: World Police" (unless you're easily offended) or "An American Carol". If you're on the other side of the political fence, cuddle up on the couch and catch "Lions for Lambs". As for me, I'll be happy watching "The Karate Kid" for the thirty-fourth time.