August 11, 2013 by David K. Sutton

Observation of the Day: Conservatives Fear Social Justice

Conservatives who respond in opposition to social justice are not behaving with a clearly defined philosophy or ideology. Conservatives who oppose or deflect away from any discussion of equal rights or miscarriages of justice do so out of fear. And this fear fuels their backlash against change in social order. Their neat little world is rocked, as they thrash about in response.

Conservatives wonder, “Why are we even talking about this?” Some Republican members of congress even have the audacity to say same-sex marriage is a new idea, therefore we should be satisfied that the country has moved as far as it has, or something to that effect. Yeah, it’s new to them. It’s not new to the LGBT community and gay rights advocates. And the very idea of saying a human right is “new,” to placate proponents of social justice, is astounding.

So yes, conservatives are reacting out of fear, and it’s not limited to LGBT rights. For these conservatives, and the many social justice issues they oppose, it’s fear of change. It’s fear of a disruption in social pecking order. It’s a fear of the end of white majority rule. It’s a fear of social issues that never saw the light of day, but were always there, even if conservatives didn’t want to see them.

In 2013, we clearly have vibrant, vocal, and active defenders and champions of social justice. And how do conservatives respond?

It’s not the way things have always been. It’s not the way things are supposed to be. Stop trying to redefine what a family is. All you people and your issues of the day, you are messing up this good thing we [white conservatives] had going. Stop talking about it. Go away. I don’t want to talk about it. If you make me talk about it, I’m going to sound like congressman Steve King.

Next time you hear someone say conservatism is a virtue, remember this. — It’s conservatism that we continue to fight against when advancing social justice. Conservative thought is what stands in the way of equal rights for all.