The Midst of a Culture War

Ethics Daily is running several stories about the latest skirmishes in the culture wars. One article talks about a Judge in Alabama who presumed to preside over his court while wearing a robe that had the ten commandments embroidered on it. Another article talks about conservative "evangelicals" fighting what they call Christmas "censorship." Still another story talks about a sociology Instructor at a state school who is being investigated for suggesting that people should buy AK-47's and shoot all the religious values voters.

It is obvious that the passions associated with different visions for American life that surfaced during the recent presidential election are not going away. In the recent past, the advocates of violence have been concentrated on the extreme right. Now the extreme left is beginning to use the rhetoric of violence.

Those of us who are in the Mainstream need to step up, be more visible and vocal, and inject more balanced rhetoric and reasoning in the public square before real bullets start flying. Once bullets start flying, those in the middle will be caught in the crossfire from both sides.