For all their frequent warnings of “democracy being under attack,” those on the Left have no problem stifling speech with which they disagree. A podcast convention in Dallas last week was just the latest example of the Left’s fanatical intolerance, as many attendees became “triggered” by the appearance of conservative pundit Ben Shapiro — even though Shapiro’s company, the Daily Wire, was one of the event’s sponsors.
As the Washington Examiner’s Maria Leaf previously reported, Shapiro was not welcomed by some at the Podcast Movement convention, with some feeling he represented hate — simply because of his political ideologies. Many took to Twitter to express their outrage. As a result of his presence, the organization apologized and said it was a mistake to have Shapiro as a sponsor.
One attendee complained about not feeling safe at the event because of Shapiro’s presence. They tweeted: “Hey @PodcastMovement what the f***. As a trans person, as a queer person, as someone with a uterus, this does not make me feel welcome. This does not make me feel safe.”
Except this guest was perfectly safe, obviously. They were just not able to control their emotions and process that a conservative Republican could be at the same podcast conference they were. They were not in any danger but simply outraged at the presence of diversity from someone who thinks differently than they do. This is odd, because the Left always declares the importance of diversity. Yet, when push comes to shove, leftists repeatedly show they never mean it.
Some of the guests’ incessant whining prompted the Podcast Movement’s Twitter page to issue an apology for Shapiro being there. They didn’t have a problem taking Shapiro’s money to sponsor the event but felt he didn’t belong there. Podcast Movement issued a statement and a tweet dubbing Shapiro’s appearance unacceptable.
But what is truly unacceptable is the organization’s cowardly intolerance and inability to promote ideological diversity. The hyperbolic claims of not feeling safe are nothing more than rabid fanaticism. Shapiro is not a threat to anyone. Instead, the threat comes from those on the Left who continuously want to suppress dissenting viewpoints.
Incidentally, Daniel Granger, CEO and founder of the podcast advertising agency Oxford Road, criticized Podcast Movement’s ridiculous apology on his LinkedIn page, even alluding to how authoritarian the organization’s apology was.
“All Podcasters are equal but some Podcasters are more equal than others,” Granger wrote in the post, clearly referencing George Orwell’s literary classic about totalitarian regimes, Animal Farm.
But words and actions like Podcast Movement’s last week in Dallas are par for the course on the radical Left. They deem everything and everyone who could jeopardize their ideology’s effectiveness and credibility an imminent threat. Ben Shapiro wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last.
* Article from: The Washington Examiner