Don't generalize
Letter to the editor
Your unflattering references to "strident evangelicals" ("FCC: Anti-Choice," Sept. 18) were directed not just at Donald Wildmon but were a gross and unfair generalisation about millions of Christian Americans.
Your editorial, as well as Guy Hubbard's self-righteous and disengenuous reply smacks of the hypocritical intolerance that is too common among liberals who would decry such prejudiced generalisations being made against any minority, as they well should, but feel free to make them about the (majority of) believing Americans, whether Christian or Jewish.
Prejudice is prejudice and the prejudiced hypocrisy of the self-appointed guardians of political correctness does liberalism no favors.
I am also Jewish, and although I can't speak for Mr Wildmon's personal support or otherwise of the Jewish community, I do know that in these very difficult times for Jews and for Israel, one of the few groups of supporters we can count on to stand up for the survival of Israel is conservative Christians.
The issue is that this country is divided along a fault line between secular and religious that has serious ramifications for its social and political coherance. Gross generalisations and ignorant prejudice don't help. Seeing each other as individuals and trying to understand the point of view of those of us with different beliefs to our own do.
Jo Dyason
Cape Town, South Africa
