Inclusive love must also be tolerant
On Monday, the Whitefish City Council will take up the request of a group named Love Lives Here to craft a “no hate” ordinance for the city.
This request came about somewhat suddenly because the presence in town of Richard Spencer became publicized about 10 years after he became a part-time resident here. Spencer is the founder of a group called the National Policy Institute, which promotes European culture and values and argues in favor of a white ethno-state. So far as we know, Spencer has never promoted any kind of harm against non-whites, but his views have offended many people, who have labeled him a white supremacist.
On that basis, Love Lives Here asked for a city ordinance that would restrict so-called “hate-based” activities in Whitefish. How that ordinance would affect other groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Council of La Raza, which promote black American culture and values and Hispanic cultures and values, respectively, has not been answered.
Fortunately, Whitefish City Manager Chuck Stearns has recognized that banning hate really means banning unpleasant or unpopular speech, something that could never withstand constitutional muster.
Therefore, he says the council is more likely to consider adopting a non-discrimination resolution. Ironically, this resolution in support of the city’s “diversity, and inclusion of all of its inhabitants and visitors” would actually benefit Richard Spencer more than anyone else as it would “safeguard the right and opportunity of all persons to exercise their civil rights, including the [right] of free speech.”
Since that is the right conclusion, we are happy to support the resolution. The Daily Inter Lake vigorously defends the right of everyone to an opinion, and the opportunity to express it without fear of reprisal.
But we also take note of the fact that the protest that led us to this point was not so tolerant, and indeed was just the opposite.
Montana has a long tradition of being a haven for people of diverse points of view — a place where people can disagree but still get along, neighbor to neighbor.
We cherish that tradition and encourage everyone to respect it.
If love truly lives here, let’s try to make it the kind of love that values tolerance rather than fear — and that leads through example, not through scolding and scare tactics.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.