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They will talk about Freedom of Speech, but be the first to shout people down for expressing an unpopular viewpoint.
Ever wear something which society thinks is not cool or otherwise try to buck the system and be yourself? I think fear and resentment - why should YOU get to be yourself when THEY had to capitulate to authority? - are the reasons you will be attacked, literally or figuratively. I'm serious, and while I think it is more rampant and systemic among conservatives, it's a wider problem than that.
You're gay? How dare you try to love someone society says you should not love? Back in line.
You're a vegetarian? How dare you make a choice which makes me question my own choices, even if you don't say a peep to me? Back in line and eat a steak.
You're an atheist or a non-Christian? You're going to hell, don'tcha know? Sure, you're technically allowed in America, but they'll remind you who's in charge as much as possible.
You're bisexual or transexual? Shit, even some of your gay friends might give you a hard time. Back in line.
You aren't having a beer with us? How dare you make us look like we're a bunch of drunks.
They don't hate our freedom, they hate our ability and decisions to express our freedoms: the ability to look toward the future and our fellow humans, and the strength to hold our heads up above the herd and look around. Hell, they even admit it with that "hate the sin, love the sinner" BS they peddle - you're allowed to be gay (or whatever), but please bottle it up and keep it in the closet and pray it away instead of actually acting on it.
To them, freedoms (with the exception of the 2nd Amendment of course) exist only to be displayed as a trophy, not something to actually DO.
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