Where is the disconnect between the belief in inalienable human rights and the conservative mind set? Even conservatives who are not Trump supporters seem to feel that there should be some "limit" to the rights other people have. Now, certainly, I agree that people shouldn't be allowed to do "anything they want to" without some restraints... but my ideas of limits fall under the "golden rule"... do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
So, yes, I don't believe someone should be allowed to deny services to "some"... due to creed or race or orientation or identity. Whether you're a man or woman, child or ancient, white or colored, straight or queer, CIS or not, you should receive the same services, the same respect, the same consideration, the same opportunities, the same support as anyone else. Where do we draw that line? Some people will say "get real, is it really important that a florist refused to sell a gay couple flowers?" Now, interestingly, the moment we change the words to "is it really important that a florist refused to sell a black couple flowers," or a mixed race couple, or a jewish couple, or a STRAIGHT WHITE CHRISTIAN COUPLE, the people who don't think "it's a big deal" become more and more uncomfortable. Certainly, "flowers" aren't an essential need... but really, if the courts were to up-hold that a business/service provider can deny to serve people due to some bias (religious, usually), how far is it from an anti-gay florist saying "no" to a doctor saying "no" or a policeman to say "no"?
As I see it, there are three factors that disconnect the conservative mind set from the belief in inalienable human rights. The first is an ingrained fear of "lack". The conservative mindset is all about restraint, limit, lack. It is the belief that there isn't enough of "whatever" to go around, so we have to ration "it" out (whatever "it" is). When we're talking about something that IS a finite resource, such as power, or fuel, or food, then trying to be sure that there is "enough" for everyone by limiting "how much" individuals can claim/horde, is a reasonable policy. But they don't stop with "physical" resources... the fear of "lack" is so ingrained that they believe everything is a limited commodity... love, compassion, peace, hope, privilege, rights... as such, by extending the rights one group has to another MUST mean that some of that privileged group's "rights" will be diminished. No one wants to lose what they have, so that fear of loss makes the conservatives irrational about holding onto "privilege" as a "right"... it is their RIGHT to have something others don't. Don't take away their rights, damn it! (You can pry it from my cold, dead fingers!)
The second factor set is that conservatives really do believe that there are some people who are more deserving than others. They believe their beliefs are "right" and all other beliefs are "wrong". It is an absolute all or nothing mentality, similar to the fear of lack. In the conservative mind, to admit a belief was wrong is a domino effect... you give ground on ONE value, it leads to the loss of ALL. It is the belief that to question, to explore, to try the new, to turn away from tradition, to allow for doubt will destroy their world. Does a conservative parent REALLY believe, deep down, that a trans-gendered person will molest their child in the bathroom? No, of course not. What they FEAR is that if their children see trans-gendered people as "normal", as "acceptable", as "okay", then their kids are more likely to be willing to question their own identities. What conservatives fear is that by normalizing the unusual, that by "un-othering" the "other", their children will become "other" to them. The sad thing is, their children will be what they are, either openly or closeted, regardless of whether they meet that trans-gendered, pagan, queer, person. They will simply either live their lives feeling that who they are is wrong, and try to hide it behind an acceptable front, or they will break from the restriction of expectations so violently that they damage themselves and their families in the explosion. In a world where there is only "one right" way of being, only one "right path", only one "right religion", it is anathema to be "other" than that one "right" thing. It is that fear of of "being other" that separates the conservative mind from the idea of inalienable human rights. In fact, the term inalienable is "can not be other than".
The third factor is the issue of "default" thinking. If you are a member of the majority, you don't have to "think" about your status in society... by "default" you are the norm, and when you're the norm you have no need to compare yourself and your situation to another's. The typical conservative falls into the default category, and so they haven't had to reflect on what is it to be christian, what is it to be white, what is it to be male, what it is to be straight. Yes, I know, there are conservatives who are not male, or white, or straight, but the majority of conservatives are. Think of your computer, tablet, or phone OS... the typical user finds the interface adequate at its default setting... default notifications, default text size, default graphics, default icons... most operating systems come with a certain amount of customization, allowing people to tailor their user interfaces to work for them better or are more compatible with their lifestyles. It is only when "the system" doesn't work for you that you start looking at the "options"... and that is the same for the laws in our society... as long as we get what we expect out of society, we don't question the laws... it is only when we are denied something others have that we question the "defaults" of our society.
So with a paradigm that is based upon lack, an absolute conviction of "right", and a lack of self-analysis... is it really very surprising that the typical conservative mind-set simply can not bridge the gap to inalienable rights?
Normally, I'd just feel sad for them... unfortunately, they are in the ascendant position politically... which means their limited view of reality is becoming a prison to mine. That's unacceptable. I will not be silent, nor stand by... I shall resist!
