Chick-fil-A chief executive Dan Cathy set off an uproar when he voiced his opinion in support of traditional marriage. Calls for boycotts of his business went out across the country, people and businesses were threatened and intimidated in any number of ways. Democrat politicians were quick to exploit the comments, fermenting intolerance and anger across their political base. In Boston, Chicago and elsewhere, they all but tried to shutter the business, indicating Chick-fil-A wasn’t welcome in their cities.

Eventually, the effort led directly to violence as a gunman caught up in their cause opened fire at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. one day after the leftist Human Rights Campaign, along with other liberal groups, continued to fuel the fires of intolerance as best they could.  Ultimately, that was all done in hopes of winning a political argument.

Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay rights organization, posted an alert on its blog last Tuesday: “Paul Ryan Speaking at Hate Group’s Annual Conference.”

The “hate group” that the Republicans’ vice presidential candidate would be addressing? The Family Research Council, a mainstream conservative think tank founded by James Dobson and run for many years by Gary Bauer.

The day after the gay rights group’s alert went out, 28-year-old Floyd Lee Corkins II walked into the Family Research Council’s Washington headquarters and, according to an FBI affidavit, proclaimed words to the effect of “I don’t like your politics” — and shot the security guard. Corkins, who had recently volunteered at a gay community center, was carrying a 9mm handgun, a box of ammunition and a backpack full of Chick-fil-A — the company whose president recently spoke out against gay marriage.

The cell phone provider T-Mobile will contribute $25,000 to Washington United for Marriage, to help pass Washington states’s Referendum 74, affirming that a law that legalizes same-sex marriage in Washington will be on the ballot there in November.

In this regard, T-Mobile is one of many prominent business leaders, interest groups, and even unions.

Top donors to Washington United for Marriage, supporting Ref. 74

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos, $2.5 million
Steve Ballmer, $100,000
William Gates, $100,000
Freedom to Marry Action Inc., New York, $100,000
SEIU Wash. State Council, $100,000

Yet there have been no great calls for action from the allegedly intolerant and supposedly angry right. No boycotts have taken place. The so-called Tea Party rabble aren’t taking to the streets attempting to shout anyone down, let alone close down enterprises run by business people who opted to voice their political beliefs threw donations — a much more significant act than simply speaking one’s mind, as Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy did.

For the most part, the prominent donors supporting Referendum 74 have had their say and made their size-able donations, while few on the right even took much notice, let alone objected to it.

The contrast in reaction, or lack there of, between left and right on this issue is stark and observable. If one was to make a judgment based upon reality, it’s very clear where the anger and intolerance in America resides when it comes to divisive political issues. It is far more the province of the left, than it has ever been the right’s for decades.

That won’t stop the usual suspects in entertainment and the news media from banging their same old drum, that the right is somehow malicious, uncivil and intolerant. But as the factual reality marked by this issue is so glaringly obvious, it does seem worthwhile to acknowledge it and point it out.

Just don’t expect the left to acknowledge, or accept that reality any time, soon; or to stop spinning, mischaracterizing and lying about both themselves and the right. That would require an honesty of which they seem to be incapable, just as they are incapable of civily tolerating any one who would dare disagree with them about whatever cause it is they’re championing that day, month, or election year.