By rights, the US should be the most tolerant nation on earth. Our Constitution gives us the right to believe and practice the faith of our choice, including faith in nothing, to say what we wish, within reason, and to do what we wish, again within reason. Given such a structure, the only sensible way to deal with people who have beliefs and behavior different from ours is mutual respect and tolerance. However, the Republican Party has made intolerance an issue. For example:

Republican Allen West is the Tea Party candidate for House in Florida’s 22nd district … said: [A]s I was driving up here today, I saw that bumper sticker that absolutely incenses me. It’s not the Obama bumper sticker. But it’s the bumper sticker that says, ‘Co-exist.’ And it has all the little religious symbols on it. And the reason why I get upset, and every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person represents something that would give away our country. Would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema of who we are. The liberties that we want to enjoy.” … [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Daily Kos>

West, and his Republican cronies are wrong. It is they who would give away our country, because they are the ones who are opposing the constitutional guarantees we enjoy, the rights and freedoms and liberties, by denying the to others. It is they who are the antithesis, anathema of who we are.