What I want to say to liberals who would tell me I'm wrong

One thing that really bugs me these days is people trying to make me feel inferior, uneducated, ignorant, or redneck because of certain views I hold. Most of my confession could fit into that category.

I had a total ah-ha moment a few weeks ago when reading Megan McCafferty's Second Helpings: A Novel. Jessica Darling decides to attend a protest at Columbia Univeristy with Paul Parlipiano and his friends. Paul graduated a year before Jessica and was the object of her obsession for a very long time until she learned that he is gay. Jessica is excited about the protest and a chance to hang out with Paul and his friends.

Jessica gets her bubble busted when she gets there and Paul immediately starts criticizing her GAP jeans and preference for Coke. He is appalled that she doesn't know the inhumane conditions of workers in GAP factories and the corporate imperialism of Coca-Cola. He declares ignorance is not an excuse.

Jessica finally gets enough and responds- Paul and his friends are too busy protesting everything that they don't stand for anything.

Jessica: "I'm entitled to my opinion."
Paul: "Not if your opinion is wrong."
Jessica: "It's my opinion. By definition it can't be wrong."
Paul: "Well, it is."
Second Helpings: A Novel by Megan McCafferty p269-272

I feel like that's the conversation I'm having with the media and liberals who find my opinions not quite sophisticated and enlightened enough. During the presidential election, the media sent the message that if you didn't support Obama and change, your opinion was wrong and didn't matter. It's okay for athiests, LGBTs, and all the special interest groups to voice their opinions, but conservatives are accused of being close-minded bigots if they defend their points of view. When we demand a voice for all, let's not exclude those whose voice is contrary to our own.