Extreme Label Not Helpful

 The following is from Bill O'Reilly. I have gotten into trouble referring to him before. I do so now, only because I think this thought is spot on.

--If you believe traditional marriage should be kept as the exclusive standard, you are not only extreme; you are a homophobe.
--If you believe all Americans should pay less in taxes, you are greedy and an anti-poor extremist.
--If you believe the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to buy and possess guns, you are promoting violence in an extreme way.
--If you believe the government has a duty to combat overseas terrorists without giving them constitutional protections, you are an extreme anti-human rights individual.
--If you believe abortion is the taking of a human life, you are an anti-woman extremist.
--If you support securing the nation's borders and regulating immigration, you are anti-Hispanic.

The list goes on and on.
By labeling someone as extreme, you can dismiss whatever they say. That's the strategy being used against Ryan. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes: "Ryan should stop being so lovable. People who intend to hurt other people should wipe the smile off their faces."