Liberals may sanctimoniously stroke themselves at their open mindedness and tolerance for all but when push comes to shove they're narrow, intolerant and truly bigoted.  Look what happened when — eek! eek! — evangelical teens utilizing their freedoms came to the epicenter of liberalism, San Francisco where:

they were greeted by an official city condemnation and a clutch of protesters who said their event amounted to a "fascist mega—pep rally." 

...Assemblyman Mark Leno, D—San Francisco, who told counterprotesters at City Hall on Friday that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, "they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting, and they should get out of San Francisco." [....]

"There is a real intolerancy to homosexuality in a lot of these organizations," said Peter Cobb, an organizer with Not In Our Name. [....]

"Even if it is done by a Barnum & Bailey crowd with a tent and some snake oil, I think we need to pay attention to it," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who authored the condemnation resolution. "We should not fall asleep at the wheel." [....]

Separated by barricades and six feet of neutral sidewalk in front of City Hall, the two sides traded amplified calls to arms Friday.

On one side of the barricade was girl carrying a sign that said, "Instead of porn, show us Godly relationships." On the other, a woman held one that said, "I moved here to get away from people like you."

And in an official act of oxymoronicism San Francisco's  intolerant and regressive

Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the "act of provocation" by what it termed an "anti—gay," "anti—choice" organization that aimed to "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."

Luce said it was the first time one of his events has been officially condemned.

And how did these narrow minded teens and their leaders react? 

Christian Gallion, a 15—year—old in town with his Assembly of God youth group from Humboldt County, shrugged off being called "fascists" by counterdemonstrators.

"It doesn't bother me," Gallion said. "It's a beautiful city, and we don't have anything against the protesters."

His youth pastor had no interest in engaging in political debates.

"I'm not here to hate anybody," Scott Thompson said. "This isn't about Bush or gays or anything other than being here to worship together."

Now that's tolerance.

Ethel C. Fenig     3 26 06