Can there ever be a tolerant discussion with the Left?

And by tolerant I simply mean a conversation that does not involve the Conservative being demonized? I mean a conversation where, depending on the topic, the Conservative is not called either a racist, Homophobe, sexist, Islamaphobe, bigot, redneck, terrorist, Nazi, Fascist, or accused of  not flossing between meals.

Such attacks make it impossible to have any rational discussion. The fact is, that sadly, Leftism not only does not welcome thoughtful debate, it absolutely makes it an unreachable goal. Basically, the Left seeks to silence all debate on any topic. Stacy McCain has a post concerning the debate over defining marriage that does a nice job explaining the problem.

Any conservative who has ever tried to have a rational discussion about what progressives call “marriage equality” understands the problem: The very fact of your opposition to this radical policy becomes the basis for attacks on your motives and character.

Never mind that you are defending 5,000 years of civilization, while your antagonist is a deranged fanatic demanding that a fundamental social institution be altered (some would say, abolished) to conform to a theoretical abstraction of “equality.”

No, it is you — standing on the side of settled custom and common sense — who will inevitably be accused of “hate” you do not feel and diagnosed as suffering from an irrational “phobia.”

The fact that your accuser (volunteering also as an amateur psychologist) is demonstrably a fool, unfit to judge the morality and mental health of others, ought to serve as adequate evidence that any “debate” is a futile waste of time and effort. One might as well debate heroin with a junkie as to debate gay rights with Andrew Sullivan or Dan Savage.

They don’t want to debate, they want to lecture, and their preferred method of “argument” is to silence critics. So when conservatives post a video critical of same-sex marriage, what happens?

Did you try to watch that video against gay marriage that we posted yesterday?
You can’t. Now.
If you try, you’ll instead see this: “This video has been removed as a violation of YouTube’s policy prohibiting hate speech.”
So much for the free expression of ideas. . . . .
[T]here is an element of gay fascism behind the whole gay marriage movement.
The fact of the matter is that these gay rights extremists believe in censorship. They will attempt to remove from public discourse anything that calls into question the morality of their behavior.

Such tactics ought to cause concern. If these are the means, what are the ends? What does it say about a cause, that its advocates endeavor to silence opponents as practicing “hate speech”?

Ah yes, the censors of the Left, silencing opposing views any way they can. Personally, I support civil unions, I think it best to leave marriage as it is, I mean 5,000 years of defining it that way might just mean there is something to it. But, I also think that if a states voters choose to define marriage differently, they have that right, even if I disagree with that choice. To me, that seems pretty damned tolerant, but to the Left? HA! I would be defined as a Homophobic monster who wants to deny Gay people equality. There is no room, or hope for debate with such tyrants. Stacy is right, there is no talking to some people.