The Daily Mail refers to Clarence Thomas as "it." Their headline:

IT SPEAKS! Justice Clarence Thomas asks a question in court for the first time in 10 YEARS in gun case

Can you just imagine if a conservative organization de-humanized an African-American liberal?

The thing is, I don't think they did this just because he's black. They're doing this because he's a black conservative Christian. And that's not allowed so therefore he's fair game for dehumanization. He is the "other."

This is not an anomaly. Look at how Senator Ted Cruz has been treated. The New York Times itself explained why there's been no media hoopla over the fact that Ted Cruz is the first Hispanic to win a caucus. Spoiler alert: It's because he's not liberal. In fact, the Times called Cruz "as Hispanic at Tom Cruise." Why? Because he's a Christian conservative. You can be mocked then. You can be ridiculed. You can be labeled "the other."

Here's the thing, it's difficult to dismiss or shun or persecute fellow human beings. But when you value something more than fellow humans, such as the promotion of your vision of some future utopia, then you could have a problem if fellow humans attempt to thwart your worldview from becoming a reality. Something must give. You either must give up your promotion of your worldview or deny the other's humanity. Label them as the other, dehumanize them. And that's what going on here. And sadly, many seem to be choosing the dehumanization route.

Nazis called Jewish people "pigs" or "rats."  In Rwanda the Hutus called the Tutsis "cockroaches." Muslim radical terrorists call their victims "infidels."

Make no mistake, in the West right now, Christians aren't being killed for being Christian but they are being dehumanized and made to be seen as "the other." On how many television shows, are Christians a punchline? Or non-existent?  How many news programs have given a fair view of Christian business owners refusing to take part in same-sex marriage ceremonies? The Obama administration is being sued by countless religious institutions for being forced to provide contraceptive and abortifacient coverage to employees.1

As much as I'm not a fan of Sarah Palin, she was made "the other" by the media and political opponents when she was on the GOP ticket in 2008. She wasn't cheered on as the first woman to have a shot at the White House. Nope. She was no longer a woman because she was deemed a Christian conservative. In the same vein, Ted Cruz isn't a Hispanic and now Clarence Thomas isn't even human.

Now, if us noisy Christians would just accept this dehumanization, it'll make the persecution so much easier later.

HT Instapundit