Candace Cameron Bure has eked out a very respectable living as an actress who is unafraid to voice her very Christian, largely conservative opinions. Such as here, where she explains her decision to leave Hallmark and sign on with Great American Family:
Great American Family pushes both Mr. Abbott and Mrs. Bure deeper into culturally conservative territory as other networks are taking steps to trumpet diversity. Next month, Hallmark debuts "The Holiday Sitter," the G-rated network's first original holiday film solely focused on an LGBT love story. Asked if she expects her new channel to feature same-sex couples as leads in holiday movies, Mrs. Bure said no. "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core," she said.
That's great. She's unapologetic. That's how you should be. If you believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, say it. Don't be afraid.
Hilarie Burton, meanwhile, is having none of it:
This is, needless to say, just silly stuff, the kind of empty, classless attitude that drives about 90% of Hollywood political engagement. Candace Cameron Bure is not a "bigot" for having a definitive traditional view on marriage; she is, in fact, essentially in the global mainstream, expressing a reasonable, logical, defensible belief that nearly 100% of people believed until roughly about 2009 or so.
That doesn't mean Hilarie Burton can't disagree with her. If you have a dissenting opinion about what constitutes marriage, by all means, voice it. Argue with people. Debate with them. Certainly Candace Cameron Bure has no problem being outspoken in her beliefs and I doubt she would begrudge anyone the same.
But the reflexive move toward calling someone a "bigot" because they hold an altogether-common and perfectly defensible belief about marriage — it shows that your worldview is less a meaningful, coherent philosophy and more just a vehicle for nasty performative politics.
If the only way you can engage with a decent person on a contentious topic is to shriek at them that they're evil or prejudiced, I have news for you: You're making yourself look extremely foolish and you're making your point even less credible than it already is.
In the great culture debates of the modern West, you can be a Candace or you can be a Hilarie. Be a Candace. It's much better for everyone, yourself included.
