Xenophobia and the right-wing

I hate to admit that I've been spending a bit of time in the right-wing blogosphere lately, but what I've learned there has been eye-opening.

The greatest problem with conservatives today is that they are xenophobic. Anything that goes against their views must be repressed with the broadest brush possible. This runs from pro-choicers to gay marriage activists to Muslims.

However, although I should have known this by now, but targeting Muslims seems to be the right-wing haters choice de la décennie. The amount of hatred for all Muslims is astonishing. It's even more disheartening because they seem to believe all Muslims are violent radicals, but yet refuse to see how there are fringe elements in their own (generally Christian, sometimes Jewish) faith that are just as worthy of being denounced.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to shout down the hate. It seems all-consuming; I just hope that it doesn't lead to a real clash of civilizations like it did the last time things got out of hand (remember the Crusades, anyone?).