How about for starters, "we" stop getting people fired for holding unpopular political opinions? That said, I don't have a good idea of how to persuade everyone to change this disastrous course we're on, if that's what you were asking.

> At what point does it become unacceptable, and unacceptable to whom?

Unacceptable to people who realize that in a large nation full of people with wildly different lifestyles and cultures, a level of tolerance is required so that we can all go about our business as opposed to murdering each other in the street.

This doesn't mean that you don't speak your mind, advocate for your cause, and criticize those idiots over there who are clearly wrong; it does mean that you acknowledge those idiots still should be able to earn a living and argue for their own causes, no matter how wrong they are.

Voluntary, in the sense that when you get mugged you can choose between your money or your life? For some reason I suspect Eich did not leave the position he had just taken because he wanted to spend more time with his family. And "voluntary" or not, somebody leaving a position in a private industry because of a mob that's intolerant of his unrelated political views is nothing to celebrate: in fact, it's a symbol of the wild polarization that is destroying this country.

> Society has decided that denying people basic rights is what's "unacceptable" and chooses to punish those that act in that fashion.

"Society" has decided this, has it? When did that happen? Last I heard, there was a lot of arguing going on about that very point.

> And it's not like there's any other explanation for the donation either... the group he donated to was a single purpose lobbying campaign.

And as I stated previously, "you can hold any opinion you want as long as you don't tell anyone about it" is unacceptable.