It's long been maintained that left and right mean different things when we use the terms "freedom" and "liberty".

I think Republicans more than tolerate bigotry, they see its expression and implementation as a matter of individual freedom. Conservatives to this day (e.g. Rand Paul) argue that anti-discrimination laws are an infringement on individual rights, and frequently put it in terms of small business owners such as restaurant operators having the right to refuse service to anyone based on personal prejudice. Another common illustration is the right of a landlord to refuse to rent based on prejudice. The right to be a bigot trumps the right to eat and have shelter in the minds of conservatives. (And note the priorities: Bigotry trumps money, too. Even the virtues of hard work and self-sufficiency won't save you if you have the wrong skin color or sexual orientation.)

Being a liberal doesn't mean that I undervalue individual freedoms. It means that take a broader view of freedom, much like FDR's "Four Freedoms":

Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear

Conservatives and liberals agree on the first two, but disagree violently on the second two.

And that, kiddies, is why America is circling the drain early in the 21st Century.