I believe in tolerance. I look around my world and I don’t see it any more. I like the feeling of being tolerant. It keeps my eyes and mind open. I feel that if I move to the other end of the spectrum, where I believe in only one way of doing things, I will no longer have the opportunity to experience the wonder of difference.
Perhaps this is due in large part that my parents married in the 50’s and by the 60’s were young Black Americans during turbulent times. Since my father was an educated black man, my parents were able to experience many new things that happen for the first time. My father was even the first Black to hold a job for the EEOC, in 1968 in my home town. Blacks rode on the front of the buses, ate where they wanted and could buy homes in the city. My Parents taught me that since we had experienced tolerance we should be tolerant.
Now, I don’t see the same level of tolerance. There is more polarization and people stick to their “own kind”. But even that is evolving. It does not seem to matter if you are black or white as long as you are Christian. In the past, there were lots of different kinds of Christians, but the line has been blurred very well by crafty politicians. It is automatically assumed that if you believe in God or prayer that you equally don’t believe in Gay rights or abortion. This type of polarization has led in the past to the killing of another race/religion of people. Our lives should not be in peril due to our beliefs. If we are wrong in what we believe, in the end we will know the truth.
And so, I believe that we need to be more tolerant and that we all have the right to believe in what is right for us.