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fair, intolerance, lost, lost meaning, meaning, rights. freedom, tolerance
With the subjects that the main stream media are presenting on a daily basis, it seems necessary to explore further the concepts of tolerance and intolerance. The meanings of these two words seem to have been lost in a society that is trying to become politically correct in all things. Yet, those that seem to fight the hardest for tolerance and equality have become blind to the hypocrisy of their cause. Where is the equality you fight for while condemning someone because they do not share your beliefs? That is not tolerance.
A restaurant owner refuses service to the gay community and is besieged with calls of boycotting his business and protests to show intolerant he is. Is he not allowed to have his own point of view, the same as you? This is not to defend or condone or vice versa, the point is that the hypocrisy of rallying for equal rights loses ground when you are attempting to force others to change their beliefs because you happen to disagree. Where is the tolerance now? Where is the equality? If the owner of the restaurant does not want to serve someone, he is not required to do so. If his beliefs and practices are offending then you have the right and ability to find someplace else to eat. That is how it works.
What is tolerance? Tolerance is defined as, “the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.” Everyone has a right to believe as they wish, but to have and show tolerance is to accept that everyone is not going to share in the same beliefs. Tolerance has never been defined as everyone believing the same way. Tolerance is being able to have your beliefs and live by them while accepting that there will be others that do not agree with you. Launching a campaign against someone because you feel slighted that their beliefs do not accommodate you is not tolerance, nor will it ever gain equality. Doing so only shows the intolerance of those that think everyone should hold the same beliefs.
Now, with that being said, it should also be that personal opinions should not be allowed to dictate governmental policies that affect the population. Things like marriage should be kept to a church, or whatever place or practice your beliefs require, and between the couple. Personal agendas, such as, banning gay marriage, should not be a matter of politics. Let’s face it, any anti-gay laws are born from personal opinions and outdated beliefs and not from a need for policies that serve the public. Whether you support gay rights or not is a personal matter and really has no place in a political arena.
As far as benefits for same-sex couples, just give it to them. Seriously, what is the difference in giving coverage to a straight couple and giving it to a same-sex couple? With businesses that deal in medical insurance, I do not find it justified to risk people’s lives simply because you have a personal opinion against their lifestyle. Restaurants and small stores are one thing, people can always choose to shop elsewhere, but when it comes to medical care, opinions do not really have a place.
In the end, fighting intolerance with only more intolerance will only breed more intolerance. Unfortunately, the only solution is not likely to ever happen. People need to live their life however they do and stop forcing their beliefs on everyone else, that is for both sides of the issues. The way I live my life is for my own life, not yours or anyone else. The way you live your life is for you, not anyone else. True tolerance is accepting that not everyone will accept how we are and living the best we can despite that. If your life falls apart because someone does not share your belief, then you need to strengthen that belief and stop worrying about everyone else accepting it. If you accept it, then that is all you really need.