Blog post # 3

Say Hello to Tolerance

       Tired of so many people being intolerant everywhere you go?  Intolerance surrounds us,

from grumpy people in the workplace to cultural or racial intolerance on television. These are

just a few examples. I could go on and on.  Hatred or lack of respect towards people that we

perceive to be different must be stopped!  Just because someone has a different social or ethnic

background, or even a different sexual or political orientation, doesn’t mean they should be

treated differently.  We must promote tolerance, love, respect, in anything and everything we

do!  How can you help?  Well, think of it this way…..look in the mirror and smile. What

happens?  You will get your beautiful smile reflected back!  Practice this same idea as you live

your day-to-day life!  Next time you are out in public, and someone walks past you, just smile at

him or her!  This simple little gesture shows love, acceptance, respect, and tolerance!  Practice it,

I will bet you nine out of ten times you will get the result you want!

Let’s dig deeper into how we can promote tolerance.  To start off with, check out this book

written by Lee Bollinger Click here to learn about the book. Lee Bollinger is best known for his

push on the “tolerance theory”.  He believes that there should be a large and varied acceptance

for expression.  Bollinger believes this will result in an increased level of tolerance and diversity

of thoughts.  Read the book, it will open your mind and heart to other approaches on how we can

become a more tolerant society.  Let’s dive even deeper!  We all know that free expression is

vital to a healthy society.  It is our fundamental human right. In matter of fact, we must be able to

express our opinion and speak freely!  Even if the voice is of an unpopular opinion, we must be

tolerant!  Believe it or not, freedom of speech makes us a more tolerant society.  Furthermore,

the First Amendment protects negative and hateful speech, but we actually learn lessons from

this!  Eventually, this will spread good behaviors because it shows us what are acceptable

behaviors vs inappropriate behaviors.

 

     Out of the eight values of free expression, promoting tolerance is of the utmost importance.

Why do you ask?  As a society, we must be accepting of others. We must be tolerant, regardless

of what views someone has. We need to find ways to make the world more peaceful and

tolerant.  We must find approaches on how we can live peacefully and not be biased towards

each other.  In matter of fact, showing tolerance is actually a sign of strength.  I feel that one of

the most intolerant issues occurring currently in our country is political intolerance. We must be

accepting of each other, regardless of our political views. We must respect and listen to each

other’s views without violence and disrespect.  This is near and dear to my heart. Who cares if

someone is Republican, Democrat, or Independent? Let’s all respect each other’s views, after

all….doesn’t diversity and variety make the world go round? Be accepting and tolerant of each

other. As I mentioned earlier, it’s simple showing tolerance.  Give a smile!  Listen to each other. 

Most importantly….show respect.We must educate our children to be tolerant of others. Respect

and tolerance is a learned behavior, this must be a priority for parents and our school systems.

     How can social media help lessen intolerance in our society?  First and foremost, we must

stop bashing political views that we don’t agree with.  Social media is an awesome tool for

strengthening relationships, finding support during difficult times, and creating new

connections.  Let’s use social media for what it’s intended for!  Let’s only post positive and

encouraging messages.  If every single person just adds in one extra positive gesture per day,

whether it’s a positive comment, a smile, or an encouraging post on social media, our world

would be a better place! The bullying on social media must stop. The betrayals, attacks, and

cyberbullying must be dealt with appropriately on the social media platforms. Yes, this is

considered online abuse. Furthermore, this negative behavior can create long lasting mental scars

for adults and children, leading to anxiety, depression, and even sometimes suicide. In matter of

fact, those who participate in cyberbullying must be prosecuted. Did you know that there is a

federal website to help stop cyberbullying (stopbullying.gov)? Furthermore, when adults

respond quickly to cyberattacks, it can stop the bullying. This bullying is harmful and

embarrassing, and can even result in breaking the law. All states have laws against

cyberbullying, and schools are also taking a big initiative as well. Stop using social media if it’s

having a negative impact on your life. We must surround ourselves with people that are positive

and encouraging, the same goes for social media! Only interact with positive loving people on

social media platforms, and this will help with tolerance within our society.