REGAINING THE LOST ART OF TOLERANCE
Let us pray for that — or, for the nonreligious, hope for it — politely tolerating one another’s right as Americans to choose...
As the United States grows more racially, culturally and politically fractionalized, let’s acknowledge the obvious: Our diversity does
not automatically make us stronger, as politicians and activists sometimes proclaim, but is a major contributor to our polarization. Our best hope for civil coexistence is rediscovering the lost art of tolerance.
Cataloguing all the examples of America’s sweeping multiculturalism is an impossible endeavor. We have enormous diversity of identity: White. Black. Hispanic. Asian. Native American. Straight. Gay. Trans. Nonbinary. More significant is our diversity of beliefs. Pro-choice.
Pro-life. Conservatives. Liberals. MAGA Republicans. Democratic socialists. Never-Trumpers. Moderates. Libertarians. Gun enthusiasts. Gun-control advocates. Climate activists. Fossil fuel defenders. Christians. Jews. Muslims. Atheists. And more.
Many Americans occupy multiple groups, and other individuals don’t easily fit into any specific group. Significant numbers within certain groups will never accept the beliefs — or even the right to have a voice — of other groups. Too often, all
they have in common is an unshakable moral certitude of the righteousness of their respective causes. Clearly, our diversity is a big reason for our national disharmony...read more
