Tolerance has become an oxymoron by which people with political power shove their values down everyone else's throat and dictate to everyone else what they can and cannot believe. If they have political power and you say something they disagree with or ....forbid it.... no!.... tell them they are wrong about something, (shhhh!!!!!!! hush..........shhhhhhhhhh!) you're being intolerant and they will throw any name they can at you to intimidate you into being more politically correct.
This is nothing more than a double standard whereby I'm supposed to tolerate Ralph's viewpoints, but Ralph doesn't have to put up with mine. In fact Ralph has decided that his opinion is so superior to mine, that not only does he not have to listen to it, but he will see to it that I can't even voice my opinion so that no one else can listen to it either. Because after all, Ralph wants everyone to think the way he does, and heaven help him if I'm able to voice my opinion and they start to agree with me instead of him.
Even the word hateful doesn't mean what it used to. I'm not hateful if I say or do something hurtful to someone, say something hurtful about them, or encourage others to be mean to them. I'm hateful if I disagree with them, and especially if that disagreement is politically incorrect. Their opinions after all, are the only ones that count and if they think something feels good, it is good as far as they are concerned...and how dare I say otherwise. They'll just accuse me of hating them, even if it isn't true.
They used to call this an adult sized temper tantrum, by the way. Very spoiled children, frustrated by not getting what they want through a temper tantrum, often accuse people of hating them. It has been customary in the past to ignore temper tantrums. But ....how times change. On the other hand paranoia, the belief that everyone hates you and is out to get you is a certifiable mental illness that requires treatment. Remember that point, you will need it at the end of this blog. But I digress....
This upsurge in adult sized temper tantrums and clinical paranoia is a growing phenomenon that seems to thrive in a culture where traditional notions of right and wrong are exchanged for an "if it feels good..." morality. All someone has to do is say "I feel that this is okay and everyone else is required to agree with them or be labeled "hateful" or "politically incorrect," or worst of the bunch "intolerant".... and all 3 are unforgivable. Some will substitute the word Bigot as a synonym for "intolerant" but a funny thing happens. Sometimes the biggest bigots are the ones who point fingers at others and call them bigots.
- big·ot
- Pronunciation:
- \ˈbi-gət\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- French, hypocrite, bigot
- Date:
- 1660
: a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance
Now, to be fair, if someone has it stuck in their bonnet that they are right about something, arguing isn't going to change their mind, but Tolerance has been used to shut down all discussion... not just the useless arguments that aren't getting anyone anywhere. Is "tolerance" cutting down on discrimination? Actually it promotes discrimination because when everyone becomes their own authority on what is tolerant and what is hateful, only the ones with political power win the debate. Free speech becomes a joke in a society where I have the power to shut you up if I don't like what you are saying or what you believe because it's not about right and wrong its about my power to control what you can do and say and believe.
There are limits to this dictatorship of tolerance though. It is a hopeful sign that not everyone is allowing themselves to be bullied or intimidated into silence. Sometimes people need to be told that they are wrong. The bank teller at the window, for instance, needs to tell you you're wrong if you say "I feel two plus two equals five and you're just being hateful and intolerant of my viewpoints by not giving me my five dollars. My paycheck said two dollars, and I gave you two more, now I want my five dollar bill!"
Take the following example to further illustrate my point:
Johny has a car.
Johny doesn't read the directions.
Freddy tries to tell Johny that he needs to put oil in his car, not molasses. Johnnny calls him hateful and tells him he has a nerve telling him what to do. Johnny accuses Freddie of being one of "those bigots" who hate people who use molasses instead of oil in their cars. Johnny says Freddie is just a molassephobe. What right does Freddy have to tell Johnny what to do? If Johnny wants to put molasses in his car, he will, and Freddy can't stop him.
Freddy persists and tries to show Johnny his car owner's instruction manual.
Johnny says: How dare "those people" try and tell him what to do. What right do "those people" who manufactured this instruction book have to tell him what to do. If he wants to put molasses in his car, he will, and "those people" are just hateful and intolerant like everyone else who tries to stop him! They are all molassophobes. Johnny knows how to deal with them. He'll have them arrested for hate crimes against molasses users! No wonder there are so many molasses users that can't have cars. They are on the streets because of discrimination by "those people." "Those people" are all intolerant, and bigotted like Freddie and the people who write this instruction book. Johnny says "I'll show them. I'll put molasses in my car and they can't stop me! It's a free country. I can do whatever I want!"
Johnny is liberated. Johnny is Pro-Choice. Johnny is free to do almost everything he wants to do.
....except drive a car. No one is stopping him. There is no conspiracy against molasses users.
He's a pedestrian because his car won't work and the paranoid fool won't let anyone tell him why or medicate his paranoia.
