The Pandemic of Intolerance
The world has been so busy talking about the coronavirus pandemic that the real pandemic has been relegated to the shadows.
We are living in the age of intolerance, the worst pandemic of all. We don’t have to love everyone and everything, but we need to wrangle our emotions and rage.
The yield of society’s unbridled rage has worsened trust and collaboration. Think about this:
- In the past few weeks in the U.S., 10 people of color were murdered while inside of a grocery store by a gunman with prejudice
- Another gunman murdered his doctor, associates, and a patient because he felt his post-surgical pain wasn’t satisfactorily addressed
- Elementary school children were shot to death by a person who felt bullied
- Tomorrow marks 100 days since Putin attacked Ukraine to return the land to Russia
- Some people who know about the war atrocities hold the victims accountable
- In the past year, several drivers accelerated their cars into parades of people
- Two people were murdered by a teenager who traveled from another state, with his gun, to stop them from protesting — and was celebrated for his act by those who shared his opinion
- Asian Americans have been randomly beaten and verbally attacked
- People who kindly asked others to wear a mask have been brutalized
- A record number of flight attendants have been physically attacked after asking travelers to return to their seats or wear a mask
- So many women have erupted in anger that we gave them a name, “Karen”
- Frequently there are reports of law enforcement members who shot people in the back, deprived them of oxygen, beat them while handcuffed, molested the vulnerable, and turned their backs on their community
- Some religious groups, civic associations and political groups have made vile declarations against the unreligious, people of other religions, non-heterosexual people, and those with differing political views
- Overt threats and microaggressions have become so commonplace that we hardly notice them
- People have attacked entertainers, on stage, during their performances
How did we get to the point of celebrating intolerance? It’s a slippery slope but it starts with mild rhetoric and actions that go unnoticed or unchallenged. Then some become emboldened, and the talk and actions strengthen. Before we know it, we are listening to people drive rage and intolerance into action.
Audiences grow, in size and reaction. Instead of nodding their heads, they resolve to obliterate people and policies of which they disagree. Gone are the days of talking with someone who has differing views. Now people are in different camps — getting their news and information from opposing sources. They are openly mean-spirited towards those with opposing opinions.
It’s not a coronavirus that’s harming the core of our culture. It’s intolerance. We MUST find a way back towards center. We have to be ok about having a discussion with someone who sees things differently, without fear of gunfire. Politicians and religious figures must stop fanning the flames of intolerance of others and instead preach the message of respect. We need to stop celebrating hate.
We all have opinions and thin skin about certain issues, but priming intolerance into harmful action or words is not the way to cope. No one should be afraid to go to a store, school, business or highway for fear of being victimized by a rage-filled person.
We must value courtesy, respect and tolerance more than our rage and anger. Society won’t work any other way. We cannot sustain our current state of intolerance. The virus of intolerance is going to further destroy the fabric of our society, unless we take action to drive it out of our everyday experiences.
