POOR WORDING
 

i was watching public televison last night and i noticed quite a few public service announcements referring to "racial tolerance" and something about them was bothering me.
dont get me wrong, i am the product of an inter-racial marriage and have been an advocate of civil rights and equality ever since i began thinking and doing for myself. but the the thing about the PSA's that bothered me wasn't the message, it was the wording, specifically the use of the word "tolerance" instead of say, "unity."

tolerance (as described by my trusty pocket dictionary), means: 1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship, 2 a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs conflicting with one's own b : the act of allowing something, 3 a : relative capacity of an organism to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor.

is this really how we should be describing our relationships with our neighbors? i have always felt that toleration was a term used to describe how we deal with: the blazing heat of a long summer day, mosquitos while camping, or, an aching tooth while waiting in the dentist office; not, our relations with our fellow countrymen or members of our own species.
why not use terms like "racial unity" or simply "acceptance" that they carry a more world positive connotation and put forth the mindset of "common ground", than "tolerance" which seems to allude to our differences. like i said though, the message is positive in its spirit of progression, but, it could be stated a bit more tactfully.

I've never liked the term "tolerance" when referring to racial relations. It irritates me in the same way as when people say "I don't see you as being (insert color/ethnicity here)."

This is the USA. Freedom baby. That means I have the freedom to hate your guts. I can hate your music, lifestyle, car, dog and hairstyle. That's my right. The PSA's are reminding me that as much as I hate everything about you, I should tolerate you. There not telling me to invite you over for a bar-b-que or even to go out of my way to be neighborly, just don't fuck with you. We've got to get to that point before we start thinking about being neighborly. ;)

Heheh.. reminds me of the exchange between Cartman and Kyle in the South Park movie..

"I'm sorry I called you a big, dumb Jew, Kyle. I didn't mean it... you're not a Jew."

"Yes I am, Cartman. I am a Jew."

"No, Kyle, don't be so hard on yourself."

What strikes me as odd is the genuine overlook of the need for each individual "sub-species" of the entire species. Natural survival? Have we not grown farther into the ideal of just living together? Even as a country? Even as a planet? It all sounds so wonderfully idealistic. Regretfully though its painted from a different "color". Diversity is the yard stick for measuring the success of those that wish to divide themselves to find personal comfort, personal strength, what have you. The list is long, and obviously necessary. Competition is the root of the sole. Survival dictates it so. Let us hope that intelligence will one day weed out the need for diversity, and instead guide us into a collective approch to everything, and everyone. That way, we can all gather honey, and puke it back up for the kiddies.

its a shame that in these days and times when we as a species are so capable, we are also so apathetic.

right now through technology, we have reached a point in which we are capable of trancending from ideas of race, culture, and, nationality and establishing a true global community. one that could be founded on ideas of compassion and social conciousness instead of greed and segregation. one in which we possibly could cure the world of hunger and disease as well as repair and protect our environment. we as a species and a country have the power to begin to do all these things...

but we dont. we hide behind our intellects and we criticise. we rationalize segregation and competition as "needs" and we use terms like "freedom" to mask bigotry. we distract ourselves from making changes with blame assignment, and all the while we perpetuate our own demise. victims of our own apathy

Shit Gomez, it sounds like you're running for office.
Just how does this technology help me deal with the thugs hanging around in front of the Quicky Mart? Or the family of slobs next door with the dogs that bark all night? Or the bunch on the other side of town that hang out in the street and don't speak English?
I long for the old days when we sat around getting high and discussing such lofty rhetoric. But alas we had to grow up and face the real world. They're noble goals but the implementation raises some questions. Who decides priorities? Who handles the implementation? Who pays for it?:confused:

Not during this administration.


Richard "The only Bush I want to see in the White House is in Monica Lewinsky's pants" Levy