My spouse and I are faithful supporters of Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center. We have stood all our lives against hate, racism, and xenophobia. One of the programs of the Southern Poverty Law Center is Teaching Tolerance – an intervention against the perpetuation of these attitudes. We definitely are not opponents of tolerance; however, I’ve given the matter a good deal of thought, and have decided that tolerance is not enough.

I think it helps to be a layperson with regard to almost any professional area. (I would say that, wouldn’t I, inasmuch as a layperson is what I am?) The advantage is a certain detachment on matters that have become “conventional wisdom” within a professional field.

To a person who has been persecuted, mistreated, and subjected to unjust discrimination due to his or her race, category, or nationality, mere tolerance would be a great relief at first. Before long, though, mere tolerance on the part of others would not be enough. The formerly-persecuted individual would soon crave genuine acceptance. (I wrote recently about genuine acceptance, based upon some knowledge and understanding of the person being accepted, versus the lazy and manipulative “unconditional acceptance” which seeks the cooperation of the person being “accepted” without investment in acquaintance with the person himself/herself. I will not repeat all that here.) When the formerly-persecuted, formerly-merely-tolerated individual is made to believe he/she is truly accepted, that again is a relief. That, again, may not be for long. Soon, many or most will crave to be valued, appreciated, respected, and – Dare I say it? – even loved.