Tolerance.....It's not what you think or what you say....It's how you act.

Tolerance.......its something most of the commoners in America seem to understand that those atop the highest mountains of publicity can't seem to grasp.  It is sad to me that we have become such a sensational society that the only people who seem to be able to claim the spotlight are those with either the most radical stances or the most outrageous stunts.

As a commoner, I've noticed some rather interesting trends down here at the base of the social ladder.  I've seen how liberals and conservatives, gays and straights, religious and atheists, blacks and whites and browns and yellows can still be friends despite their differences.

I see it all the time.  I see it in the relationships I have with friends who have different stances on social issues than I do.  I've seen it with my friends of other races, I've seen it in watching the friendships of others as well.  You see, the thing about tolerance is that its not about thinking alike, or looking alike, or being alike.  Its actually quite the opposite.  Its about having the ability to treat people with kindness no matter what your differences.

The idea of a nation full of people who think or look exactly alike is actually quite terrifying to me.  That lack of diversity and individual thought would be the kind of thing that could lead to a very dull, shallow, and possibly dangerous society.  But a nation full of people with vast differences and ideas who possess the ability to still treat each other well?  Well, that would be a beautiful thing!

I know its possible because I see it every day, and I notice it even more when I don't turn on the TV.....