Tolerance or something like that

Far too often I hear from Republicans or conservatives that we liberals are hypocrites. We claim to be tolerant, but refuse to tolerate their viewpoints. While there is inevitably some truth to that, I believe that this belief comes from a lack of understanding as to what tolerance truly means.

Tolerance does not mean that someone must tolerate any and every ideology. For instance, I do not have to tolerate someone's anti-gay rhetoric in the name of tolerance. I, as a gay man, have endured far too much hate to tolerate it in any form. I can be a tolerant person and still vehemently deny your ability to spout hateful, bigoted rhetoric that serves no constructive purpose and is not based in reality.

A tolerant person does not tolerate intolerance. This is where conservatives and the like get confused. They believe that, if we are truly tolerant, we will allow them to spew ignorant, hateful rhetoric about Muslims or gays or immigrants solely because we claim to tolerate other viewpoints. This is, of course, not the case. Liberals should only tolerate fact-based, constructive language used with the aim of greater understanding. If someone is using language that makes it clear that that person does not value another human being based on their religion, sexuality, ethnicity, or gender, we as tolerant people should shut that down immediately. 

There is nothing more dangerous than good people refusing to stand in the way of injustice. I believe this is imperative for people to realize as we stare down a potentially very dark 4 years of a Trump Presidency. 

"Going high" does not mean ignoring hate in all of its forms. "Going high" does not mean keeping quiet in the face of grave injustices. While we must not lower ourselves to conspiracy theories and personal attacks that are so often the calling card of Trump and his supporters, we must remain vigilant and not be afraid to fight for what is right. 

I am scared of Trump and his administration. The past week has proven many of our worst fears about his potential Presidency. However, I will not let this fear debilitate me or prevent me from standing up for the America I know and love.