Tolerance – a rare virtue

It is not the first time when I feel as I am from another planet.
When I come across, experience something that I, although putting in the effort to see it from different angles, can’t make sense of, don’t understand it at all, then I get this feeling, surely I am an ‘alien’.

Now it got me about reading/hearing some news from the US.

So, let’s talk about tolerance.
Although I don’t think those of you reading me are having a problem knowing what it means, but just to be thorough, here is the definition of this word:
‘The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behaviour that one dislikes or disagrees with.’

The news from the US is, that now they are after drag shows and also are putting out restrictions against trans people.
The lawmakers claim, it is in defence of children.
Drag shows are forbidden to happen on public places, or in the presence of children.
At the same time they banned transgender minors to receive gender affirming care.
These are already laws signed into effect in some states.

No experts were listened to, no arguments against were accepted.

In addition, I find it disgusting how children get used in order to support some lawmaker’s fear/ignorance/identity crisis.
What I mean is, that whomever started against trans people and drag queens, I am sure has one or some combination of the mentioned 3 options.
Especially, that when it comes to child molestation, child abuse, statistics show that those are mainly committed by white, Christian (on paper), straight man. You know, teachers, priests, respected members of society.
Not once was it a drag queen.

Not too long ago the same law makers were all over, and ‘inside’ of women’s bodies by banning abortion.
Also saying, it is in defence of children.

Strange, isn’t it!?
As for example, there, in the US, statistics say, 12 children die daily due to gun violence.
Yet there is not even a slight hint that some laws would change and that, let’s say, buying a gun would be made more difficult than to buy a loaf of bread.

All that, to me, makes it crystal clear that children are simply used in order to get some (not too smart, narrow minded) people on their side.

So, how does tolerance come into the picture?

As I said above, I am 100% sure, those people starting such laws are without knowledge of what they are talking about so they are ignorant, or they are having some knowledge but no full understanding and have fear of the different, and of course there are those who have an identity crisis as they do have certain feelings/emotions but have no idea how to deal with those.
So they lash out.
Only, unfortunately they have the power to make laws.
And with such laws they are hoping to gain citizens to support them, to keep them in power.

The big problem here though is that those supporters, and the ones making such laws are not seeing the big picture. And that is not unique to the US, it is a worldwide story.
Such people don’t see the big picture, the historical picture, the shit that had already happened, that were all caused by intolerance.
One can go back in history as far or as recent as one wants, there are countless examples.
Atheists were targets, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists were targets, black people, indigenous people, ill people, people with knowledge of natural remedies, different ethnicities, those with different political views were already targets at one or more times in history, this list is endless.

What amazes me is that how people don’t realise that winds can turn anytime, that means one can fall into a target category in a split second.
All, because some politician/leader have some personal dislike or issue with certain type of people or use it as a tactic to cover up other, huge problems, and have the power/money to start a war (literal of figurative) against them.
And thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions follow them in the false hope that by supporting that particular ‘war’ will save them to be a target in a possible next one.

It is impossible to understand, know and agree with everyone in this world and that is just natural, that is normal, and no one is expected to.
But not understanding, not knowing someone, not agreeing with someone does not give the right to anyone to wipe out, to cancel those people.

Especially that certain things are simply because of nature/genes/biology.
Others are a choice and because every human being is blessed with free will and at most part of the world are able to use it, can make their own choices.

So next time when your intolerance gets to the level of active hatred, to exclusionary bullshit, just think for a moment, you can be next!

Who knows what the next agenda is going to be!?
Might be because of wearing or not wearing something, because of believing in or not believing in something, because of any part of your physical appearance, because of what kind of a pet you have or don’t have, because who do you love, how do you love, because of how and/or how often you have sex, because of what colour you like or dislike … it can be anything!
Hate can be generated easily about whatever, in a pretty short time.

The only cure, in my opinion, is to understand that we are all human beings, the only differentiation that is legit, is whether one is a good or a bad person.
Anything else is an artificially generated, power and money driven crap.

The more people understand this, the more people start to practice tolerance, the more difficult it will be for certain powers to push people around to serve their egos.

Please understand, a different colour, belief system, origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or different anything is only that, different!
It has no real effect on you, on your life.

When you get triggered by someone or something and it pushes you into an intolerant thinking and/or behaviour, or you find yourself believing what you were told/indoctrinated by, just stop for a moment, and look into yourself.
What has triggered you?
Could it be that you are jealous of that difference, because deep down you know you want to be like that, only you don’t dare? Or your communication skills are lacking and instead of asking, or of looking for facts (not opinions!) about that difference, you simply get defensive and dismissive? Or is it a doctrine you were brought up with by your family and you simply keep carrying it without ever examining its truth?
Oh so many times it is something within, that makes you to be intolerant.
When you realise that, you can start working on yourself and find your power in thinking for yourself, deciding, forming an opinion for yourself, and not just run with what was fed to you.

You don’t have to like, nor agree, just let everyone be, tolerate their differences, so in return, you have the right to be yourself too and can expect to be tolerated by others too.

Tolerance is a step towards a more harmonious, kinder, better world.

Think, chill, enjoy, love!
Be one of the good people!