In any civilized society where they are clear significant differences between individuals in regard to their ethnic nature, race, religious affiliations, political philosophy, economic level, and education it is good to have a system of laws in place that encourages individuals to recognize and to tolerate the value of such differences. So a reasonable degree of toleration of individual differences allows different individuals to live together and to cooperate with each other for their common benefit with mutual respect and peace in their joint endeavors.

Where to draw the line in toleration?

Of course, the principle of toleration for individual differences does not mean that law abiding citizens must put up with the behavior of individuals who choose to disobey the established laws of the community or nation. And the principle of toleration does not mean that mature adult parents of young children have to tolerate the immature selfish behavior that is sometimes demonstrated by their children. Patience is a virtue in raising children and in regarding to the practice of accepting some different behavior and attitudes, but it is nonsense to tolerate individual differences in behaviors and attitudes that are ultimately threats to the common good of individuals in any society. Such a degree of toleration is foolishness. There comes a time in any society when its citizens must “grow up” and refuse to tolerate anything that may ultimately be dangerous to the well being of everyone or is obviously foolishness.

I think that we have reached a level of legal toleration for some individual differences in our society that is really dangerous and rather foolish

For example, I think that our toleration of the homosexual life style of personal relationships between consenting adults is a severe threat to the wisdom of traditional laws for marriage, the stability of families, and the education of children in our society.

I think that it is foolish to expect that our toleration for the legal right of a woman or young lady to have an abortion whenever she chooses to do so will not ultimately threaten our legal standards for the protection of all human life. The discussion of this matter has already started.

The issues of homosexuality and abortion rights are only two examples where this matter of civic levels of toleration for individual differences is significantly important for our common welfare. There are others, which include these: the availability and cost of health care for those who are “poor” or unemployed or not citizens, immigration and the status and procedures for citizenship in this country, the curriculum for the education of children in our public schools, home ownership and the rules for mortgages by banks and other lending businesses, fair tax codes for everyone regardless of their personal financial resources, how our elected officials are to conduct themselves in their efforts to do the “business” of our citizens, what are appropriate sources for jobs in this country, and the reliability of “politically correct” statements in contrast to those that are more objective in their factual completeness and perspective; and there are other such matters where the principle of toleration for individual differences has some serious effects upon the ultimate decisions and behaviors that are approved and accepted in our society.

Where should mature citizens in a society such as ours, which includes individuals who are very different from each other, draw a line between between what they will tolerate and what they won’t tolerate any longer? What personal behavior and attitudes should no longer be tolerated in public and in our joint efforts to live and work together? Let’s talk about this.