Are we, as a people, becoming more intolerant?

If anyone had asked me this question a few weeks ago, my answer would have been, heck yeah we are.  

We are Americans, the only nation in the world founded on the acceptance of people of all races, religion and culture.  We are the people whose constitution guarantees the right to be different. However, recent current events obstruct this ideal with varying degrees of intolerance. Intolerance basically boils down one’s inability to accept another’s ideologies.

Current newsworthy intolerances

In Florida, Pastor Terry Jones planned to burn copies of the Quran for the anniversary of Sept. 11; he believes that the Quran is “evil because it promotes violence and radicalism.”  This is not against his constitutional rights as an American citizen, but many other Americans were outraged at his attempt to ‘make right’ by destroying the Quran; intolerances can be seen on both sides.

In New York, there are plans to build a mosque near ground zero. Some believe that building a religious building next to a site of such sadness desecrates the memory of the victims of 9/11 and represents a victory for radical Islam. Others believe that it is un-American to treat Muslims differently and not allow them the right to practice their religion; this is something we all can do openly. I see it as; we can be labeled as intolerant either way. If we say no, we deny basic constitutional rights and if we say yes, we could open a Pandora’s Box with unimaginable results.  “The fact that someone has the right to do something doesn’t necessarily make it the right thing to do,” House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a written statement. “That is the essence of tolerance, peace and understanding. This is not an issue of law, whether religious freedom or local zoning. This is a basic issue of respect of a tragic moment in our history.”

In Arizona intolerance is at an all-time high. A law passed that gives authority for lawmen to stop anyone that ‘appears’ to be an immigrant and ask for papers. There are many mixed emotions about this, some feel that this is us; the American people at our worst. Racial profiling is an example of us being intolerant to the diversity that our country is known for. Others feel that this is the law and if people are not coming legally, they should go back home. This makes them intolerant of our laws and our systems. Either way you slice it, someone is being intolerant of someone else.