An epidemic of public intolerance...

seems to have overtaken the erstwhile tolerant.

A new publicly accepted definition of tolerance encapsulates intolerance. It requires that we publicly expel those who exhibit certain behaviors we characterize as intolerant. It perpetuates the myth that we are are still tolerant when we do not tolerate the intolerant. This dissembling is pure and simple Freudian projection. We are not intolerant; they are.

We are not tolerant. We have embraced a tolerance diet. We should call it tolerance light.

The number of celebrities lately in trouble for racist, sexist, homophobic or other intolerant remarks keeps growing. There is Mel and his dad, Michael Richards, Isaiah Washington, Trent Lott, Dusty Baker, Andrew Young, Don Imus, The Governator, a substantial number of football / baseball / basketball players, Police Constable Peter O’Kane, the entire Fox News Staff, and James Watson. Plus many more.

I am uncertain exactly how to characterize Larry Craig's foot flapping flip flopping affair. Is it neo-tolerance? What about the reaction of his reactionary colleages? Hypo-tolerance?

Perhaps Dr. Burke (Isaiah Washington) should not have been fired from Grey's Anatomy because he uttered homophobic idiocy, or even for actually being an homophobic idiot. He should be fired because, frankly, he is a terrible actor. Maybe he should be allowed to be a homophobic idiot -- one who obviously has some "latent issues."

Stick and stones, and words: We no longer seem to sanction this distinction.

I do not condone or countenance racists and bigots, their language or their behavior. But tolerance requires, by its definition, the acceptance of behaviors and attitudes with which I disagree, so long as they are not harmful to others. Words are often hateful but infrequently harmful.

Tolerance in an open democratic society cannot include a policy to ban hateful speech. We should not discriminate. Nor should we be reactionary.

Real tolerance will provide a more substantive moral example than our hypocritical version of tolerance light. Tolerance is a long term, classical liberal value. It is a good and necessary component for building a fair and just society. Yes, it is hard. But tolerance light is dangerous, and subversive of liberal democratic principles.

Tolerance light
             has become
              just
       another form
     of
social control.