Tolerate or Disintegrate

Here at Exeter, we take pride in being non sibi. We accept the general notion that being good to others brings something positive to the world around us. The idea of others before self is inherent in our Exeter culture, and Principal Hassan would and has said that it directly fits with the ideals that our Academy was founded on. For a school that prides itself on its selfless acts, however, our interactions with the people around us are often the opposite. I am not talking about the much discussed topic of tipping. I am talking about simple tolerance.My prep year was when I really began to develop strong beliefs about the world. Quickly learning that some of mine were different from other people’s opinions, I fought hard to put down ideas I saw as “incorrect” while advocating for mine, even as others fought equally hard to do the same to me. Quite honestly, it ended up being a terrible time for everyone involved. The fact that both sides rejected each other's viewpoints turned what could have been a productive discussion into a battlefield. We see this happening not only in our school, but in our government. Partisan representatives who refuse to listen to one another turn Congress into a war zone, ultimately accomplishing nothing except making each other angry.Some people argue that our campus is very tolerant, citing the fact that there aren’t many vicious political debates on campus. But this does not prove that we are tolerant. In fact, it tells us quite the opposite. In a given community, people are bound to disagree with each other, so why aren’t there more cross-partisan debates? The answer was demonstrated in the Exonian Encounter assembly, when an anonymous secret was read saying someone is scared to be a Republican on campus. This shows just how partisan we are, and how intolerant we are of people’s ideas.This begs the question: “Why should we tolerate bigots?” To answer this, take a look at the ideals that many people on this campus hold dear. We generally believe in “same love” for all, to quote Macklemore. We ask others to accept people who are different from us. It seems hypocritical to then turn around and reject tolerance for people who have differing opinions. Merriam Webster Online Dictionary defines bigot as “a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.” By refusing to tolerate the people commonly labeled as bigots, are you not being a bigot yourself?When people believe something, they almost always have a reason for it. The people labeled bigots in our society are not exceptions to this rule. While I support gay marriage myself, I tolerate any people who do not because their arguments stem from their worldview. Many Christians do not support gay marriage because of several passages in the bible. These people are not just arbitrarily impeding socially liberal ideas—their actions are rooted in their religion, and this constitutes a legitimate reason.A misconception that can easily be acquired from living on campus is that most of America agrees with liberalism. This is not the case. According to Wikipedia, in 2010, 29 percent of Americans identified as Republicans, (versus 31 percent Democrats) and in 2013, 40 percent of America opposed gay marriage (versus 55 percent who did not). While this is still a minority, a significant number of Americans think differently from what people on campus seem to take as fact, and that number will stay significant for a long time. In order for change to take place effectively, tolerance of this minority is necessary.The last argument I will make is the simple possibility that you may be wrong. Nobody on campus is perfect, and it is possible, if not likely, that your views on how something should be done may not be correct. By tolerating people with differing opinions, you create a platform for constructive discussion and debate. As Alexis De Tocqueville noted in “Democracy in America,” the majority controls everything in a true democracy, and the minority is rudely silenced. The problem with this is that you do not know who you are squashing. Everybody deserves to have a shot to express their opinions, and you never know—tolerance may enable someone who was previously scared to speak out to change the world.