What it means to be tolerant

When I was much younger and studying at university, I remember someone taking offence at a student wearing a yarmulke. He said, “I don’t mind him being Jewish, but he has no business shoving it in my face.”

I am having great difficulty seeing how that statement, which I believe most of us would recognize as bigoted, is all that different from the arguments being made against the niqab.

When I was growing up, men didn’t wear hats in the house; to do so was considered rude. I’m in my 70s now and times have changed; young men often wear hats indoors, even at the dinner table.

While this might be seen as offensive in my culture — the culture of people over 60 — it is not in their culture, that of people under 40.

I suppose I could insist they take their hats off when they’re in my house, but I think tolerance has to do with recognizing that no offence is intended and therefore any offence taken is due to my attitude, not theirs.

Surely being tolerant means more than just believing everyone is free to be just like me.

Peter Pagé, Greenfield Park