On toleration and intoleration: Where do we go from 2020 forward?

We’re often admonished to be more tolerant. For good reason. We’re at our best, as a social entity, if we have a variety of opinions, perspectives, approaches. We may disagree with others, but by allowing them the courtesy of holding their beliefs and customs, we’re stronger as a society. And over time, we may rub off on them or they on us.

We’re counseled to be more tolerant of people who have different looks, religions, come from different places, different social and economic realms, hold different theories about the seen and unseen, who are more or less conservative or progressive or of different politics altogether… wear masks or not.

Being tolerant of behavior and philosophies and beliefs is supposed to be our aim, as long as those differences don’t pose a danger to our own survival, dignity, freedom and well-being.

We’re often admonished to be less tolerant, too; sometimes that advice comes with good or with bad intentions. But there’s nothing wrong with proper intolerance. It’s what goals are made of, isn’t it?

We should be intolerant of physical and mental abuse. We can work on reducing occurences and comfort victims.

We should be intolerant of racism, systemic or episodic or blatant. We can work on eliminating bias and prejudice, learn more about each other, and celebrate our diversity.

We should be intolerant of environmental degradation ... whether it’s a mucky lake, a pile of garbage where it doesn’t belong, or something at a grander scale.

We’ve been in this community – the Yuba-sutter community – long enough to realize the great amount of pride and a social proclivity for making progress. We manage power plants, build new bridges, construct life-saving levees, organize to clean up the countryside or to help those who need a little help, and house the homeless.

We’re just feeling that the old year needs to be exited with some good intentions.

Toleration and intoleration seemed to be key concepts, realized or not, throughout the past year.

People were yelling at each other, and people were marching and working together.

There’s a lot we can do for the better from either angle. For the better … that’s the key.