Understanding Intolerence
Through the Ages
Intolerance Interpreted
Intolerance means not accepting others because of racial, ethnic, religious, or other differences.
(Exclusion is usually linked to intolerance.)
Intolerance in the 1930's
Intolerance lead to:
-Imbalance of power in society
-Conflict in society
intolerance in 2013
In my opinion the main form of intolerance in 2013 was religious intolerance. "Religious intolerance is when a group (e.g., a society, religious group, non-religious group) specifically refuses to tolerate practices, persons or beliefs on religious grounds."(Wikipedia) An example of religious intolerance from when I was a teenager was when an actor from a show made a remark that homosexuality was a sin and people didn't agree with his religious view and wanted him off the show. Another example was when a group of people wanted the words "In God We Trust" removed from U.S. currency. There were also some people who wanted "one nation under God" taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance. These are just a few of many examples of religious intolerance from my youth.
Racial intolerance was not as common when I was a teenager as it was in the 30's. There was no formal law like segregation, racial acts of hate were treated as a crime. This type of intolerance was done by individuals rather than a whole group or society. An example of racial intolerance in 2013 was when a white Miami Dolphin's NFL player harassed and made racial slurs against a black teammate. These acts lead to an immediate suspension of the teammate who was harassing. This shows how in 2013 you were punished for being intolerant to others.
Connecting with "To Kill a Mockingbird"
The story that you are reading, "To Kill a Mockingbird", took place in the south during the 1930's when racial intolerance was common and acceptable. I feel that the town didn't support Atticus because he was a white lawyer defending a black man, this was unheard of. The town's people probably felt like Atticus had no chance to win the case. The people most likely didn't want him to win solely because he was defending a black man. If this case occurred in 2013 Mr. Robinson would probably be a free man because racial intolerance wasn't part of society like it was in the thirties.
Known Activists linked with Intolerance
President Abraham Lincoln
Now I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil...
--October 7, 1858 Debate at Galesburg, Illinois
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin gave many speeches and led many protests all dealing with intolerance. Mr. King later died because people didn't like how he was speaking up for himself and all of the black people in America.
Thomas Jefferson
"I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others."
-Thomas Jefferson