Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Our Readers' Opinions
June 16, 2006

The notion of tolerance is open to egregious abuse

16.JUN.06

EDITOR: In recent times the notion of tolerance has been popularly used. If tolerance were being used in relation only to behaviour or inanimate objects it might generally be acceptable, but it is applied to persons.

I find this repugnant, even obscene. To suggest that a human being made in the likeness and image of God should be tolerated suggests that human being is worthless. Human beings no matter our creed, race, nationality, gender, or political persuasion are not to be tolerated, we are to have our rights respected. We are also in turn to understand our responsibilities to society.{{more}}

Human beings have a right to life from conception to natural death. We have a right to be born of a mother and father. We have a right to identity, nationality, shelter, education, and food. Many of other the rights are covered under the Right to be Wrong.

If as suggested by Kevin Sheamus Hasson in The Right to Be Wrong we remember each of us has the right to be wrong then all we really need is to respect that right. The right to be wrong means we should have the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association and not be un-justly harmed or prevented in their lawful exercise.

The notion of tolerance is open to egregious abuse. For example in 1923 in the Florida, USA, the tolerance of whites toward blacks broke down. As a result the Black Township of Rosewood was simply wiped out. Again in 1933 in Hitler’s Germany tolerance of those considered to be non-Aryan broke down. The end result was that more than six million Jews and countless Catholic clergy and intellectuals were tortured, experimented upon and killed.

If peoples’ rights had been respected none of this would have come to pass. One catholic priest who died at the hands of Hitler’s Nazis was Saint Maximilian Kolbe, (Google Him). He wrote, “The most deadly poison of our time is indifference”. It was true then and regrettably it is even more apt now: Bosnia, Rwanda, Dafur, the war on Iraq. Need I say more?

In our context acting out of tolerance for persons can be deceptively dangerous when it is done by scientific, medical, and legislative bodies. These must be particularly careful that in the haste to show well-meaning tolerance, they do not do away with objectivity, and undermine legitimate rights. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. In trying to make one group feel more tolerated, could it ever be logical or lawful to place tolerance ahead of anyone’s rights as a human being? Particularly where children are involved shouldn’t the children’s rights and welfare be placed above all other concerns? Where those in authority give into the pressure of “political correctness” to show tolerance they fail in their duties.

Those being shown special tolerance would indeed be held apart and not have their rights and membership in the human family affirmed. Other parties would also have their rights unjustly curtailed or stripped away in an effort to afford this tolerance.

Our Lord exhorted us to “do unto others as we would have them do onto us”. We must insist upon the respect for and protection of the Rights of All.

Salt

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Front Page
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    A fire that destroyed a multi-family complex in Richland Park over the weekend has left at least 12 people homeless, including a 23-year-old mother of...
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Front Page
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has responded to reports by the United States administration that its military had carried out the bombing of a boa...
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Front Page
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Police investigators on Union Island are said to be looking into the “disappearance” of building materials that were sent to the Southern Grenadine Is...
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Front Page
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    by Grace Francis After sharing a small space for over a year, children and teachers at the Fitz Hughes Early Childhood Centre went into brand new prem...
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Front Page
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Several secondary schools and special needs institutions across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have received $5,000 donations towards meals for s...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    News
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    News
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is leading a delegation to the East African country of Ethiopia; the delegation left the state on Wednesday, Septe...
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    News
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The modern port in Kingstown is expected to be handed over to the government just before this country celebrates its 46th anniversary of political ind...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok