Tolerance is Not Enough

I'm not here to discuss politics. I'm here to discuss the issue of tolerance. I am making this clear because the quote below is from a political forum. Last night I found myself enraged as the Vice Presidential Debates hummed in the air and our home was filled with statements like the one below.

From the transcript of the VP debate from the Commission on Presidential Debates:

IFILL: Governor, would you support expanding that beyond Alaska to the rest of the nation?

PALIN: Well, not if it goes closer and closer towards redefining the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman. And unfortunately that's sometimes where those steps lead.

But I also want to clarify, if there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know, I am tolerant and I have a very diverse family and group of friends and even within that group you would see some who may not agree with me on this issue, some very dear friends who don't agree with me on this issue.

But in that tolerance also, no one would ever propose, not in a McCain-Palin administration, to do anything to prohibit, say, visitations in a hospital or contracts being signed, negotiated between parties.

But I will tell Americans straight up that I don't support defining marriage as anything but between one man and one woman, and I think through nuances we can go round and round about what that actually means.

But I'm being as straight up with Americans as I can in my non- support for anything but a traditional definition of marriage.

Tolerance. To tolerate something is asserting your power over it to exist. The assumption that if you did not tolerate it, it would be eradicated. All the definitions of tolerance are not ways I want people to treat me. They are punitive and reflective of a fear and distaste for people who are different.

Inclusion is what we need to see. The coming together of differences and the harnessing of strength through diversity. Not diversity of color, or sexuality, or religion, but just differences. All of our differences are ok.

Your religion is ok.
Your sexuality is ok.
Your body size is ok.

I want to include the views of your religion.
I want to include the views of your gender.
I want to INCLUDE the views of your race.

I will no longer tolerate tolerance.
Do not attempt to tolerate me. You do not have the right.
I will not accept tolerance, but I will accept inclusion.