Tolerance and understanding, for me, are kind of tied up together. Tolerance, to me, means "I might not agree with what you have to say, but I heartily defend your right to say it." Everyone is entitled to feel however they feel about something, and one person's way is not unquestionably better than another's -- each person has to find, through lots of trial and error, what's best for them and what they believe in and value.

There are forums here I won't enter, and in fact have blocked myself from seeing, because the intolerance I find in them is, well, intolerable. I wouldn't dare to presume that my way is the only way, no matter what, and if you don't agree with me, you're absolutely wrong, immoral, whatever! Life is a journey and different people are on different paths, and at different parts of their path, at the same time.

Respect is something EVERYONE deserves by virtue of being a human being. There is never any call for treating someone as less than human. None of us is perfect and we are all trying to find our way here as best we can.

/soapbox

Candy