Without Normative Behavior, There can be no Tolerance

The accusation of "Intolerant! " seems very common nowadays. Have you ever called someone intolerant? If so, Then this debate is for you. Please tell me about the experience in the debate. Have you ever been called intolerant? If so, Then you should follow this debate. === Definitions === Normative Behavior = an expansive moral evaluation of human behaviors, Labeling some as GOOD, Others as BAD, And (perhaps) others as NEUTRAL Tolerance = the ability to endure behaviors (and associated opinions) that you label as BAD GOOD = a moral evaluation that a behavior is positive (and should be encouraged) BAD = a moral evaluation that a behavior is negative (and should be discouraged) NEUTRAL = a moral evaluation that a behavior is neither positive nor negative (and does not need to be encouraged or discouraged) === My Opening Argument === 1 --- Anatomy of an Accusation --- As far as I can tell, Here is the thinking behind accusing someone of "intolerance": --- 1a --- A person publicly states that he considers an activity to be BAD and that we should discourage it --- 1b --- Someone else accuses that person of being intolerant There are two flavors on the flip side of the accusation: --- 1c --- The accuser considers the denounced activity to be GOOD --- 1d --- The accuser considers the denounced activity to be NEUTRAL 2 --- Examples of "Intolerant! " --- To make this more concrete, I will provide a few examples. In all the examples, Brad feels something is BAD and states his opinion publicly. In some examples, George thinks the thing is GOOD, So he calls Brad intolerant. In other examples, Nancy thinks the thing is NEUTRAL, So she calls Brad intolerant. --- 2a --- Should Felons be allowed to vote? Brad says, "We should not let Felons vote. " George says, "Brad is intolerant! " --- 2b --- Should the USA allow unlimited immigration? Brad says, "We should make immigration work for our country--not for the immigrants. " Nancy says, "Brad is intolerant! " --- 2c --- Should gay people be allowed to marry? Brad says, "We should preserve the traditional definition of marriage. " George says, "Brad is intolerant! " --- 2d --- Should minorities be given extra points in college admissions? Brad says, "We should eliminate Affirmative Action. " Nancy says, "Brad is intolerant! " --- 2e --- Should abortion be legal? Brad says, "Abortion should be illegal. " George says, "Brad is intolerant! " 3 --- Evaluations: Who is "tolerant" --- --- Brad: Unknown tolerance --- Merely stating his opinion on something does not make Brad intolerant. It is how well he endures the disapproved behavior that determines his tolerance. Until we see Brad's reaction to the final policies put in place, It is not clear whether he is tolerant or intolerant in any of these examples. --- George: Not tolerant --- George is not being tolerant of anything in any of these examples. It is impossible to "tolerate" something you think is GOOD. Until George thinks something is BAD, He cannot tolerate it. Lucky for us, George labels Brad's opinions as BAD. So, How well does he endure these BAD opinions? --Not too well. George accuses Brad of intolerance, Which means that George resorts to name-calling and silencing in the face of what he labels BAD. It seems clear that George is intolerant of Brad's opinions and of Brad's right to express them. In many cases, The Georges of the world go on to harass the Brads of the world. Boycotting businesses, Intimidating advertisers, Picketing at homes, And threatening personal harm are examples of intolerance. --- Nancy: Not tolerant --- Nancy is not being tolerant of anything in any of these examples. It is impossible to "tolerate" something you think is NEUTRAL. Until Nancy thinks something is BAD, She cannot tolerate it. Lucky for us, Nancy labels Brad's opinions as BAD. So, How well does she endure these BAD opinions? --Not too well. Nancy accuses Brad of intolerance, Which means that Nancy resorts to name-calling and silencing in the face of what she labels BAD. It seems clear that Nancy is intolerant of Brad's opinions and of Brad's right to express them. 4 --- Summary --- All opinions are a reflection of a person's idea of normative behavior. People are allowed to express their opinions in the public square. Expressing opinions is what the public square is for and so it is never "intolerant. " On the contrary, Attempting to silence people within the public square is a demonstration of intolerance. Outside the public square, When people go on to boycott a business, Intimidate an advertiser, Picket at a home, Threaten personal harm, Etc. , We can know they are intolerant of behaviors they consider BAD. 5 --- Conclusion --- Supporting things we think are GOOD is not tolerance, It is agreement. Allowing things we think are NEUTRAL is not tolerance, It is indifference. Enduring things we think are BAD is the only path to tolerance.