Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Becoming tolerant is all about learning new habits of thought, feeling, and behavior. We often think of intolerance as a social phenomenon the hatred, prejudice, and stereotypes held against whole groups of people. But intolerance is also an everyday habit. Five children a day die of abuse or neglect.
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women.
Juvenile arrests for violent crimes increased by 50 percent between 1988 and 1992. The hatred that emerges from the human heart hurts all of us. And for millions of children, our habits of intolerance have left permanent scars. Children who are brought up without strong bonds of family love, consistent discipline, and models of moral behavior become adults who are fearful, insecure, distrustful, and self-centered the very traits intolerance thrives upon. Children who are sure of their parents love, who have had consistent guidance in moral issues, and who have witnessed the principles of tolerance in action in their own families are likely to become open-minded and compassionate adults.