Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-30
ROOTS OF INTOLERANCE
BY H. Addington Bruce

Ignorance, hate, cruelty, abnormal sug-
gestibility and excitability, in these intoler-
ance always has it's origin An education
that was really worthy of the name would
so minimize these that intolerance would no
longer appear to torment and disrupt a
people.
The intolerant to be sure, do not appre-
ciate the ugly influences that motivate their
conduct On the contrary, they often re-
gard themselves as highly intelligent and
well-poised, and defend their intolerance as
legitimate display of religious devotion or
patriotic fervOr.
Thus deceiving themselves, it is not sur
prising to find them accepting and giving
currency to absurd falsehoOds concerning
the race or sect against which their animos-
ity is directed 1t is then logical pro-
cedure to incite other people to organize
for persecution Of the hated race or sect.
That others respond numerously to their
exhortations is to these cOnflict-lOosing lead
ers a gratifying proof of the business OF
their cause. What it actually proves is
that the world still abounds in people whom
education has so little benefited that they
can neither think clearly nor control their
passion.
Which does not mean that all the follow
ers of apostles of intolerance are hysterical
illiterates-though many Of them unmistaka-
bly, are. But it does mean that, taken by
and large, they are persons swayed wholly
by emotion, and, into the bargain, more or
less oppressed by an ThlnS SENSE OL luLG-
riority due to the handicaps imposed on
them by their educational Deficiencies
Laggards in 1ife's race, they eagerly wei
come anything that will give them chance
to feel even a spurious superiority to other
people. The failure of education to develop
them and thereby put a check on their in
fantile suggestbility, makes them only the
more responsive to the indictments of the
scarcely more mature bigots who urge them
on.
Then mob psychology comes into play, to
intensity still further the violence of their
response Coming together in crowds-and
especially if in crowds so disguised as t.
conceal from each individual the human
aspect Of his fellow mobsters-the last
vestiges of restraint fall from them as leaves
fall under the fury of autumn gale, and
deeds may be performed that shock man
kind.
Study the persons who compose the rank
and file of any collective body of intoler-
ants, and you will appreciate how true this
diagnosis is.
1t remains true even when, sometimes
happens, the collective body includes many
of the so-caIled "best people" of a commu-
nifty. That community, you will find, is a
consp icuously under-educated community
otherwise tolerance would be the rule, not
intolerance, and the "best people" would
condemn not participate in mob attacks.
In other words, what is needed above all
else as an antidote to the widespread 1ntol-
erance of our age, is more effective and
more General education. SO long as great
numbers of the population are left unedu-
Gated or merely semi-educated undercur-
rent of bitterness will exist to provide fuel
for the incendiary zeal Of any misguided
bigot
That may be set down as a certainty.
Copyright, 1924