The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-06-21
TOLERANCE
(By David Weintraub)


would snever had been discovered
by Columbus if he accepted the
foolish doctrine that the earth was
flat. What mockery was made of
the inventors of the steamboat, of
the airplane, of the telegraph-in
short, of all modern inventions;
these inventions would have been
impossible if everyone thought and
acted alike.
Strange as it may seem, yet it
is nevertheless true that when the
prosecuted ones secure the upper
hand, they in turn become the per-
secutors, and are a hundred times
more intolerant. Witness the mar
row minded bigotry of the Puri-
tans when they came to America
to have freedom to worship God
as they desired. Did they not
drive out Roger Williams, whose
greatest ambition was to secure
real religious liberty, and other
conscientious ministers of the Cos
pei, just because of slight differ
ences of religious views? Was this
the Tolerance the Puritans advo-
Gated?
Again, let US recall the present
cond tons of affairs in Russia and
compare them with the situation
before the Russian Revolution in
l918-surely. it cannot be said
that the present government is
more tolerant than the regime of
the late Gar Nicholas. Both gov
ernments are equally despntic-
the change was only in theory, but
the underlying principle of both
governments is the same brutal
intolerance of The rights of other.
We are nearing every day about
the battles that are being waged
in sore-bleeding Europe, which is
trying to convalesce from IFS seri-
Gus operation. The real causes Of
these elements are present, we
cannot expect to find the practice
of the Golden Rule.
What is the cause of Intoler-
ance? In primitive days, man had
to form groups to survive-the
desire to survive was supreme, and
Individual freedom of thought and
action gave way, and was sacri-
feed to group action. Thou
Shalt Not" DEGREES were numerous.
But since man does not have to
depend on group action to survive
today, the excuse for Intolerance
has lost its usefulness, and should
be discarded. Tradition and men
tai laziness are also responsible
for much of the Intolerance today.
why should / change-what was
good enough for my family in the
past, is good enough for me-" Ger
tainly, such an attitude does not
make for progress. The Greeks
and the Romans allowed the peo-
pie to talk and write what they
desired-their philosophy was: if
the people have anything to say
that is good, we ought to know it,
and if not good, it will soon be for
gotten. Intolerance today is
sign of weak faith. One who is
certain of his truth can afford to
be courteous to other opinions.
We need not be afraid of the
truth-it will always triumph.
The trainers of our Constitu-
ton, taking advantage Of the mis-
takes made by other countries,
provided in the Constitution that
Congress shall make no law which
referred to the establishment of
religion, or which prohibited the
free exercise thereof" The Unit
ed States was the first country to
separate religion from politics.
This tolerant attitude that we have
adopted is one of the underlying
causes for our present greatness.
We have taken up the Standard of
Tolerance where Greece and Rome
left off.
In the words of Milton, "The
liberty to know, to utter and to
argue freely according to our own
conscience. is the highest form of
Liberty"
Tolerance will prevail when man
triumphs over his own fear. and
when he learns to think for him
self we cannot expect this to
take place overnight; it is slow
and lengthy process. The one
great consolation is that we are
progressing, and the time will
come when Peace on Earth, Good
win Toward Men" will become a