Day 119 -- (in)tolerance

I've been reflecting on stories in the news over the past two days. From listening to TV news and news magazine shows as well as  reading a national newspaper, there seemed to be a common theme amongst many of the stories. (Yes, this is me doing the sorting thing -- qualitative thematic analysis <g>) Several stories from political, historical, sport and crime news all pointed to "man's inhumanity to man," the intolerance of others who don't look, sound, worship, love, or think in the exact same ways as the one or group involved in perpetrating injustices against the "other."

The concept of "other" is not a new one and has been studied by social scientists for some time. Humans seem to compare themselves with others constantly. They have a need to belong to a group of similar people. Different people are seen as threatening so ridding the world of the threat seems to be their solution.

Why is intolerance so prevalent? I fear the simple answer is -- because we are human. That said, I also believe that social values can be altered. Values are not easy to change, but they can be, and have been realigned. Mass media play a role in communicating where and when such injustice occurs; yet, the media can also skew public and policy maker opinion in favour of one particular viewpoint. Often news stories are incomplete or fail to fully explore the factors determining human behaviours. It is well known that many news outlets have particular political leanings in editorial policy -- left or right of centre. So, people must be aware of what information leads them to form an opinion, but this requires critical thinking processes. These are not necessarily part of the average citizen's tool kit. There are movements to improve literacy levels in many areas of life skills, much of which necessitate development of critical thought. This will not be an easy endeavour. In the meantime, humans will be led around by their emotions instead of their intellect.

Today's selection deals with the hope that we can work towards reducing intolerance. Enjoy!

We shall be free -- Garth Brooks