Happy Fourth of July!
by Miki Saxon
Today is a celebration of our freedoms—freedom from fear, hate, intolerance—and from other people’s beliefs.
What responsibility does leadership—business, political, religious, community—bear in fostering hate and intolerance?
I’m not talking about race or gender issues, but the prevalent attitude that I’m/we’re-RIGHT-so-you-should-do/think-our-way-or-else.
It’s not the “we’re right/you’re wrong” that bothers me, but the “do-it-our-way-or-else” that shows the intolerance for what it really is.
During my adult life (I missed being a Boomer by a hair) I’ve watched as hate and intolerance spread across the country masked by religion, a facade of political correctness or a mea culpa that is supposed to make everything OK—but doesn’t.
Various business, political, religious and community leaders give passionate, fiery talks to their followers and then express surprise and dismay when some of those same followers, in the name what their leader preaches, steal trade secrets, plant bombs, and kill individuals whose only error was following their own beliefs.
No longer are we entitled to the pursuit of happiness if our happiness offends the person next door or someone living at the other end of the country.
What a person chooses to believe is their business.
It becomes mine only if they try to force me to think/act/believe the same way.
Have a wonderful, safe and tolerant holiday.
Flickr image credit: Alice Popkorn
