Quotable Quotes: Me
by Miki SaxonThe Fourth of July; a day we celebrate our freedom that should include freedom from fear, hate and intolerance.
That thought reminded me of something I wrote in 2007 and it seemed apropos to share it with you today.
What responsibility does leadership—business, political, religious, community—bear in fostering hate and intolerance?
I’m not talking about race or gender issues, but prevalent the 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 all entitled to the pursuit of happiness if our happiness offends the person next door or someone living at the other end of the country.
It is the worst kind of selfishness.
I remember Ann Rand saying in an interview that she believed that she had the right to be totally selfish, where upon the interviewer said that would give her freedom to kill.
Rand replied absolutely not, in fact the reverse was true; since her selfishness couldn’t take away anyone else’s right to be selfish.
That about sums up my attitude
I just wish there were fewer people following all the Ellsworth Toohey types in today’s world.
Have a wonderful, safe and tolerant holiday.
Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderferret/2920749911/
