A while back, I said a little bit about Intolerant Politics. Here's a practical example.
I should have predicted this; it would have been simple enough, but I was too busy making my point to think that far in the future. With hindsight, I can at least say: I'm glad we didn't get the interior window decal.
Pause to consider that for a moment. Someone was frustrated and angry enough to violently destroy my property... and they know where I live. They may know who my children are. Should I let my kids bike to school this morning?
Melissa's school is largely McCain supporters. They've been saying terrible things about Obama. How are they going to act this morning?
This is what happens when we categorize and vilify people, instead of making plans. We wind up making effigies of our opponents, which makes it impossible to accept them. Then we extend those characterizations to their supporters.
To attempt the foresight I skipped in the earlier article, I must wonder where all this will lead. Obama has been thoroughly dehumanized for many McCain supporters. If they cannot accept him as president, what will they do? Leave the country? I don't think so. It's more likely we'll see some attempts at violence.
We can't claim to be a great nation when half the people can't tolerate the other half. We can't achieve our great goals when half the people refuse to participate, or actively oppose us.
To be a great country, we need to be a complete country. We must go farther than tolerance: we must respect those who differ from us. Even those who oppose us.
