"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall*
As I celebrate and contemplate this Memorial Day, I believe we
seem to have forgotten what used to be this truism in American culture. Personally, I value the opinions of those who
have views on issues that differ from my own.
My wife and I host a monthly discussion group that embodies the spirit
of Evelyn Hall; members of the group disagree more often than they agree on
many issues yet we still manage to eat pizza together after many a spirited
debate/disagreement. Some members are
liberal, some conservative. We’ve had
members who are Christian, atheist, and Hindu.
Views are expressed that some find offensive, and they say so – but they
still come back each week to discuss issues and seek to understand the
viewpoints of those with whom they vociferously disagree. These
are my friends and they define by example what it means to be tolerant -- I think
Hall (and Voltaire) would approve.
*(this quote is often incorrectly attributed to
Voltaire)
Les Johnson
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