Contrary to popular belief, these words are not synonymous.
To "tolerate" already suggests that there's something inherently wrong that you need to get over. It is to say there is something "abhorrent" about them that has to be dealt with. It is to say, "I'll put up with you like I do the boil on my foot".
To respect is to embrace. To take the person for who they are, not how we are taught to assume they are. It does not mean to pretend there are no differences. It means to learn about them, to love them, and to find beauty in those differences. It means to understand that those differences are what make this world so full of life, so interesting, and so incredible. It means to connect from human being to human being.
"We don't need a melting pot in this country, folks. We need a salad bowl. In a salad bowl, you put in the different things. You want the vegetables - the lettuce, the cucumbers, the onions, the green peppers - to maintain their identity. You appreciate differences." - Jane Elliot.
Thank you to the staff at RCC for opening my eyes through this film screening and discussion.
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