Tolerance in American Society: Are There Limitations?

In American society over the last few years there has been a catch word that has been used in a multitude of ways but a multitude of minority groups; it is the word, "tolerance."

Many people use the word tolerance almost as a catch phrase; racial minority groups, religious groups that are minorities in American society, Hollywood actors who try to appear current with what is hip in culture or try to set cultural etiquette, and sexual minorities. The use of such a word as tolerance leads us to consider two very important questions; what in fact does tolerance really mean in today's society? Should tolerance challenge the Constitution of the United States or the moral laws of one's religion? Does tolerance have boundaries? These three questions one tolerance must be asked and if we as a culture and society are afraid to ask them ans answer them honestly then we are blinding ourselves; we should have nothing to fear if we have nothing to hide or protect but the freedoms of all citizens as a united nation.

Tolerance means having the capacity to endure pain or hardship. In essence to the culture we live in the definition of tolerance means that we as a society as a whole are expected to endure a hardship by a particular minority which is painful to the majority of the nation. This leads to another more question; if tolerance is a painful process that affects the majority as a whole who determines that this painful social procedure of excepting a minority in tolerance is necessary; and in a democracy is it proper for a minority to dictate its will on a majority for the moment that happens you do not have a democracy anymore.