I Can See Your House From Here - Archives
vol 2 number 10
Gather 'round, children, and let's have a chat.
No, Tommy, put down the kitten and come over here. That's better.
Just pull her claws very gently from your forearm… Okay, never mind. You can bring the kitten with you.
Do you guys know what intolerance is?
No, Janie, it's not why your grandmother has plastic sheets. That's a lesson for another day.
Intolerance is when you don't let other people believe what they believe. It's like - well, let's use an example. Tommy, you like N' Sync, right? And everyone else makes fun of you, right, just because you like N'Sync?
Oh, right - I forgot about 'Boogerfinger.' Besides that, though, you know how other kids always make fun of you for listening to N' Sync? That's intolerance. Understandable, but intolerant.
What? Nothing. You guys just need to keep some stuff in mind while you're growing up. Every single one of you is going to like something eventually that no one else likes. You're friends will like things that you don't like, and it's important to be tolerant of their likes and dislikes.
Yes, Tina, even your little brother's.
See, guys, intolerance leads to a lot of really bad stuff. Remember last week when Tommy started crying because Andy and James were making fun of him for listening to N' Sync? That wasn't very nice, was it? No, Andy, it wasn't funny.
We'll see how funny you think it is when he's tossing you spare change from his executive suite window, you little delinquent in training…
So far in your lives, you've only seen the crying, though, kids -- and this is serious - but it gets a lot worse. In a few years, you're going to see fistfights break out over which football team is better. A few years after that, you may hear about a school getting evacuated because one of your schoolmates brought a gun to school. You might even hear about wars that start because different people believe different things.
You're right, Melissa, that is scary. It's scary because people will never, ever agree on everything. There will always be people who listen to different music than you, or think that independent comics are better than Superman, or that their God is better than the other one. And there are some people who accept this, and carry on, and enjoy the things that they don't like, and accept or ignore the things that they don't. But then there are people who will punch you in the face because you don't share their tastes.
That's correct, Andy. That is stupid. Make sure you remember that you said that.
The beauty of this world, kids, is that it's filled with differences. Just like you all look different, you all like and enjoy and believe different things.
Okay. Your sister and her friends are an exception, Melissa. I'll let her explain sororities to you, though, okay?
Like I was saying, everyone is different on the inside, just like on the outside. Tommy will probably like smart girls when he grows up, while Andy will probably like lots of makeup and cheap clothes… You'll see, one day, kids… Some of you will root for the Atlanta Braves, and others will cheer for the Yankees, and others still won't even like baseball. And that's okay.
It's okay because otherwise the world would be really dull. If we all liked the same things, and shared the same beliefs, what would we have to talk about all day long? It's okay to discuss differences with each other. If you talk smartly and calmly enough, you might even get someone to change their mind. Tommy, you could try talking to Andy about N'Sync - okay, bad example.
But what's not okay, guys - and I want you to remember this - is that it's not okay to make fun of somebody for thinking differently than you. It's not okay to beat them up, or to threaten them, or anything like that. Does everybody understand that? Because when you do that, you're heading for trouble. Trouble like Oklahoma City, and Columbine High School, and wars.
Tina, please stop singing the song from The Music Man.
Thanks.
Now, does anyone have any questions?
No, Tommy, I think that means the cat's in heat. You probably should stop petting her like that.
No, Melissa, those bad things aren't guaranteed to happen. And no, being respectful of other people isn't guaranteed to make all the bad things go away. But it will help.
No, Andy, there isn't anyone you can make fun of. Oh, wait - yes there is. Pat Robertson. In fact, speaking of whom, let me teach you some things you should never tell Mommy and Daddy that I taught you how to say…