Dear Editor,

We must not put up with ‘slackness’.

It is definitely wrong to hate, but we must be careful who or what we choose to tolerate, because tolerance breeds acceptance.

Whatever we put up with, we end up with and more. When we put up with intimidation, we end up with more intimidation and bullying. Any spouse who tolerates getting a beating, gets more beatings. Put up with a criminal and we’ll end up with more widespread criminality. Tolerating a lack of accountability and transparency gives rise to cronyism, inefficiency and all their related consequences.

Nothing remains constant. Good things continue to get better, but bad ones get far worse.

It, therefore, follows that whatever we don’t want to end up with we should never put up with. We should never put up with animosity, bigotry, discrimination, hatred, intolerance, racism, and xenophobia, but rather encourage things like respect for the right to life, social order and justice.

It is most interesting and ironic, however, that many who constantly call for tolerance easily get arrogant, even irrational and intolerant with those who dare express contrary views. We witness this daily and I am not afraid to say I have been on the receiving end of such wrath from a few prominent individuals, even from people in academia.

Many are now afraid to make a stance. People’s views, naturally, vary. But do we have common core values as a nation? We must be careful in deciding to tolerate any social phenomenon because it is traditional, has become fashionable, or due to unnecessary pressure from external forces.

Consequences ultimately matter. We have put up with indiscipline and social disorder and now end up with high levels of crime and violence and a horrendous murder rate. But there is always hope, and things will get better once we stop putting up with what we don’t want to end up with.

Daive R Facey

dr.facey@gmail.com