9 of 18

Write now Article Tools

Page 3 of 3

arguing that we need to PROTECT the advocate role in society (which is in danger right now).

So why is the Advocate central to this post? Let me explain. We are talking about tolerance and understanding - how do you get tolerance and understanding? You advocate for it. What platform do you use since the media is currently owned by 5 corporations only concerned about profit so they put out only content that is NOT going to challenge people (i.e. entertainment Vs. information - when we need both)?

Put simply, you CANNOT solve the problem you raise UNTIL you solve the problem I have raised. To do one, by definition requires that you do the other. There are a lot of people who want to just SAY the right things without investigating the context and this is not correct understanding. I understand the sentiments here, and agree with them, yet the structures need to be addressed as a system because there are "forces" in the system that will lead you down a path that is the OPPOSITE of what you are trying to achieve and if you do not understand these forces you will mistakenly believe that you are actually creating tolerance and understanding when you are doing the opposite. Do you really think that it matters much if you sit in a room with a large group of Iranians and come an understanding of one another parting with hugs and the next day your government attacks their homeland and kills their relatives? THIS is what we are talking about here.

The ONLY way to learn tolerance and understanding is to respect people as people and not as an idea or a belief. The next step seems to be to promote a similar level of awareness - and to do that you need a set of advocates and a platform from which they can advocate from - so all views are equally heard and the truth can be distilled from the lies because remember it is not in certain people's best interests if your awareness is increased. For example, one geo-strategic goal in the Middle East is to prevent a new Ottoman Empire (make sure the area remains destabilized because if these countries were to merge into one that region would gain more economic power than the rest of the countries and the world depends on that region for oil which would cripple the Western World). Now think about this. Do then we REALLY want Israel, the Palestinians, the Turkish, the Egyptians, the Iraqis, the Iranians, the Pakistanis and the Indians to just all get along? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

This is awareness and you cannot create true peace, tolerance and understanding without it. You CAN as Martin Luther King stated, create a "False Peace", and THIS is what we have today.

What YOU can also do is become more aware and more inclusive in your world view taking in a wide variety of sources of information and exposing yourself to people critical of your ideas and the rest of the things you speak about will naturally follow.

Learn more about this author, Jason Rutberg.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3

Add your voice

Know something about Learning tolerance and understanding of other religions?
We want to hear your view. Write now!