The Truth About Tolerance

The funny thing is, I went to this conference in Madrid about "Tolerance." I was the only Black person there.
I found it odd that we constantly used a word which connotes the dominant culture's need to "put up with" the presence of other cultures. I couldn't help but feel, as I sat there and heard every one debate the use of the word (translation: in other words, the dialogue never went beyond that) that not one person there thought about how much other cultures have to "tolerate" us: the Native Americans who have to "tolerate" the continual presence of "others" on what is rightfully their land, the local Hawaiians who have to "tolerate" all the tourists crowding up their space, the Harlemnites who have to "tolerate" the influx of new monied folk, the immigrants here in Denmark who have to "tolerate" the exploitative stares and continual degradation in the media, the millions of South Africans who have to "tolerate" generations of European colonialism and exploitation of their land and who are still living in economic apartheid (come on folks, how much do you really think generations of racist thought necessary for the rape of a country will change just because they say apartheid is over?).
Tolerate. Hmmmm...Yeah, tolerate.
Me? I'm more for the spirit of Comprehension--something Bolivar's African caretaker taught him: It's understanding each other and respecting each other as EQUALS and simply, as human beings.
Think some people could learn something from that?
Well, it sure is taking them long enough...
Out of here,
the lab