TOLERANCE

irrational fear
leads to
distrust
leads to
TOLERANCE
leads to
understanding
leads to
acceptance

really? it could go either way.

~~april 1, 2011

so this is a poem that reads from the inside out.  read it like this "tolerance leads to distrust leads to irrational fear" THEN like this "tolerance leads to understanding leads to acceptance really? it could go up or down."

Part of this is a quote from Farewell to Manzanar a memoir about the Japanese internment in the Sierra Nevada's and the other piece is what my students and I discussed about tolerance taking the opposite spectrum and they came up with the words.  I came up with the format.  We discussed the idea that tolerance is "patience and putting up with someone/thing" but sometimes if you are patient long enough you realize that it really is OK that they are the way they are and once you understand them you begin to accept them for who they are.
Cool, huh?  I love teaching teenagers (most days anyway)