Botswana: Gender and human rights: The tolerance of intolerance

Tolerance. What a word. What a concept. Oh what a dream. It conjures up images of people going about their lives, styles and lifestyles uninhibited. It denotes the freedom to be oneself and not suffer harsh consequences from others who do not accept who and what you are. In a tolerant society, people can and do, speak their minds, secure in the knowledge that their right to think, speak and act differently will not be violated. The essence of tolerance is to allow a realm of private morality, which is not the law's business. Understood this way, tolerance would close off majoritarian tyranny. It would protect minorities, be they sexual, ethnic or those who may hold and champion unpopular views. It is this kind of tolerance that this country desperately needs. Tolerance is inconsistent with homophobia, the suppression of unpleasant views, the bludgeoning of critics and the deportation of those whose ideas the leadership finds distasteful.