Teaching Tolerance

* In the wake of the horrific attack at the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills, much has been written about teaching “tolerance.” Although teaching tolerance is a start, it doesn’t go far enough. It does nothing to change the inner hatred that many people have. Human beings can tolerate various ethnic groups and religions but still harbor attitudes of distrust and bitterness.

The genocides of this century have shown that it is easier to hate than to love. Self-sacrifice, compassion and the striving to make this a better world are divine gifts. These values are no longer taught in America. The removal of prayer from public school, the fight over displaying the Ten Commandments in government buildings and the emphasis on individual rights over community well-being are symptoms that allow the disease of violence and bigotry to spread.

The Bible commands us to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” This should be posted in every day care center, school, synagogue, church, public building and home to remind us to go beyond hate. For we must not just tolerate the racial and religious groups that make up the fabric of our multicultural society, we are to love them as well.

MICHAEL R. PUCHER

Reseda

* Will someone please explain to me why so many of our brave men had to die fighting the Nazis in Europe, when here in America Nazi hate groups are allowed to flourish and amass great amounts of deadly weapons?

MIMI BINKOFF

Mission Viejo

* The beauty of our media age is that we can flash a suspect’s face on television screens, the Internet and in daily publications to assist the authorities in quickly capturing criminals on the run. The ugliness of our media age is that we are then subjected to countless stories about the life and times of murderers, who are lifted to the status of celebrity, thus advertising hate and spreading fear.

At what point can your readers plead “mercy”?

WENDY CALHOUN

Los Angeles