Random Rant for a Utopia

            One of the most perplexing things I have noticed about the utopias that we have been reading about is an underlining sense of little or no amount of tolerance for others’ beliefs. I understand full well that it is impossible for everyone to agree, but respect and tolerance for other points of view should be a “given” in utopian society. For instance in Three Faces of Utopianism the people get along, but tolerance is decidedly lacking. Author Sargent basically just claims “this is utopia, and it can only be achieved my way.” He believes that he must define exactly what a utopia is and that his definition is the “correct” one, but what really is the right way to define a place that means no place? This omission is prevalent in a few other readings as well, and the closet thing to a utopia including tolerance so far was the book Unveiling a Parallel. In this reading both the men and the women were treated equally on the planet Mars. Consequently, from my point of view this notion of tolerance which leads to equality should be practiced in everyday life. In my experiences I find that most people consider themselves to be “tolerant,” and many are trying to be, but the more they try to be tolerant the more they are actually not.

            This breakdown of tolerance is no more evident than what is going on in Washington D.C. right now. Anytime one political side presents a bill to pass almost any kind of law the other side does nothing but basically try to raise hysteria levels claiming that passage will result in the decline and fall of America. The utter lack of compromising and recognizing the other side’s point of view is the reason why cockroaches have a higher approval rating than our Congress. I am not being sarcastic; this statement is based on actual polls. I mean, seriously, a five year old could compromise better than these alleged adults who we the people have elected to make decisions on our behalf. And yes, both sides are to blame since it takes two to tango and it takes two sides to make the compromises necessary to run a country. 

            This idea of tolerance should also be applied to everyday people. For instance the issue of gun control is prevalent in the news today. The one common characteristic in the debate seems to be that neither side believes that the other side has any good points. This is often what happens when trying to create a more perfect society. People tend to be so entrenched within their own beliefs that they assume that only they possess the right answers. Open-mindedness, tolerance, and a basic willingness to listen to other points of view go out the window to be replaced by “my-way-or-the-highway.” This is one of the many problems encountered in attempting to create a utopia in that each person has his or her own view of what the ideal will look like and what steps should be taken to achieve it. There is, quite frankly, little or no room for tolerance. If our society is to attempt to create a more perfect world then we are going to have to figure out a way to overcome our close-mindedness, and to convince everyone to do the same. Utopia or even a “better” society means we must listen to and be tolerant of others’ beliefs, points of view, opinions, and visions for a better world.