Does the word have a definition I don't know of yet?

[BlueCollarMama]

tol·er·ance  

NOUN:

1. The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.

My son came home yesterday afternoon from school crying his little eyes out. During play time he asked another boy if he wanted to play soldiers, the other boy told him that soldiers are very bad men! My son responded by telling the boy that his daddy is a soldier. The boy then told my son that my husband belonged in jail because he's a soldier.

I cannot even begin to explain how much this upset my 5 year old because even since he could ask he's been told that Daddy's a Marine (now a soldier) and that he protects good people from the bad people that want to hurt them.

The conference with his teacher this morning to take care of this incident did not help the matter either. The teacher told me that my son has always gotten along with the other boy but now the other boy refuses to play with him and perhaps this was something I could use to teach my son a lesson in tolerance, and well since the teacher taught his mama she's knows them quite well so she's almost certain that he's quite versed on what it means to be tolerant.

Really? So because my son got upset because one of his peers told him that his daddy was a bad man and needed to go to jail because he's a soldier it's my fault because I need to teach my son tolerance of the hatred other people are teaching their children?

[SillyJessi]

Aug. 5, 2009 at 10:48 AM

i'm sorry your baby cried.  that hurts worst than anything.

i must be honest it sounds alot like santa claus, you know, the mean kid tells the other kid santa claus isnt real, and its too late to ever take that back or make it ok.

 

hopefully your baby will grow up strong and see the truth for himself.  not have to just repeat what mommy & daddy say.  or what the little boy at school say.  i hope he decides for himself, who the good guys are.

 

[Seriously92]

Aug. 7, 2009 at 2:28 AM

Oh that's just horrible Polly.  I can't even imagine what kind of talk that kid must be subject to if he's talking like that at school.

I disagree with Jessi...this is much worse and cuts much deeper than some playground Santa revelation.  This is personal.  It cuts to the core of this family and the incident deserves to bear the weight of all the potential future difficulty this comment may cause.  Fathers and sons have enough difficulties in today's "stupid man" world - and here's one father who should never have to deal with his son thinking he's anything less than a hero. 

I'd be looking up this kid's mom and taking it up with her hippie self.  You won't likely fix the rift between the boys, but she needs to know that her liberal filth is spreading to her son and is unwelcome at school. 

I'd report the incident to the principal as well, and demand that the entire school do some kind of service project that will teach the kids about the value and importance of our United States Military, and the respect our service members are due.

I am just so sorry for your little man.  I hope Daddy gets to go to school with him all decked out in uniform...just to freak that stupid kid out.  Give him the "eyes" like Robert Dinero in Meet the Parents.