The problem is not one of tolerance in America. One can find places that will be tolerant. There will always be places full of the intolerant, that's how places are. The problem is our government is slowly stripping away what freedoms we had and leaving us only with an illusion of freedom. Which sadly shows that the freedoms we thought we had were only better illusions of those same freedoms.
True your rights are slowly being taken away. But still what makes America truly great is that your most basic fundamental freedoms and liberties are enshrined and guaranteed by your constitution, this goes towards most countries in the west. Do you know how lucky you are to live in the west, you have rights that other can only dream about from their prison cells, others who are living in Muslim countries. Bloggers in Egypt as one example have been jailed for insulting the president, a journalist in Syria was convicted also for insulting his President. In the states, people make fun of US presidents all the time, publicly on talk shows, can you see the HUGE difference?.
The lack of tolerance and understanding happens all over the world, it is just as bad in developed countries as it is in the developing. The difference is that in the west, you can be intolerant about anything, Islam, black people, immigrants, monkeys, aliens, the Simpsons, it is your right to an opinion and to voice that opinion. In other countries, you are not so free, the state controls not only your right to voice an opinion but to have an opinion contrary to state media, policies and decrees, what have you.
I used to live in Den Haag (The Hague), I have seen the personal freedoms that the Dutch enjoy, from government controlled brothels and sex industry to marijuana cafe's. But this is not to say that the Dutch are all dope smoking filthy pornographers, they are not!!!! Quite the opposite, there are actually many who are conservative Christians, whilst they disapprove of many aspects of Dutch public policy, they respect the right of the individual.
The most important thing is this, guaranteeing the right of the individual! Sure there are redneck, hardcore Christians in the US, but they have a right be so!!! Just as someone with opposing views also has the same rights!! It is a great thing!! Would you rather live in a country where you aren't guaranteed these basic rights?
In Malaysia my country, there has never ever been a case where Muslims have legally changed their religion, i.e. becoming an apostate, adopting Christianity for example. There is no freedom of religion for Muslims since it is practically impossible to legally change into another faith, N.B. I have met Malaysian Muslims who have become Christians and atheist albeit in secret. Can you even imagine not being able to practice a religion of your choice? I know quite a few of us in the forum weren't born Muslims, imagine if the state never allowed you to become Muslims in the first place!! You had the right to religion. In Malaysia we also have a heavily censored media, we don't have a right to say and do many things that people in the west take for granted. The US, with all the hate rhetoric, evangelicals, withering personal rights, is still a place FAR FAR freer than most, it has a constitution which guarantees these basic rights!!
I think I'll stop here. Sorry for the rant, Salams.
