What Does Tolerance Mean?

In addition to Banned Books Week 2010 rearing its head in your local library, it's also election season. Politics often brings bold claims and idealistic messages. Right now, the media is rife with stories about things that push people's buttons so they react to these statements — including some authors, I might add. As an advocate for tolerance, I wanted to open a dialog about what this word means in today's culture. You see, I think that many words (like tolerance or racism or patriotism...