More Tolerance for Berlin and the World
photo: James K. Adams, Professor of Biology, Dalton State College
Two weeks ago I read an article about a rare genetic disposition in which animals or insect have both male and female characteristics, evenly split, right down the middle. This results for example in spectacular and beautiful butterflies with one female and one male wing. Butterflies that are happily flying freely over flowers and grass all around the world. Nobody would think about hunting down, torturing or killing these butterflies just because they look different than their species’ companions. Would parents cover the eyes of their children if one of this rare butterflies would fly around them? Would people protest and start hate groups on Facebook to exterminate all non-symmetrical butterflies? Obviously not! Why should anybody do this? It would be simply idiotic.
Sadly, the human species is less tolerant (and also less intelligent) when it comes to behave towards the individuals of their own kind. A couple of years ago a singer with a face half woman and half man won an international voting contest all over Europe. Exactly like one of this rare butterflies, Conchita Wurst stood out in a music contest featuring boring mainstream entertainment and surprised everybody with an exceptional triumph. Unfortunately this message of tolerance remained not without consequences: Extremist hate groups, Russian right wing politicians and fanatic conservative forces all over the planet are now concentrating their hate on the Austrian drag queen. But also Berlin is not free of all kind of intolerance and hate crimes. Some thoughts about the current situation and what we can do to help it stop after the jump.