Tolerance VS. Acceptance

So many of us don't even have to leave our town to experience diversity. The United States is referred to as "The Melting Pot" of the world. Let's be safe to say that America has more diversity now than it did a few decades ago (Teaching Our Kids about Cultural Diversity, 2007). When you walk down the street and you see someone dressed a certain way, you don't stop and stare, but years ago it would had been in questioned why that individual is wearing that funny robe, or hat. What if you were raise a certain way, told that certain raises were bad and toxic therefore; you grow up to believe that. Now let's say you have kids, what are you going to teach them about different cultures? That anyone else different is wrong or bad or not good enough to hang out with? Or are you going to tolerate them and teach your kids about the differences of how they live without clouding their judgment? As parents even if you don't like something, we have to tolerate it for our children. Acceptance and tolerance are to different scenarios. You are having a cup of coffee and someone sits next to you, a Hispanic and you feel your body tighten up but you don't walk away, you continue to drink your coffee without paying the individual any mind, that's tolerance. You are tolerating the person for the moment but you don't accept them. If you felt acceptance then you would of said hello, nice day out there? and perhaps smile.