Special collection encourages tolerance

Although much of the world celebrates May 1 as a celebration of labor

and the union movement, May Day is celebrated as Law Day in the

United States.

Sponsored by the American Bar Assn., the day is meant to focus on

our heritage of liberty under the law and how the rule of law makes

our democracy possible.

And this might be a good time to reflect on how the law protects

us and promotes tolerance.

If the law is to be applied equally to all, it is good to remember

that the law stands for the opposite of intolerance.

This might strike some as a dubious undertaking at a time when

news headlines blare continuously about war, ethnic strife, racial

violence and religious extremism. Such conflicts are evidence,

however, that more effort is needed to promote this most universal of

values.

In support of this aim, the Newport Beach Public Library has been

building a collection of books and other materials that relate to the

theme of tolerance. This collection has been made possible by

generous funding from the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation.

Together, these titles embrace a range of topics, including civil

rights, religion, ethics, multiculturalism, terrorism and violence.

What follows is a sampling of this notable collection:

FBI statistics released recently show that hate crimes are on the

rise. In “Why We Hate,” sociologists Jack Levin and Gordana

Rabrenovic explore the complex nature of hatred and how it leads to

violence.

Derrick Jensen chronicles numerous examples drawn from Western

history of racially motivated acts of violence in “The Culture of

Make Believe.”

Since Sept. 11, 2001, it has become more apparent that religion,

which should be a source of comfort, can also provoke acts of

violence. In “When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs,”

Charles Kimball identifies several warning signs indicating when a

religious tradition becomes vulnerable to corrupt influences.

Gabriel Almond examines the clash between religious

fundamentalists of different faiths and modern secular governments in

“Strong Religion: The Rise of Fundamentalisms Around the World.”

Yet, the concept of religious freedom is rooted in Western

culture, as Perez Zagorin argues in “How the Idea of Religious

Toleration Came to the West.” And Mohammed Abu-Nimer finds

considerable evidence of the existence of principles supporting the

notion of tolerance within the Koran in “Nonviolence and Peace

Building in Islam.”

Perhaps the best chance for building a more tolerant world lies

with our children. In “The Freedom Writers Diary,” Erin Gruwell --

who gained national attention for teaching about tolerance --

compiled diary entries written by her students about the violence and

abuses in their own lives.

Finally, Sarah Bullard suggests that tolerance begins at home in

“Teaching Tolerance.” She encourages parents to act as open-minded

role models for their children.

For more information about these and other titles on this subject,

visit the library and ask for a copy of the Tolerance Collection

bibliography.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Steven Short. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach library.org. For more information on the

Central Library or any of the branch locations, please contact the

Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.