OUR VIEW: Tolerance

Newspapers across the country have reported several negative incidents both during and after President-elect Barack Obama's win over John McCain.

A hanged effigy of Sarah Palin was found at a California home.

At Baylor University, officials found a rope resembling a noose in a tree, racial slurs were shouted and students burned signs.

A hanged effigy of Obama was found on the University of Kentucky's campus. Not illegal or unconstitutional acts, mind you, but highly intolerant.

Different viewpoints are welcome in today's society, however, you must at least respect if not accept those views.

About 80 students attended a Student Government Association-sponsored event tonight, "Multiculturalism: What's the point?"

Well, we know exactly what the point is.

Numbers don't lie; more and more nationalities are represented in America and American schools.

The Institute of International Education reports that an additional 14,000 international students are enrolled in U.S. colleges in 2008 than in 1998

Multiculturalism is a fact of life, and it's one we need to get used to.

It seems that on the whole our generation, whether you choose to call them Millenials or Generation Y, is more accepting of diversity.

We grew up in the '90s, while the ratio of non-white to white U.S. residents changed from 1:8 to 1:4, according to U.S. Census data.

We adapted.

We're used to it.

But not everyone is.

We need to step up and become the role models for those both older and younger than us.

Growing up in the Midwest, you likely heard at least one family member utter a derogatory term toward one ethnic group or another.

Now is the time when we should think about voicing our viewpoints in situations like that.

We have the education, the experience and the knowledge to know that intolerance doesn't help anything.

Encourage acceptance at every chance you get.

The influence you exert might not change the world; but it might change one person's attitude.

Then when the time comes to be intolerant or to keep the peace, your message might just help in the decision.

AT ISSUE: Our generation needs to speak up, out about importance of diversity