Does the desire for tolerance negate personal choice?

When did it become acceptable to be intolerant in the name of tolerance? We are getting to a place where we are so politically correct that honest opinions cannot be voiced without fear of retribution? Personal beliefs aside on the topic, I was impressed with Miss CA for honestly stating her opinion to an audience who clearly would not agree with her position. Is that not the definition of courage? She spoke from the heart and clearly differentiated her personal belief system from the expectation that she has for others. Is it asking too much to allow for personal choice in our super tolerant world? Will Perez Hilton call me an intolerant bitch if I say “yes I believe in a woman’s right to chose, but personally I could not terminate a pregnancy. “ Please tell me? Does that statement alone indicate that I care less for those in my life who might have made that choice? Am I backwards and intolerant because I believe that each individual should have the right to establish their own value system and live their life accordingly? What is nirvana for these people? Should we all think and say the same things all the time and live by the exact same value system? Is that the best way to establish a sound, productive society?

Our differences make us unique, as individuals and as a country. The ideal world for me preserves the characteristics in each of us that make us individuals while simultaneously respecting that not everyone is different. My professor Dr. Jagdish Sheth at Emory stated it in words that I have always respected and appreciated. “America is not a melting pot; we are a big salad bowl”. We are made up of all kinds of mixed lettuce, red tomatoes, green celery, orange carrots, everything that you can think of to throw on there and make it colorful and interesting. Imagine if you throw all that into a huge blender and make it homogenous. Who wants to live in a big pile of green goo?