A story about tolerance

1. society of children
1
“Please just let us…”
I figured this is what they wanted but I don’t think everyone else realizes this. They all have these
preconceived notions about them, because they’re different—because they’re not like us. What
they’re asking for is not unreasonable or ridiculous, it’s just that we don’t have a lot of it left because
we’ve taken it up and used it all, even those before us have lost theirs—we’ve taken it all. Maybe
things wouldn’t be as terrible if we learned how to share and get along with each other. I live in a
society of children.
“She can go. I believe she is like the rest.”
“I don’t think we shall ever get along with their kind, if she– if she seemedunwilling. I
thought she was different, I thought she would understand, I thoughtshe would be willing to help,
willing to help us get what we want, what we need.”
“Me too, at first there seemed like there was hope, like she was understanding everything that we’re
asking, like her heart was soft but seems hard like the rest. I was hoping that she, she would be able
to convince the rest that we’re not terrible. Yes, we are different but we just want to help, we just
want to make this world better for them—for us—for everyone.”
“If only they could understand.”
“No! If only they were willing to understand.”
If only I could explain to them that I understand. If I could get them to realize that I understand, I
wish I could tell them but that would ruin everything. They can’t know because my kind won’t trust
me, they’ll think I’m part of them; that I’m a traitor and might punish me for it and I cannot have
that. I’m going to save them, I’m going to help my kind understand their kind, because we need each
other— they’re like mushrooms. The people from my nation have been living here for thousands of
years, never paying any attention to what happens to it. Okay, well not exactly we paid attention, but
most of us were too apathetic to do anything about. Most of my kind went around saying ‘That’s not
my problem.’ or ‘My kids will fix it.’ or ‘Someone else will do it for me.’ That is the way nearly
everyone acted, it’s like that saying “Actions speak louder than words” and well their actions yelled ‘I
don’t care!’ Things are only tolerable and barely livable, but livable nevertheless. I haven’t seen a
lichen or mushroom in years, I’m beginning to think they are the stuff of legends like rhino’s, tuna,
elephants, and tolerance. Since things have gotten so bad in my nation people have been less
tolerable to foreigners, of any kind.
Recently these foreigners appeared from out of the grey, no one knows where they came from but
rumors started circulating quickly about them. People started to think that these foreigners came to
destroy our nation (you can’t destroy something that’s already broken), they thought that these
people were going to bring our nation to ruin physically, financially, and socially. Oh! How wrong
most in my nation are, these foreigners only want to help. They appeared on that grey day to come
help save our nation—to save our planet. It seemed as if a prayer was answered, as if the opener of

2. society of children
2
the pearly gates had sent them down to us to help us, as if these were the Gate Opener’s special and
favored people. That’s how a few of us saw them, but the rest of my people did not share the same
views as us, which is why we started this covert organization to help the public and these foreigners
integrate and also to inform the public on how good and kind this people are.
We’ve tried a myriad of tactics to accomplish our goal but it seems as if all hope is lost, on both sides.
These foreigners seem to be giving up on trying to help us, they seem scared for their lives. There’ve
been talks. There’ve been talks of a resolution, an ultimate resolution. I’d be scared to if I were them,
actually I am scared. These talks and resolutions also mention those that believe these people are
here to help, I shudder just thinking about what they want to do with us. I’m not the only one who’s
scared, we all are.
“This is ridiculous! The simple fact is that so few are willing to compromise, for the better of
everyone. I’m beginning to think that they are just too hateful, ignorant, and unwilling to even hear
them out.”
“I think they’re scared.”
“Well they have a funny way of showing it.”
“Fear, like love, makes people do strange, irrational things and act funny.”
“That’s true, maybe they’re scared that they fix all the problems that we havecreated.”
“Now, Albert that wouldn’t make them afraid, it would make them insecure. That’s a different kind of
fear. Insecurity is fear of being wrong, of not being comfortable with oneself, of being able to handle
the truth. They’re not scared of them— they’re terrified. They’re terrified that someone else is going
to fix the problem which they’ve been too apathetic to fix. It’s probably one of the most irksome
characteristics about humans, they want problems fixed but when someone from the outside tries to
help them, they put them down.”
“So, Emma wouldn’t that make them proud, not afraid.”
“No, when people are proud, terrified, and insecure; they create a unique type of pride. A type of
pride of that is equally made up of pride and insecurity. This just makes our battle for justice and
equality, even more arduous and prolonged than it would be if we were just fighting ignorance or
hate.”
“I see where you’re coming from—because if we were just fighting ignorance or hate we could just
educate and love, but now we must figure out how to decimate pride and insecurity. Which I guess
we could do by showing people that it’s okay to be vulnerable, it’s okay to not have all the
answers, it’s okay to fail. Failure, is how we learn and improve. As much as we’ve failed and as far as
we’ve fallen— we either keep digging or stop and grasp the hand that is reaching down to help us up.“
"We can either give up and leave this society of spoiled children, or keep trying. If we quit, we’d
leave them helpless, defenseless, hopeless, and hateful. This is our chance to be proactive not

3. society of children
3
reactive, to make the battle up ahead a bit easier. And maybe, just maybe it won’t turn out like The
Second.”
“You have a point Ana, we do have a way of silencing what we feel is detrimental to our way of life,
until some pious souls float along to say this is wrong.”
“Someone has to help these devolved humans stay on the straight and narrow.”
I was finally done fumbling with the computer so I could publish my experience online for others to
read about and understand that they’re here to help. There’s a small 2x2 grassy spot in the desert.
“So we keep fighting for those who cannot fight unless they want yet another stigma attached to their
name.”
“Agreed.” Said the other two.
“Emma how many have we converted?”
"About four hundred, but that number is slowly growing especially in Arizona, California, New
Mexico, and parts of Texas.”
“Albert what were you telling Emma about more accurate numbers.”
“I was saying that I think more people think these guys are here to help but people are too scared to
stand up because an island is controlling a continent. It’s crazy the extent people will go to fit in.”
“Or not stand out…”
“If only we could get more people to take the step. To make them see that it’s okay to be different and
that different is good especially when the norm is wrong. ”
“We must remember that this has happened before. Millions of people died because of the minority
controlling the majority. It happened to the desert dwellers, the bankers and shop keepers, and to the
captives. It wasn’t until someone thought that their lives were equally as important as their own.”
Ana’s mind was stuck with the shop keepers and bankers of whom she was a descendant. She
thought of how these innocent non–corrupt bankers were permanently silenced because of the
uncontrollable. However those who were corrupt and could control themselves were able to speak,
and speak freely. This troubled her deeply. The fire was rekindled to a momentous size. Albert’s mind
was with the captives whom he felt were never fully received their retribution for the disconnect,
inequality, and hate they received for all their hard work. To him it did not make sense why the ones
who did all the work received the stub. While, Emma was with the desert dwellers whom her parents
helped liberate while they were in their youth. Emma’s parents were rather spectacular; they were
humanitarians, animal rights activists—world changers. There were countless books,
documentaries, articles, and TV shows made about their lives. They left an amazing legacy but their

4. society of children
4
biggest legacy was not countless lives changed and saved, nor the environments they rehabilitated in
the other hemisphere, it was however this precious, spectacular daughter named Emma. Who was
equal parts of her just, kind, loving, giving, and intelligent parents. She was destined to leave an
equally stupefying legacy as her parents. These three, felt the way the others before them did, they
felt that everyone’s lives were equally important as their own, and they knew that everyone’s story
needed to be told.
News broke the next week that these foreigners were planning to take over this nation and it seemed
almost immediately that there were tanks on the streets of every major city. We had to act
immediately. Probably the worst idea we ever had was the course of action we took now— we flew to
the white house and landed on the lawn. Now you can imagine that in a time where people
panicking, thinking that they were under attack; landing on the lawn of the white house was a death
sentence. However, since my parents were revered in such high honor it was sort of okay.
We met with the President and Vice President. Only to find out that the President was all for this and
against the foreigners. He apparently thought they were terrible and were planning to take over our
nation. When all they wanted was to live side by side (not literally) with us. They just want to clean
up the air and water so it is safer for us to breathe and drink. They just want to help, that’s their
whole life’s goal. To help, not destroy. They wouldn’t mind taking a test or applying for citizenship.
They agree to abide by our laws and not do anything illegal. However not even the President
understood this, he was too scared that they would be willing to do what he can't—fix this broken
society in which we live. Which is true he alone can’t fix it, he needs every single one of us to change
to fix it because we are society not this lone person. The Vice President actually came up to us as
we left to tell us he understood and frequented the website. He promised us he would do everything
he could to prevent any atrocity from happening to them. He promised to convince her that they are
here to help.
A few days later militias started to form in a few cities, that’s when things got serious. The tanks were
used to put down uprising by the militias which started when broadcast were began showing how
these foreigners were here to help and just wanted to create better lives for themselves. (They inhale
greenhouse gases, exhale oxygen, and drink heavy metals then release pure, clean water.) That
message didn’t rollover too well with some citizens so they organized these militias. However our
operation grew larger and we could work less covertly but we still had to be cautious. A great chasm
formed between pro-integration and anti-integration which nearly caused a second civil war, for my
country. Luckily the majority slowly became the minority and there was no need to silence anyone.
The change increased after people saw how these foreigners could improve the world and take it back
to the time of rhino, tuna, elephants, and tigers. A time most people don’t fully remember, a time
that a majority have only heard stories of.
“You understood.”
“We all did.”

5. society of children
5
“Why didn’t you ever tell us you understood?”
"If I would have it would have ruined everything. We would not have been able to make this progress
and we would have turned out like the Jews or the non–Arabs in Darfur. It was for everyone’s
protection. ”
“I lost my wife. She was shot by one of the militias a few days before the agreement was reached.”
“I'm— I’m sorry. Can I do anything for you?”
“You’ve already done everything. You fought for us, created a pathway for us to get citizenship, and
prevented a full out genocide of my people. You know, it’s okay, because you remind of my wife. She
would have gladly given her life if she knew it meant that no one else would have to die. ”
“She sounds like my mother.”
“Your mother sounds like a spectacular person.”
“She was.”