Tolerance Is A Lousy Name For A Bridge

Above is a rendering of the so-called Tolerance Bridge that is planned to span Houston’s Buffalo Bayou.

Here is some explanation of the design of the bridge from the Houston Chronicle—

“The bridge design features a visual sleight of hand: a twisted archway at its center that from afar, project officials told City Council members, will make it appear impossible to cross. However, when pedestrians or bikers are closer, they will see the bridge is easily passable. From one vantage point, the “twisted arc” will frame the Houston skyline.”

The Tolerance Bridge will cost $7 million and will be funded by both public and private money.   

I’m all for the bridge. You can never have enough bridges. I just don’t like the name.

“Tolerance” suggests we are just tolerating other people. We’d might as well call it the “I Guess I’ve Got No Choice But To Live In This City With You Bridge.”  Or the “I’ve Suppose After All These Years I’ve Finally Developed A Tolerance For Your Kind Bridge.”

Why not instead call it the “Acceptance  Bridge?” Or the ” You Are My Fellow Human Being Bridge?” Or even the “I Like You A Great Deal Bridge?”

We don’t have to accept all that people do or believe. What we have to do is accept people as fellow human beings. Can’t we hope for more than to just tolerate people?