Americans seem forever pulled in opposite directions. We want to celebrate our differences, but we also want to erase them. We are a pluralistic society in fact, but often a uniform society in ideal. And the two are always in tension.
When we feel charitable about the people around us we wax poetic about diversity. But when we feel threatened by the people around us we lament their bigotry. The truth is, it’s pointless to romanticize or curse pluralism—we should instead be asking the difficult questions. Pluralism incorporates the different religions, political opinions, ethnicities, and moral sensibilities living out their visions of truth within a single society. It’s not mere diversity, but engagement with this diversity that matters most.
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