THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 18, 1996 TAG: 9607170018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 28 lines
Please someone say it is all right to be intolerant.
Three doctors have asked me the same question: Do you smoke? Because of an intolerant father, I could answer no.
I have two brothers and one sister; none of us were ever admitted to the Betty Ford Clinic for alcohol abuse - because of an intolerant father. He would have none of it. Our refrigerators never contained cold beer.
Thank God for state police who won't tolerate drinking and driving.
I still remember some things I learned as a teen, such as one rotten apple in a basket will soon have all the apples rotten; let a moose get his nose under the tent and soon his whole body will be in the tent; give an inch and they will take a mile.
When it comes to evil or wrongdoing, it is all right to be intolerant. I don't have to like what I don't like.
Have you ever heard ``One puff won't hurt you'' or ``One drink won't make you drunk'' and then 10 years later on, ``I wish I had never taken the first puff'' or the first drink?
It's all right to be intolerant when you are right.
TOMMY STEELE
Virginia Beach, July 7, 1996 by CNB