Repressive tolerance

Okay kiddo, let's talk about a big and complicated idea called "repressive tolerance." You see, sometimes in society, there are certain groups or people who are not treated fairly or equally. This is called oppression. Now, some people think that in order to fix this situation, we should try to be tolerant, which means accepting and respecting different ideas and people. But there's a problem with this approach.

Sometimes, those in power will pretend to be tolerant and accepting, but really just use it as an excuse to keep oppressing others. They might say they are being tolerant by listening to different voices, but secretly they’re still only listening to the ones they like, and ignoring the ones that really need to be heard. This is called "repressive tolerance."

It might sound confusing, so let's break it down a bit. Imagine you and your friends are playing a game together, but one of your friends is always left out and never gets to play. You and your other friends might say "We're being fair, we're letting everyone play," but secretly you're only inviting the friends you like and ignoring the one who never gets to play. This is similar to repressive tolerance, because even though you're pretending to be fair, you're still oppressing your friend.

Repressive tolerance is a sneaky way to keep people down, because it can make it seem like everything is okay, when really it's not. So, it's important for everyone to be aware of repressive tolerance, and to make sure that we are not just pretending to be tolerant, but actually working towards equality for all.