From the text:

"Tolerance is the word used most often when this kind of coexistence succeeds, but tolerance is a vanilla-pudding word, standing for little more than the allowance of letting others live unremarked and unmolested" (Quindlen 15).

Look up the word "tolerance" in the dictionary. With that definition in mind, what do you think this portion of the text means? What do you think the author is trying to say?

The author is suggesting that tolerance is a word that has come to mean simply allowing others to exist without harm or attention, and implies a need for greater engagement and empathy.

Explanation:

The word 'tolerance' as per dictionary definition denotes the acceptability and endurance towards the presence or existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. In the context of this text, when the author refers to tolerance as a vanilla-pudding word, they are implying that it is a bland, unremarkable term that stands for merely allowing others to exist without causing them harm or paying them much attention. It suggests that the author is urging for more engagement and empathy, rather than simple allowance or indifference.

Learn more about Tolerance here:

https://brainly.com/question/30478622

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