A person asks this evening, is it ok to Hate?
Is it ok to Hate President Trump and his supporters? This was a question that was asked on twitter Sunday evening on the 28th of October 2019. I was actually happy that the person asked the question, as many have already made that decision for themselves. The decision that it is ok to hate.
I have paid attention to the slow acceleration of anger and hatred by Democrats, Independents, and never-Trump Republicans in retaliation to the hateful rhetoric and policies coming from the President, the administration, and many of his supporters. Especially what we see at the rallies and read on social media. Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric matters more than the details of his ‘Policies’. Why? because it drives a wedge into a gap of political polarization that started with Newt Gingrich and accelerated through talk radio and now social media/networks. He is throwing gas on a fire of polarization leading to more resentment, hatred, and fear. He is not only bringing existing racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and misogamy out in the open, but he is also pushing more and more people to those horribly negative and destructive mindsets by harnessing or better yet taking advantage of their fear. It’s no longer ‘I disagree with some of the policies’ and beliefs of the moderates, left of center or the left” one must now hate those people. Liberalism is a mental illness, the democrats hate America, etc. Listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Laura Ingram on any given day.
I do not want to discuss any particular policy. I know some have been horribly destructive to people, but that is for another conversation. Nor do I want to discuss the President, talk radio or his supporters. I want to discuss the reaction I am seeing from the others in our nation and around the world. I believe if you become like the thing you are trying to fight against, you have lost. When you rationalize that Hate is a temporary thing until “we are past this” you are fooling yourself. Once you go deep down the rabbit hole of hatred, to enter into a journey that is particularly problematic, difficult, and chaotic, especially one that becomes increasingly so as it continues to unfold. You hurt your own soul, your own well-being and you exhaust the very energy needed to make positive decisions and positive change. Think about this quote from Dr. king below:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction ... The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. (1963)” — Martin Luther King Jr.
By allowing ourselves to get into the hate for hate business we simply multiple the hate, the violence and the destruction of our social norms and institutions. We can investigate and prosecute a crime without being consumed by hate. We can impeach based on facts without being consumed by hate. We can educate and advocate without hate. We can vote ourselves and mobilize many of the 100 million people that did not vote in 2016 to make a positive change in our country without hate. We can not only preach love, but we can also demonstrate it in our interactions in person and online. We can find common goals and ground with the left, left center, and center. We can find common goals with the center-right and right who reject the hatred, whether they call themselves republicans or independents. We lead by example and we lead with a love for each other, for our country, and our world.
Is it ok to Hate President Trump and his supporters? No, it is not ok, it is not healthy, it is not helpful…. I have included some very special quotes below for you to give some thought to. I end with my favorite bible quote. It is a universal truth no matter your religious beliefs or non-beliefs.
“Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love. (1958)”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
“A fifth point concerning nonviolent resistance is that it avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he also refuses to hate him. (1958)” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart. (1963)” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“Retaliation is counter-poison and poison breeds more poison. The nectar of Love alone can destroy the poison of hate.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“Hate the sin and not the sinner’ is a precept which, though easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“The world is weary of hate. We see the fatigue overcoming the Western nations.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed, but hate these things in yourself, not in another.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
