HATE IS A HEAVY THING

Hate is a heavy thing. It consumes people. It engulfs their souls. From the dawn of mankind hate has been responsible for countless horrors and atrocities and there is nobody living on this planet who hasn’t experienced, in some form, hatred’s destructive force.

I recently read an editorial letter where the writer expressed hatred of liberals. All week, I’ve been haunted by her words. I’ve wanted to ask her why. I’ve wanted to figure out what about me (a liberal) gives rise to such loathing. I’ve struggled to understand the reason behind the hateful venom. Unfortunately, all I have are questions.

I’ve heard it said, “Hate has no rational answer”.

It’s become commonplace for folks to use the word liberal in much the same fashion as racists hurl the “n-word” at African Americans. If you listen closely enough, you can hear the hate. Although few are as honest and forthright regarding their hatred of liberals as the editorial letter writer I mentioned, that same hatred for those espousing liberal beliefs has spread in our society faster than cancer. And like cancer, that hatred has consumed, divided and engulfed souls.

America was born of liberal men who eschewed hatred, yet two centuries later, segments of society appear hell-bent on crushing liberal principles in the name of our forefathers with hatred as their weapon. Politicians routinely invoke the values of our nation’s founders in the same breath as they sling the word liberal as a political epithet. Underlying it all is hatred and every one of us, conservative and liberal alike, suffers as a result.

Although I espouse liberal beliefs, I cherish my friends and neighbors who are more conservative in their opinions. I may not agree with their political and/or social beliefs, but they enrich my life with unique perspectives that would otherwise be lost if everyone followed the same mantra.

God bless liberals, God bless conservatives and God bless “haters” too! Hatred is simply too heavy a burden to bear.