A Prelude to Hate

After reading the news this past week, it has struck me that there is a pattern that groups of people exhibit that show a steady decline  towards hostility of the armed and unarmed kind. While I have long understood some of the mechanisms involved, one that had escaped me until recently was how false labels of hatred and bigotry (or oppression back in the day) can be used to foster the very things they claim to be combating. This has become the main weapon of choice on the political left in the United States over the past few years.

It is all very basic “us vs. them” behavior, but as I dwelt on it, I realized this is how societies crumble. Breaking down people into special interest groups is the same as forming tribes or, in a more modern urban variation, street gangs and mafia. This segregation leads to growing feelings of distance toward any group that is not your group. It then becomes easy to attribute falsehoods to the “others” because the are obviously bad – if they were good, they would be part of the group.

With decreased real interaction with people who believe other than you do, you also run the risk of believing you are always right. Opinion becomes fact, emotions become reality, and no challenge can be tolerated. Anyone who does not agree must surely be driven by hatred and must be vilified. This is how true intolerance is born. It is a both ironic and tragic origin.

Also troubling is the counter reaction when people who are tolerant find themselves on the receiving end of unbridled hostility. Disbelief and shock often give way to resentment the festers. Festering resentment can grow into anger and anger is a dangerous path no matter the circumstance. Formerly easy going people quietly seethe under the abuse hurled at them.

It is like the scorching hot anger directed upon them dries out the patience, turning them into a parched forest that can be ignited if a large enough spark falls upon it. Hate is the fire that comes from this. Right now, there are signs that is slowly happening in America. We are not yet there, but edging ever closer.

For some time I have been planning to write a post about hate or hatred. With this post, I realize that the ideas rattling around in my head are too many for one post and so it has to being somewhere. As a result, it will not be as polished as I intended, yet it will allow me to cover a lot more ground. If others get any benefits out of reading this it would be great, but I am writing this more to get the ideas into some kind of cohesive order.

So what triggered my finally getting around to actually writing about hate?

The boycott threats against Chick-fil-A and the rabid media persecution of religious believers who do not support gay marriage or abortion were a major inspiration. But it was talking to a friend who is right of wing who refuses to do business with companies that give money to left wing causes that really got the ball rolling.

To wit, I do not approve of politically motivated boycotts. Doing more business with companies that have ownership with the same views as you is okay, but I find hostile boycotts to be destructive to society. I know people on both the left and the right who boycott businesses local and bigger due to politics. To me, it smacks too much of extortion while going against free market ideals.

If you are to a protest, I think the Chick-fil-A appreciation day was the way to go about it. It was positive, rather than negative, with reports that the atmosphere in the restaurants was upbeat. Some of the participants were even gay marriage supporters who were upset at threats from big city mayors to keep the restaurant chain out of their cities. That tells me more people care about the First Amendment than I dared to hope.

I am weary of anger and hate. Somehow I have gotten to the point where the former is rare and the latter I can no longer feel. It has been a long journey to get there and I will write about it in subsequent posts. I just wish others could get there too, but I know better than to hold my breath.

So ends my prelude to Hate, which will be a series of posts on the subject. They will be my musings, so do not expect extensive quotes or links, since I am not out to persuade or garner a grade.