Did you wake up this morning with hate in your heart? I'm pretty sure many of you did, even if you won't admit it. And you know what, it's okay to hate things, but it's not okay to hate individuals.
I sometimes hate to wake up, I hate KU basketball (as a Mizzou grad it's in my blood) and I hate stupid drivers. But, I don't hate KU fans -- they can't help themselves. And I don't hate the drivers themselves but I hate what they do while they are behind the wheel of a several ton piece of metal.
Hate is the oldest emotion known to man right along with love. It's human nature but that doesn't mean it's acceptable; it just means that we have to acknowledge that it's there.
In the 60s, there was a song called "One Tin Soldier" and it was associated with the movie "Billy Jack." The movie was on not long ago, and while I didn't agree with the counterculture anti-war theme and the 60s protest movement, I do love the song. The refrain is "Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend, do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end."
That implies that it's okay to hate and cheat if you do it in the name of a good cause then you can justify it. Obviously that's not why I like the song but rather the moral that there is no justification for doing the wrong thing. How many injustices and atrocities have occurred over the millennial in the name of the "better good"?
So, once we acknowledge that we do indeed have hate in our heart then we need to examine if it is acceptable hate or unacceptable. If it is the latter, then we can't let it take over our lives and actions.
If we hate liver and onions (which I do) then we just don't eat it and that's acceptable. And, if we hate the actions of people then by all means hate the action but don't harbor hate for the person. You have heard the phrase "hate the sin but love the sinner." That particular phrase is not in the Bible but the concept is found throughout the New Testament.
Unfortunately, in today's hyper-charged, super-sensitive society hate is pervasive and not only towards the actions but also the people themselves. And, it isn't just one political side or the other but cuts across the entire spectrum.
In today's America, we have worn our skins so thin that any slight (real or perceived) leads to immediate condemnation and demands for not only a pound of flesh but the whole body as well. That means that when something truly is offensive; it loses its impact because we have made so many mountains out of truly little molehills.
And, heaven forbid that we even think about questioning something that the other side considers "for the good of society." Gone are the days of arguing over the merits of a particular policy issue. If the other side can't base their beliefs on common sense then just call the opposition names like racist, intolerant and insensitive.
I know that people think I'm rigid in my beliefs and that would be true regarding my core values. Those are things on which I will never compromise. But that doesn't mean that I can't acknowledge that not everyone agrees with me. I have many friends who don't share my beliefs and they are still my friends -- unless they attack me personally and then I can stop calling them my friend.
Compromise has become a bad word and neither side likes to "give in" -- leading to the current state of affairs in 2019 America. Until both sides quit attacking and start listening, we will only continue to de-evolve as a country.
And, we also have to stop demanding things just because we think we deserve them. Life is harsh and not always fair. Colin Kaepernick made a stand on something he believed in. Now that he is no longer playing football, he is crying that no one will hire him as a quarterback just because of his belief. And, he wants someone to hire him to prove that he is right.
Guess what, there is a risk and reward equation in all of this. If a team truly believed that his value as a player outweighed the negatives then they would hire him. Obviously they haven't, so take the millions you have already made and quit your whining.
I don't think society is going to develop a thicker skin and I don't think people are going to quit hating. But, don't try to "justify it in the end" just because you think you are doing something for the better good.
KEVIN WILSON IS A FORMER MISSOURI STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS BORN IN GOODMAN AND NOW LIVES IN NEOSHO. OPINIONS ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 02/13/2019