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Easier to Hate In the United States right-wing "hate radio" talk shows are alive and well.... ...further dividing an already badly divided country and.... ...fueling attacks against gays, Jews, blacks, immigrants, and most anybody else who "isn't like us." These talk shows provide daily fodder for the more than 600 recognized hate groups in the U.S. Can it just be a coincidence that murders based on race, religion, sexual orientation or disability have reached a five-year high in the US of A? Ironically, a great many of these groups flourish under the Christian banner. Why? After spending more than fourscore years observing and chronicling human behavior, I'll offer some suggestions. First, it's only too easy to stir up feelings anger and hatred. Once these emotions are ignited, fanning the flames becomes relatively easy. Soon, clear thinking and reason seem far less satisfying than venting this anger and hatred by striking out with violence... ...especially for the folks who have trouble with clear thinking and reason... ..and especially for people that are sitting on a lot of anger to start with... ...which, of course, includes a few million of our economically disenfranchised. Early in our nation's early history we had mob violence and lynch mobs. Today, we have contagious anger and "righteous indignation" from conservative talk show hosts... ...who typically wrap their views in super-patriotism and even some aberrant form of Christianity. Hate is easy...arousing...appealing...and it generates listeners and ratings. Love is difficult...hard to explicate. Despite what the originator of Christianity said... ...the very individual that these people profess to follow... ..far too many of these super-Christian, God, guns, and guts people... ...see love as sissy... ...embarrassing... ...not "macho." And then there is this. Consider these quotes—that you will never hear openly admitted: "I can only feel better about my own plight by putting down other people." (Was it Lincoln who said the only way some people can appear taller is by trying to cut other people off at the knees?) "The only way I can feel adequate is by aligning myself with a group that... ...crusades against some 'inferior,' 'immoral,' or 'evil' entity.... ...thus making "us" feel superior to 'them'... ...and giving us a noble and motivating purpose." Right-wing religions try to justify their latent anger and jealousies in the name of.... ...good verses evil and... ...some god that bears no resemblance to the loving God of any enlightened scriptures. It is said that hate is not the opposite of love, but rather fear. It would seem that we need no better evidence than the fear-based right-wing groups we see emerging. Editor's note: This issue is also discussed here and here.
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