R.I.P. Hate

“In time we hate that which we often fear.” William Shakespeare

I thought hate was dead.

I mean, we have seen so much hate over the years. Seems as though we hated black people and they us, and now we have a black President. Homosexuals of both genders are now some of our favorite celebrities, before they had to hide in shame. We not only accept them now, they can be married and we celebrate the event publicly. I mean, these are big steps forward. Progressive. Understanding of differences beats hate. I thought we were really growing up.

I was so hopeful of this promise of the end of hate and the beginning of acceptance of one other. A decade for the history books. My daughter would grow up in a better world.

And then they tried to pass a healthcare bill.

Suddenly, hate is all over the news. People spitting on people. People yelling racial slurs against people. Bricks thrown through office windows. Geesh. What is next?

I have to say that I am not going to point fingers in any one direction. Blame is everywhere. I have never felt more afraid to speak my views openly in my lifetime of 50 years. Scary stuff.

Friends against friends. Neighbor's fighting each other. Even families divided over this issue. And it is spreading like wild fire.

I thought a while back we were mad about the war. Not in any kind of hateful way, just angry. But that seems to be old news now, even though our troops are still dying, our deficit increasing and no end in sight. Seems that allowing someone to have health insurance is more important than the war that President Obama has now escalated by adding more troops. Didn't he promise to bring our troops home?

But, no bother about that anymore. We have to fight about who can have a primary care physician instead.

This is crazy to me. Is this who we have become?

And what about Sarah Palin? She is certainly fueling the fire. I hate to say this, but she is beyond a legend in her own mind. She is getting people riled up. And not in a good way. In a bad way. I mean really, "targeting" people? With pictures that look like rifle aims? That is over the top. Really dumb.

And I am tired of hearing about the "tea party movement" and the "coffee movement". Good grief. Sounds like the nation needs a bowel movement. Are we all just cranky and constipated with our own angst?

I am also tired of the rhetoric. TV has become a whine-fest courtesy of MSNBC and Fox News. The Republicans are evil; no, the Democrats are. I am starting to think that this is all about money and ratings and not anything about real news at all.

But you knew that already. I know.

And what is up with the Vice President dropping the F-bomb on TV? That is not good, either. A hateful word if ever there was one.

Have we all dumbed down this much? Have we become like the movie, "Idiocracy?"

It certainly seems we are headed that way.

And what are we teaching our kids? That hate is okay? That we do not have to take care of one another? That we can be disrespectful because we disagree with someone?

You know, bullying is escalating in schools. And most things are learned at home. So, you do the math.

I don't know what the answer is. I guess I will just hope that people come to their senses and denounce this ridiculous behavior. Maybe shed the fear that is pervading and fueling the hate.

So, what is it that we all fear so much that is making us so hateful?

Is it change? Is it the fear of someone else triumphing? What is it?

Guess we will never know for sure.

"Whether the melon falls on the knife, or the knife falls on the melon, it is still the melon that suffers."

I wish people could understand that.