Hate

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as:

1. intense hostility and aversion, usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.
2. extreme dislike or disgust: antipathy, loathing.
3. a systematic and especially politically exploited expression of hatred.

I remember, as a youngster, hearing adults reacting negatively after hearing a kid use the word “hate”, “hate is such a strong word!”, they would say. Nonetheless, it’s become yet another victim of modern society’s banalizing of language.

There is a lot of hatred in our world today, much of it warranted. There are many atrocities committed today, and over many years, that fuel the sentiment. Usually, it involves the very powerful over the very weak, which is where I think the most hatred lies. When hatred turns to violence, everyone loses, as expected, reason and logic take a back seat in favour of retaliation and revenge. With today’s instant communications, the sentiments spread instantly around the globe. Everyone has a front seat to watch the calamities unfolding.

This phenomenon is used both for good and bad by many of those with special interests in the areas, and people’s opinions, (besides those connected directly or otherwise), are formed by whoever they watch and/or listen to. In the end, many end up “hating” people they don’t even know, and none can even claim that their knowledge of the goings on is accurate. No one knows but those involved in the conflict, some of which, for various reasons, won’t tell the truth to the outside world. This is the case now and has always been, and many feel compelled to stand up for what they believe in, and so they march, they chant, and they demand, wherever they may be, and that’s a noble thing. That’s the right thing. But the “right thing” is relative, and there are those who don’t like being shown that their opinion isn’t the only one, which has been cause for more violence and more hatred among people outside of the conflicted areas.

The public, and even some governments have lost the ability to tolerate. It seems some are interpreting certain demonstrations as some sort of promotion of hate. It’s a difficult topic, but I can see the reasoning behind it, in some cases, like a white supremacist march may not have much of a point other than hate for those that are unlike them, a most ridiculous concept. But when it comes to a difference of opinion, where all sides may have some valid arguments, it just becomes intolerance, not wanting to hear any other opinion, forcing your own, by any means necessary. These days it’s by clashing against your “opponent”, which many times is just another hurt human being, with a differing opinion. How did it get to this? Have we been slowly guided to become this way, through our lifestyle? Does no one realize that this way nothing will ever get resolved? Since when do we ever get positive results by consistently “hating” those who have different points of view? Even governments are taking sides, which confuses people even more.

We live in a world of financial and strategic interests. The degree of focus on any given conflict and/or atrocity depends on what those areas have that interests the global powers. People are guided by the sources of their information, which in turn are controlled by business and its interests. But it’s basic; give everyone their space to grieve and to lash out, we all have that right.

Fiquem bem,

Raul Freitas/MS