Hate Has Always Been Evil

Back during Israel’s incursion into Lebanon I remember a caller on CSPAN who with a calm fatherly voice speak of, after identifying himself as a Christian, how wrong a cease fire between Israel and Lebanon would be. He told a story of how he along with his father and brother had to go into their barn and kill all the rats, big ones and little ones. How sad when a person who claims to represent reason and family values can so calmly call for bloodthirsty violence, terror from the skies and murder.

The sad thing is these types of words and the actions they’re meant to initiate inflame the haters. Violence whether it’s from shadowy terrorist or from terrifying smart bombs is always counterproductive except for those who want to keep hate supercharged. We have a huge hate problem toward everyone of Middle Eastern ancestry now from the 30 to 40 percent of conservatives, many who claim to be good to outstanding Christians, who are the presidents’ supporters. Many want all Muslims, including citizens, to carry special identification identifying them as so but they would prefer Muslim round-ups and expulsion at home with bombing to the point of genocide else where.

They believe greater violence is the only answer. Those who disagree will be called un-American traitors in league with the terrorists, bad Christians and anti Semitic. Evil can and often does exist on all sides in a war. Many are feeling comfortable cuddling up with wickedness. They are deceiving themselves that they are doing God’s will while calling evil good. Bravado driven nationalism that disguises hate in an illusion of the defense of mom and apple pie does not improve its immorality. Hate is evil, it always has been and it always will be the largest obstacle to fitting through the needles eye. They frighten me and I worry how they will use this to push us further into fascism.

Islamo-fascism is the new marketing term for our struggles that has been officially adopted by this administration. It’s an incorrect term. The most extreme are authoritarian and theocratic with about as much love for human rights as our favorite trading partner, China or our favorite oil producer, Saudi Arabia. What they aren’t, like our neoconservative dominated administration, are corporatists. Fascists use religion as a tool to further the propaganda to be seen as its great protector. In a theocracy it’s all about the religion and everyone, corporations included, are under its thumb.

If we are looking for a new term how about the ‘Struggle against Al Qaeda’. After all they were the ones who attacked us. They are the ones who were ignored when the Bush administration abandoned that battle in favor of Iraq and now they are the ones along with the Taliban who have grown stronger.

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
G.W. Bush

There’s another incorrect mantra, frequently repeated on CSPAN and other places where they can be found lurking, of the dangerous right….’Not all Moslems are terrorists but all terrorists are Moslems.’

These places have all had or are continuing to have problems with terrorists who are not from Islam.
United States
.....National Security Watch: 60 right-wing terror plots foiled
.....http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050712/12natsec.htm
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
Etc., Etc. Etc…..

There’s no shortage of people who mistakenly think terrorism is the answer to their political or economic problems. They are not a homogenous group they are all different with different solutions to each circumstance.I wish they would learn from such great men as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John Paul II, Desmond Tutu and others for a better way to attack their problems. Much more can be accomplished through nonviolence.

'An eye for an eye for an eye would make the whole world blind.'
Gandhi

"In struggling for human dignity the oppressed people of the world must not allow themselves to become bitter or indulge in hate campaigns. To retaliate with hate and bitterness would do nothing but intensify the hate in the world. Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can be done only by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

"As an essential part of its fight against all forms of terrorism, the international community is called to undertake new and creative political, diplomatic and economic initiatives aimed at relieving the scandalous situations of gross injustice, oppression and marginalization which continue to oppress countless members of the human family. History in fact shows that the recruitment of terrorists is more easily achieved in areas where human rights are trampled upon and where injustice is a part of daily life.”
John Paul II

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
Desmond Tutu