There should be no room for hate in America. And yet, at times, the ‘land of the free and home of the brave’ stands as firmly as a monument to hate’s very existence.
Many people have debated the proper label for this act – domestic terrorism, radical Islamic terrorism, a hate crime. And they have argued about who and what is to blame – a crazed gunman, access to automatic weapons, lack of treatment for the mentally ill, an imperfect background-checking system, a culture that nurtures hateful, homophobic views.
Another label that should come to mind is “unacceptable.” Whatever the conditions that allow this type of carnage like to take place on our soil should be rooted out, universally condemned and suffocated with a blanket of disapproval. Of course we need better gun control. What valid reason would an ordinary person have to possess an automatic weapon that sprays rounds of bullets?
And we need to make clear that America is a place that allows people the freedoms to live their lives as they see fit, as long as they don’t interfere with the rights and freedom of others.
Laws can regulate some of this. But more than that we need a collective consciousness about the impact and dangers bred by any kind of hate – racial, religious, sex, sexual orientation.
We need to discuss hate’s dangerous impact not just in our legislative chambers and court rooms, but in our homes, where children feed on their parents’ impressions of other people, and in our social places and workplaces, where we must speak up not just when someone says they want to kill, but when they say that they hate.
With so much positive that can be fostered in America, hate is one factor we must actively rally around doing without.
https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/no-room-for-hate/article_8ec995aa-3c2f-5c44-b67e-3eb59661a007.html
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