68th Edition
Peggy Noonan, a well-respected columnist, wrote a recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “We are starting to enjoy hatred.” While I agree with her on certain points, her major premise, that our country has become a bunch of haters who actually enjoy it, is wrong. Sure our country has people who are hateful and seem to enjoy expressing their emotions, sometimes in head-scratching ways. That has always been the case. But what percentage of the population is that? And what percentage of our citizenry simply wants to work hard, provide for their families and enjoy Saturday afternoon baseball or soccer games? Which group is larger? Furthermore, which group demands attention and which group avoids it? Columnists like Ms. Noonan have to write about the news, and which group creates the news?
It isn’t particularly newsworthy to come home from work and go outside and play catch with your son while your wife prepares dinner. Nor is it newsworthy to come home from work, put on a yoga podcast and unwind from the day while your husband goes to pick up sushi for dinner. There are all kinds of normal stuff that we all do, that never appears on CNN, and thankfully so. I rarely watch the news. What’s the point? I would rather lead a normal, even mundane life than be pressured to choose one side to support and one side to hate.
I have political views. I’ve followed politics for most of my life. I know who I plan to vote for and what policies I think are best for the economy and our country in the long term. Like a lot of people I worry about the direction our country seems to be going. I wish that the government would become less controlling and live within its means. The debt worries me. I wonder which generation will pay the tab. I wish our politicians were trustworthy. Too many aren’t. It would not take much effort to come up with a long list of issues about which to be worried. How do we deal with them matters. Becoming apathetic isn’t a good option, as then nothing is likely to change, especially for the better. Working hard to be part of the solution seems to be a wise choice, but definitely not a simple or straightforward one in most cases. Most of the challenges we face as a nation are complicated. Moreover, there is always the law of unintended consequences lurking below the surface of any proposal or initiative. Worst of all, as long as power, corruption, and dishonesty continue to infect both the public and private sector, bad outcomes are likely.
Nevertheless, becoming hateful would seem to me to be the worst possible choice. Why? Because, as most people who have experienced an event causing them to hate eventually realize, hating hurts the hater more than the recipient. I’ve learned that lesson firsthand.
Today, thankfully, I hate no one. I used to hate the University of Southern California when I was a young kid, because they often beat Notre Dame who I cheered for whole heartedly. I still have nightmares of Anthony Davis returning the second half kickoff for a touchdown as USC outscored Notre Dame 49- 0 in the second half to win 55 – 24 in 1974.
So how might a person who feels pressure to hate avoid that debilitating emotion? I would contend it is impossible to do solo. In my experience it takes divine intervention, what I would call the power of the Holy Spirit. I wish Peggy Noonan had written about that. Perhaps she didn’t because she knows some people would hate her for doing so.
Freedom is a concept that is always noteworthy. First of all, freedom isn’t free. Throughout history people have fought and died for freedom. Preserving freedom is at the heart of the American experience. We think of freedom to and freedom from, which are different concepts. Freedom to be in control of our destiny, to live our lives in pursuit of our hopes and dreams. Freedom from oppression, fear, and yes, from hatred. In May of last year I wrote a blog “Freedom to or Freedom From.” This is a link to it – https://kayesbooks.com/freedom-to-or-freedom-from/
Both freedom to and freedom from have a spiritual component. That’s how our creator wired us. God is the antithesis of hate, so if you have hateful feelings toward anybody or anything ask Him to take them away. It is something God loves to do. Perhaps it is something only He can do.
If Ms. Noonan is right, that we have become a country that enjoys hating, I would suggest we turn off the news and talk to God. On second thought it might make sense to do that even if she’s wrong.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.