Who determines what hate is?
To the editor:
Hate is usually described as an “intense or passionate dislike.” But that does not answer the question. The question is who does this determination? This passionate dislike is of a personal measure of dislike. Where along the continuum it transverses from dislike to hate is once again personal in nature. And so, we are left with a passionate term that is measured differently from person to person as there is no universal method for assessing the actual level of dislike.
We see this term bandied about for all sorts of purposes. “I hate school,” “I hate spinach,” “I hate cold weather.” But these same items are desired by others so we should be able to agree that what “hate” is, is really an individual measurement. Not quantifiable but real nonetheless.
We spend much time using this word and a day does not pass when this description of someone’s emotion fails to enter our world.
In the legal world there is such label that is often attached to an event.
We read or hear daily of a “hate crime, or “hate speech.” If it is a crime that has been committed predicated upon hate, the penalty is often enhanced. But why is that? Are we to be punished for our thoughts? If someone is attacked and that attack is attributed to being one of hate, does one who is similarly attacked for reasons absent of hate feel better? Is that victim worth less because the other victim was attacked on an emotion predicated by hate and thus the perpetrator receives the enhanced penalty. Are we not “all equal under the law?”
Remember, if you “hate,” “hate groups” is your hate worth more, or less, than theirs? Hate, it appears, is a matter of perspective and thus is not an absolute. Does hate make you a bad person, if so, what do you hate? I know that I hate talking about this subject.
Joseph L. Kibitlewski, PhD.
Cape Coral