Political Polarization

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil-hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars-must be broken, or we will be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

One thing that confuses me is the intolerance that is shown for those who are intolerant and the hatred shown for those who hate. As seen above, Martin Luther King Jr. among many others have said that you can’t fight hate with hate or intolerance with intolerance. Then why is it so common and accepted that people do this? I know that in many circumstances, those showing hate and intolerance aim it towards good things or wonderful groups of people. Many times their hatred hurts others, but it mainly hurts them. In other examples what one group perceives as intolerance is simply a difference in opinion, or intolerance to one person is sticking to one’s values to another person. Even if that group is truly hateful and intolerant towards good people and things, don’t they have the right to their opinion?

Klu Klux Klan (KKK)

Let’s use the KKK for an example. Most everybody agrees that the KKK has done horrible things to a specific race of people only because of the difference in the color of their skin. Most also agree that this group breeds hatred that only causes pain to the victims and the haters themselves. Well, if that is the case, then why don’t we go out of our way to lynch KKK members? We have the government resources to find out who sympathizes with them. So let’s find them and get rid of them so they don’t spread any more hate or cause any more pain. No Way! That sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? It sounds like something you would see in Nazi Germany or Communist Russia not Free America.

Carrie Prejean-2009 Miss California

Then why doesn’t it seem ridiculous when Miss California shares her opinion about how she believes that marriage is between a man and a woman and consequently looses her crown? Her opinion is seen by some as intolerance, and therefore she cannot be tolerated. Sounds kind of funny doesn’t it? What about the people who murder the abortion clinic doctor for performing abortions? What ever happened to letting people have their opinion? What about passing laws that punish them if they maliciously act on those opinions? So let’s take it back to the KKK example. Let them meet, let them talk, but if they hurt someone or break laws, punish them.

Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses

Isn’t this the premise of what our nation was built on? Europeans facing religious intolerance moved to the new world in order to have the freedom to have their own opinions and practice their religion the way they wanted to. I bet that Martin Luther was seen as being intolerant by the Catholic Church. They wouldn’t tolerate his intolerance and so what did they do? They killed him.

I find it interesting that the professors of peace often show an incredible amount of hatred towards those who support war. Have we not learned anything from Ghandi and Nelson Mandela who maintained the same standpoint as stated above by Martin Luther King Jr. that we can’t fight hate with hate?