Whenever I used the word “hate” as a child, adults always asked me, “Do you really hate it, or do you dislike it?”
Today, “hate” keeps people divided. The media remind us of hate groups, hate crimes, and hate speech -- for example, CBS’s coverage of the White Supremacy march in Charlottesville.
We receive underlying messages through our televisions to pick a side in all the chaos. The message we don’t receive, however, is that we belong to the same side: humanity.
As the most evolved species, the human race would have crumbled without the undying force that sustained so many generations -- love. If humans can love unconditionally, then why do we find so many opportunities to hate each other?
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The value of love will always be stronger than the value of hate.”
As beings with the gift of self-awareness, we can love. Even when a disagreement leads to a screaming match, we still can choose love. Contrary to media depictions, conflicting beliefs do not justify hate.
“Hate” perpetuates a hopeless, barren wasteland. Love holds the power to blanket this hopelessness in healing light, alleviating the dead ends that hate fosters.
Humanity holds the ability to choose love. Abundant and priceless, love will always move us forward.
I’m Veronica McCulloh, and that’s my perspective.