sometimes, looking back through history puts me in an odd frame of mind. Violence begets violence, but love only does so much to keep the peace. While I do not contradict Dr. King when he said that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”, one has to look forward and wonder how much good that has done. Love didn’t drive out the darkness; it only made it hide for a while. It never left – hatred goes hand in hand with cowardice, so haters have no qualms with smiling, shaking hands, and pretending, while their hate festers, and quietly spreads to others.
One thing is for certain. This idiotic fight is something that humanity has struggled with for the whole of our known history. The targets for our hate (black, white, red, yellow, secular, religious, not religious, or just plain ‘different’) have always been made scapegoats for whatever problems we have as a people. And while LOVE does a world of good, only education, free speech, tolerance, and active understanding will drive out the ghosts who hide in the shadows we leave behind.
Yes, always love; but MORE is needed. Reach out; educate. Live the tolerance and understanding you want to see in the world. Otherwise, you are just going through the motions. And that’s not really love, is it?
