There are, at last count, 328 million people in the US. Keep that number in mind.(Third most populous country on earth.)
We are told by our betters that the US has become the most hate ridden, divided place ever in our history. OK. Fair Enough. Now let me ask you a question. Who do you know personally that actually hates you or a group of others. Spread your thoughts a little wider – how about the co worker at the next desk? They guy who prepares your mochaccino at Starbucks? The woman you meet every day walking her dog when you walk yours? That flight attendant with the nice smile? How about the Lyft driver that took you to your last meeting? The security guard at the front desk in your building? The mailperson that always seems to upset your dog? The UPS driver who also upsets your dog? Your son or daughter? Your wife, husband, or partner? Your sister in law? Your next door neighbor?
I’m not talking about disagreements. Or having differing opinions about something. I’m talking about full blown HATE.
Sure if you listen to MSNBCFOXCNN or read the editorials in the POSTTIMESGLOBE, you will think that everyone hates everyone else. But go back to that number above – 328 million. Do you honestly think that 160 million hate the other 160 million? Do you think all blacks hate all whites, or vice versa? Do you really think all Muslims hate all evangelicals or that all virtually everyone hates Jews?
Personally I don’t. In fact, I don’t think even a very minute part of each group hate the other. I think most people don’t even think about it. They simply want to be left alone, to be able to get on with their lives, and to be able to meet people on the street without wondering if they should hate them or not.
However, if a million people, or even two million people form the hate brigade they can make quite a noise. TV picks it up. Newspapers have headlines, and of course commentators must comment. A thousand showed up to demonstrate. Ten people accosted so in so in an elevator? Some idiot threw someone out of his restaurant? But what about the 100,000 restaurants where people ate in benign happiness? No one seems to talk about them.
Ok, lets be pessimistic for a moment. 28 million people hate each other. What about the other 90% of the country? I don’t think they do. Do you? Remember, we don’t all live inside the DC beltway, on New York’s upper East Side, in Silicon Valley, or west of LA’s 405. Very few of us do, in fact. Think about it.
Happy New Year!
