Cultivating Hate 3: Make Up Stuff

The pause this Oklahoma State Legislator makes before she foretells the end of civilization in "two decades" is telling. When cultivating hatred, it works well to just fly by the seat of your pants and make up stuff.

If people really know gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals as their friends, neighbors, family -- people whom they love -- it's much more difficult to hate them. Instead, blame the end of the world on them. Make them the "other." That seems to work.

Want to let Rep. Sally Kern know that we're all listening to her hate language? You can. Click here.

Cultivating Hatred 1

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught
Before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people

Your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught

~ Rodgers & Hammerstein, South Pacific (1958)

October 12th will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming college student who was brutally murdered because of his sexual orientation. This post will be the first in a series exploring how we learn to hate.