"Hatred or Hope?"

Thanks to Margaret for calling our attention to this article by Michael Novak at NRO, Jul. 23:

.... The good thing going for Kerry is that the rabid hatred for George Bush that drives Democrats has spread like an infection, farther and farther, sowing some doubt and fragments of dislike even among Bush supporters. Even in those we most admire, we also see weaknesses or gaps; hatred, a corrosive passion, only exacerbates these flaws.

Hatred, for the haters, is a license to show no respect. It is for them a reason not to be civil — to stomp, to destroy any vestige of a good name. Because it destroys respect, this passion is corrosive even for those who do not directly share in it but are nonetheless rained upon by its sparks. It weakens respect. It makes the hated's supporters defensive — shocks them into a kind of silence.

In the past, liberals made a point of hating hatred. They imagined that the forces of hate were entirely on the other side: "Right-wing hate merchants." Now they have begun publicly to glory in hate, first writing articles explaining why hatred of Bush is okay, then being pleasured by the ferocity of their own hatred, then competing with others to see who can voice the most intense disdain, and who can curl from his lips the most deliciously forbidden insults. The Left has engaged in an orgy of hatred. And enjoyed it, really enjoyed it....

See also "Bush Is a Powerful Personality; No Wonder He Inspires Hatred".

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 07/27/04 07:12:55 AM
Categorized as Political.