The Targets of Hate

Like most of you, I have been deeply troubled by the rise of "hate" in our culture.  More, I have been saddened (and appalled) by the lack of moral leadership and skewed perspective of President Trump in all of this.

We know that hate, and those who promote it, have always been at the fringes of society....and as a society that values free speech, we have from time to time had to listen to this venom.  Still, we all know that there is a clear line that separates the vast majority of us from those that espouse hateful rhetoric; and that these folks should remain in the shadows of society.

But now, given the lack of moral clarity of our President, these ugly messages have drifted into our mainstream and are hurtful, harmful, and incredibly embarrassing for us as a country on the world stage.  Rather than a beacon for freedom and liberty, we have become a divided and confounded nation.

What is particularly concerning for me, as a disability advocate, is that hate spreads.  That is, if we hear these messages of hatred towards different races, religions, or places of origin, then those with disabilities are at risk of being the next target.  Hate is a polarizing phenomena, and if one group can be hated, it becomes easier to hate others.

Enough of this madness.  There must be a clear line in our society that we will not tolerate those that hate!  Take a stand, sound off.  We must hold our President's feet to the fire.  If he tolerates, and in a tacit way endorses these hateful views, he should be removed from office.