If anyone doubts that hatred is the predominant emotion in America today, take a moment and listen to the leading Republican, Donald Trump. More right wing voters believe in him than any other candidate. His viral attacks on virtually everyone else have registered with millions of fellow anti-Americans. If he doesn’t convince you, consider reading or listening to Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, or Laura Ingraham. They are all the devil’s disciples.

When did it all change? When did the people of our nation begin to live in fear, and subsequently become angry which led to hatred? How could a nation which once believed in human and individual rights, while offering understanding and compassion change so radically? It all began on a single day, and it grew quickly with the assistance of a small number of men and women.

The tragedy of September 11, 2001 did not last for a day, a week, a month, or a year; it continues today. America is famous for its ability to rebound after a disaster. We mourn and then begin reconstruction both physically and emotionally. Since 9/11 our nation has not recovered emotionally. Our president and his administration seized the opportunity to use fear as a tool. It succeeded; they won reelection in 2004. Other politicians chimed in and used our weakest emotion to control our nation’s people. The president constantly referred to 9/11 every time he made a speech or held a press conference. Not one iota of hope and resurgence was delivered.

Living constantly in a state of fear results in anger. Our government insured that our people’s emotions were directed solely at the Arab world. It diverted our attention from the fact that it was partly responsible for taking vacations instead of investigating warnings offered by the nation’s intelligence services.

As anger rose across the country, it created hatred. However, this hatred was not directed only at our attackers; using lies, innuendo, and a propaganda network, one party began to label its opponents and mislead voters. Our nation became divided as the label of ‘red’ and ‘blue’ states was applied. A small group of extremists took control of an entire political party and removed deliberation and compromise from our political structure while criticizing others without offering solutions.

One political party offered a single method for winning elections; attack the other side with falsehoods and misleading remarks. The other party was forced to spend much of its time defending its ideas and actions. The result was a government which became incompetent and useless.

Special interest groups witnessed the weakness created by politicians and immediately seized the opportunity. Lobbies such as the NRA and the Christian religious right donated millions of dollars to one party guaranteeing that their interests would be considered before those of the American people.

The NRA used that same fear tactic to convince weak-minded Americans that the government wanted to take away their guns. Ignored are the facts that tens of thousands of our nation’s people are killed by the use of a gun every year. Real fear began. The realization that children could be murdered while attending school; attending a movie could cost you your life; worshipping in church could become fatal became routine.

But these real fears are ignored, while some politicians continue to claim that another terrorist attack will happen inside of our shores.

This constant fear and anger has escalated destructive emotions such as racism, bigotry, and homophobia. Individual human rights are in danger. Women are singled out and given second-class citizenship. Muslims have been labeled as evil regardless of their actual beliefs. The LGBT community has been labeled as evil and unworthy of their civil rights. Nearly twelve million people have been accused of criminality simply because they came to America in search of a better life. There are many who deny the fact that blacks are treated differently by law enforcement than whites. Our people have been intentionally divided by politics.

Hate is a parasite; it eats away at the fiber of morality slowly, but eventually consumes its victims. The victim in this situation is the United States of America.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Photo Courtesy of torbakhopper

Author’s Page http://www.amazon.com/By-James-turnage/e/B00LOCJ2Z2