Righteous Hatred

Having a hard time getting my hate on today.  Here are some reasons why.

The problem with the righteous hatred of the hateful dead is:

A)  They can't hear me.  The only one affected in this exchange is me.  Hate generally does not have a positive effect on me.
B)  Hatred becomes steadily less righteous the longer one indulges in it.
C)  They're still inside my head, forcing me to play by their rules.  I'm still standing on the other side of the line they drew, spitting hate at someone who has long ago walked off the field.  That's a pretty successful and long-lasting deployment of a hate bomb, no?

This is not to say I mourn the hateful, honor the hateful or love the hateful.  Although some who pursue peace would say yes, do that too.  This does not mean I forgive the hateful.  Although some would say yes, do that too.  This is not to say the actions of the hateful to deprive others of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness shouldn't be defended against.  It is to say that in living a life in pursuit of righteous hatred, the justified hatred, the self-evidently acceptable hatred, I run the serious risk of not being mourned, or loved or honored when is my time to go.

Hate has a primary goal and a secondary goal.  The primary goal is to destroy or failing that restrain or failing that imprison the people to hate.  The second, failing all that, is to scorch the earth, and bring you down to their level so that if you "win," hate still gets fed.  Even if the goal is not accomplished, the hate virus will still try to reproduce.  So the hateful can turn around and say, "Enjoy your victory.  But you are just like me now and you would have done the same." 

The problem with righteous hatred is the hateful always believe their hate to be righteous.  The problem with the hateful and that worldview is the idea that hate is always justified, all that remains to find the best reason to hate.

Hate is a beast I cage within me.  I do not hate the beast, because the beast is part of me.  I simply try to remember the beast is not all of me, and in general is best left recognized and accepted when awakened, but caged.  I am not always successful in keeping him in his place.

The best thing about the hateful worldview is it is NOT the best frame for viewing the world, and I can choose to reject it in favor of larger ideas that lead somewhere better.  The best thing about hate is it is not necessary for achieving my goals.  The best thing about hate is I can leave it aside.  The best thing about hate is I can let it rest with dead men.  So that is what I'm trying to do.