Conservatives are teaching hate (literally) …

The Freedom to Hate

I tell my college students to feel free to hate.

I try to explain to them that in the context of all the other freedoms of choice they have, like their “spiritual path,” their gender identification, term papers from 253,428 sites, and whether their next triple-sized mocha latte will be with or without whipped cream, low or high fat milk or soy milk, with chocolate, almond, or hazelnut biscotti at Starbucks or Namaste Coffee and Tofu Emporium, this is one precious freedom they have lost.

This little pep talk is usually inspired by a sign in front of a school building that announces it is “NO PLACE FOR HATE.”

My students look at me like people who have been in reeducation camps for twelve years.

In effect, they have.

Today’s students are enjoined from hating from the time they enter school by such organizations as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Gay and Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), as well as by books, films, and talks by teachers, principals, and high-priced consultants. They are stared down by ADL’s posters as they turn each corner of the school corridor.