Letter to the Editor
I am often amazed at the offensive dribble that is printed in the “The Way I See It” column in your paper. I often just turn away and ignore these words of extreme hatred of anything that is not ultra conservative and white; however, the column, “The hatred of the Left,” in the June 21, 2018 paper was especially repugnant to me, hit a nerve and must be answered. Let me explain my background. I am slightly left of middle when it comes to politics. I am an honorably retired Air Force officer and a retired teacher. I have a Bachelor of Science in Biology and 48 hours of graduate work in Special Education.
Mr. Knox has stated that the “Left” hates. The dictionary defines (verb) hate as to feel intense or passionate dislike for someone or something. The noun hate means intense or passionate dislike. I say the Ultra-Right hates more. I personally experienced this hate from Mr. Knox. I attended the Camp County Commissioner’s Court on February
28. This was also the day Beto O’Rourke was to speak at Douglas Alumni Community Center. Mr. Knox was at the Commissioner’s Court to take pictures for the Pittsburg Gazette. I asked him if he was going to attend Beto’s Town Hall meeting and take pictures. Mr. Knox stated he would not be caught dead at that meeting. His tone was condescending and hateful. So much for an unbiased press in Pittsburg. In all fairness, the Gazette’s retiring General Manager and incoming General Manager did attend the town hall, but the visit of a US Congressman and Senate candidate, with a group over one hundred supporters, did not generate a column on this event. I would bet that if Ted Cruz had a town meeting in Pittsburg, Mr. Knox would be in the front row with a camera and the Gazette would write a front page column about the visit. This shows the disdain and hate felt for anything not under the umbrella of “Right”.
As for hate, my answer to this is just to look at the rhetoric and actions of the current ultra-conservative President Trump. His mean, offensive, and fabricated lies and tweets do nothing but emboldens his 35% supporters to cheer when he states that all Mexicans are rapists and criminals, that all Muslims are terrorist and ungodly people, and that he is strong when he separates babies, toddlers, pre-teens and teens from their parents at the border. His failure to distance himself from White Nationalists, Neo Nazis, and White Supremacists shows how much he hates and how insecure, small minded and racist he is. Mr. Trump says he is a great Christian and he goes to church on Sundays. His Attorney General, Mr. Sessions, quotes the bible to support the family separations. It is obvious to me that both individuals do not know the Bible. There are numerous verses in the Bible which guide us in how we should treat all people. Leviticus 19:18 says, “Thou shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.” In the New Testament, the Gospel of St. Matthew, verse 22:37-40, it says “37: Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38: That is the first and great commandment. 39: And the second as like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
These are just a few of many verses about how we should treat people. It is obvious that our current head of the executive branch and the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives do not follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. They hate more than the Left.
And by the way. The “Right” might think they are “right” but in reality they are incorrect. My father also had a saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is also the message from the Gospels. Hmm, simple and definitely true.
Michael E. Laing
Camp County, Texas
