President Obama to GOP: 'Stop Just Hating All the Time'

[amandabeech]

43. I don't like the way the words "hate" and "haters" are used in our current political

discourse to drive people into an absolute emotional frenzy. This negative emotional frenzy only feeds upon itself. Once you say that a person who disagrees with you hates you, or that a person whose viewpoint is different from yours is a hater, you hammer an iron wedge between you and that person that is almost impossible to withdraw. Is that what DU wants? Is that what the President wants? Is that the best thing for this country?

I don't care who is using it--Dem, Rep, Libertarian, Naderite--or what position he or she has. And yes, this means the President. Especially the President.

There hasn't been this much discord in the country since the late '60s, but even then, our political leaders, even Nixon, did not publicly refer to political and policy disagreements as "hate" and those who did not agree with them as "haters," even if that's what they were. Because words count.

Words count, Mr. President. Words count, DU. Words count, Sen. Cruz. Words count, Rep. King.

Yes, those that disagree with us, our political opponents, use crude words, and yes, some are racist, but mostly they are people who see things differently, and unless we have another civil war, we have to live in the same country. Why should we, with our choice of words, do more to tear this country apart? Why should we be as uncivil as some of our opponents?

Tomorrow night, CNN will re-air the episode of its documentary, "The Sixties," devoted solely to the year 1968. A few DUers, like me, are old enough to remember at least some things about that horrible year. For those who are too young to remember, both the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy gave their lives for their causes in that year.

Does anyone here really think that either of those two great men would cheer the divisive language of our current political discourse, particularly in a speech made by our wonderful President?

I think not.

Wake up, people, before you tear your own hearts apart with your hate for your fellow misguided citizens.