Hatred

I guess like everyone else, I know what it is to hate

They say it is an ancient trait that was switched on to serve a purpose

It unleashed the energy and strength of anger to helped fight predators

Ward off threats to individuals and families and tribes

It was switched on to exact revenge on perpetrators of harm

Subdue enemies in battle

Vanquish competitors

But what about today

In so-called civilised societies

Why does so much hatred hang in the air and the airwaves

With bedfellows selfishness and suspicion

Unlike our ancestors who switched on hatred to fulfil a purpose

Today we see hatred switched on all the time looking for a purpose

When and why does hatred become the preferred state of so many

I don’t know

But what I do know is that

When people carry hatred with them all the time and

Go about looking for justification, they will always find it

You can find reasons to justify anything

The fact of the matter is that we and our families and our tribes

Are not in danger from the things chosen to justify hatred

Meaningless hatred can only find justification in bigotry