As I sit here on the 14th anniversary of 9/11, a day that changed the lives of all Americans forever, I have been thinking of why is there so much hate in the world?

This morning on the news, I heard of security alerts and possible terrorist plots to take down the American economy by targeting Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and other icons of American business leaders. Why? Is it jealousy because these people built great wealth through using their brains, their skills, and hard work? Is it fear? Is it jealousy of the power American has earned through doctrines, and fighting to preserve our ways of life? Is it jealousy that we have again utilized our brains and determination to convert our natural resources into productivity? Is it tied to a religious doctrine? Yet I find it very difficult to believe that any of the great religion founders preached hate and death to those believing differently. I believe that all of them taught love, love thy neighbor and the golden rule. I am not a religious scholar, but it is really hard for me to believe otherwise, yet that hatred exists.

One of the words that had a never ending impact on me when I first learned it in grade school was “tolerance” and the concept of religious tolerance—which was one of the founding principles of the United States. Where is religious tolerance today? It does exist, but it is not universal. There are so many people and ideologies that are not religiously tolerant and want to impose their beliefs on others. Religion is a belief system and I believe we should be exposed to all religions, or as many as possible, and then decide for ourselves what we choose to believe. But, no where do I believe is it justifiable to impose, inflict, pressure or hate those that believe differently. Remember the Golden Rule!

Why is there so much hate in this county? Race, religion, lifestyles, jobs, the 1% and many other things incite hate—why? We are all people. We were all created the same way. How productive is it to hate when love, love thy neighbor and the Golden Rule generate good will, faith, comradery, compromise, teamwork and growth.

All of this reminds me of the 60’s and the song “Eve of Destruction” that conveyed the issues of the day—war, China, race relations, Senators not passing legislature, human respect disintegration, etc. and then talked about going into space and coming back three days later to the same old place—yet here we are 50 years later, a half a century later—at the same old place. Are we on, or still on the Eve of Destruction?

We have problems in the world. We have problems in the United States. Maybe because I pay more attention to the news and current events now, but because of technology, the information age, the 24-hour non-stop news, we seem more hell bent on destroying instead of growing, improving and enjoying life.

Why is there so much HATE? Remember TOLERANCE. Remember LOVE. Remember LOVE THY NEIGHBOR! REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE!