Opinion: Why do decent people allow hatred to consume them?

By JUSTIN HALL
Nelson County Jailer

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 — I still haven’t figured out how people can hate someone so much that they seem to lose their mind over it. It’s been on my mind a lot lately as I’ve watched how divided we’ve become.

Over the last four years, I disagreed with about 95% of everything the last presidential administration did. My family felt it firsthand—we paid an extra $12,000 a year just to keep going. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like feeling like the administration didn’t care about families like mine, while I watched others get housed in hotels and provided with everything. I was out here busting my tail to pay for free (i.e. illegal immigrants).

I didn’t vote for Biden. I didn’t agree with his policies or the direction things were headed, but that was the hand we were dealt. I had my opinions, and I didn’t hold back on sharing them, but I didn’t let it consume me with hate. I didn’t lose my mind over it. I dealt with it, hoped for better, and kept working to take care of my family.

Now, for the first time in four years, I feel hopeful. I feel happy to see some change that might actually be positive for my family. It’s refreshing to think there could be a better direction ahead. But what blows my mind is seeing people who seem oblivious to the struggles many of us have been through over the last few years and are now losing their minds over the possibility of positive change.

We’ve all had our struggles, and we’ve all had different experiences, but when did it become okay to let hate take over? Disagreeing is fine. Having opinions is healthy. But letting hate consume you? That’s not it.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we don’t have to agree with each other to still show each other some respect and decency.

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