RaNDOM Mussings

I was told recently that “hate” is a strong word and that I should be careful with it. But is it really? Lapidation—now that’s a word you shouldn’t be throwing around. It could literally kill you. What’s more, I don’t hear anyone saying, “Love is a strong word; be careful how you use it.” There’s no hippy prohibition against loving everything, so it gets spread around like pox on shore leave.

“Hate” does have a brutal history. Its roots go back to Old English and even Proto-Germanic, where it meant hostility and persecution—so maybe it does have a rough pedigree.

And “love”? Love comes from Old English too, from words like lufu and Proto-Indo-European leubh- (to care, desire). It's the yin to hate’s yang, sure, but in the same way that sun is to shadow. Both words carry a potent charge—just opposite poles of the same battery.

So, why does hate get all the flak while love roams free like an unchained flower child? It’s all about energy, they say. “Hate” is radioactive; it scorches and smolders. But “love” is just as explosive, even if it’s wrapped in daisies and butterflies.

Sometimes you just need to word to describe your relationship with celery and fruit flavored beer ,” because mild disapproval doesn’t just doesn’t capture the sheer betrayal of taste buds.  This is largely why I wish America would be more embracing of the C word.  As there are some that no other word describes.  Any way I don’t think we need to censor the word hate.

Maybe we should be as careful with “love” as we are with “hate.” After all, both can leave scars. It’s just that one leaves them on the heart and the other on the soul.