Matthew Alvarez: Don’t turn away from the hate in our communities

Re “Bee headline emphasized hate” (Letters, Jan. 29): A recent letter to the editor slammed the headline for using the word “hate.” I don’t agree. Hate is the perfect term to describe the recent negative political rhetoric towards LGBTQ+ individuals, the disabled, minorities, immigrants, Muslims and women.

Hate is when we tell someone they are inadequate because they choose to love whomever they want, or when you block entrance to others based on their religious beliefs. Hate is when you stereotype people as criminals, or when you mock someone for a disability that they have no control over.

Yes, hate is a strong word but let’s admit it, we don’t live in a fair and equal world. The word “hate” in this context should in fact frighten people because we are dealing with policies that affect the lives of millions of people. We can translate the word hate into the phrase “social inequality” or “prejudice.” We must acknowledge that hate exists in order to minimize it.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Matthew Alvarez: Don’t turn away from the hate in our communities."