Op/Ed: We're seeing hate weaponized in Indiana. Here's why I believe it's destructive.

In his essay “From Alabamy With Hate,” the late Harlan Ellison discussed a letter he received after writing about his experience participating in a civil rights march in the 1960s.

The letter’s author went on a somewhat lengthy diatribe discussing his sense of worthlessness, even describing himself as being “as bad as mud”; however, he then concluded with these chilling words to Ellison: “But I’m better than a n****r, and I intends [sic] to see it stays that way.”

In this brief passage resides the power of irrational hate — a force so omnipotent that even religion is frequently invoked to promote it, perhaps in the spurious hope that by duping oneself and others into believing there is some “virtuous” merit to such hatred that they can also dupe God.

One rationalization often cited by those who subscribe to irrational hatred is that a community, region, state or nation would be “better off” if “certain types of people” did not live there. But even a cursory examination of human civilization proves the vacuity of this belief.

As today’s America seems to indicate, irrational hatred is often based upon the “usual suspects”: race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

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But, throughout history, even communities that were largely homogenous in these areas have been diminished by irrational hatred based upon differences in language, accent, tribal affiliation, economic status, body type, and/or hair color, and there is little doubt that, even if these differences were somehow eliminated, people would simply find some other excuse to hate.

The sad reality is that the need for hatred is so strong in so many people that it becomes as essential to their psychological survival as food, water and air is to their physical survival.

Usually, these attitudes negatively impact the haters more than the targets of their hatred. Unfortunately, when irrational hatred is weaponized by demagogues, con artists, and the selfish and self-serving, it can not only victimize the innocent, but even destroy entire nations and cultures.

Those who doubt this need only look at many of today’s politicians, pundits and influencers. Rarely, if ever, do they express their visions about what they plan to do for the betterment of the nation and the governed. Rarely, if ever, do they speak of building a better world or seek to promote understanding.

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Why? Because clicks, views, ratings, profits and votes are not conducive to such sentiments. In today’s Internet-addicted, social media culture, the pathway to political office, power and exorbitant amounts of money is now more easily attained by expressing the vilest forms of hatred and mendacity.

Some pundits defend this trend by arguing simple economics — if you don’t give people what they want, they will simply go elsewhere.

The problem is this creates a society that not only thrives upon irrational hatred but is also engendered by those willing to violently act upon it. If there is one sobering lesson being learned in today’s America, it is that domestic terrorism works. Although the mainstream media often regale their readers and viewers with moving stories about how an event was held even in the face of boycotts and threats, this ignores the long game that domestic terrorists play.

The purpose of terrorism, as many experts have argued, is to instill fear in people that impedes them from engaging in activities they once felt free to do. For example, boycotts and threats often cause the sponsors or promoters of targeted events, due to the costs of security and other concerns, to never hold them again.

This purpose, however, could be diluted if there was no profit motive in either ignoring or promoting hatred. For example, if every business in a particular industry took a stand against (or openly supported a competitor who took a stand against) irrational hatred, many boycotts would be largely ineffective, because, while it may be easy to do without products manufactured and/or sold by one company, it might not be so easy to do without these products altogether.

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If this trend continues, the reckoning America is destined to face, perhaps as early as the next election, is if a democracy erected on irrational hatred’s feet of clay will still be able to function.

Irrational hatred’s real evil does not reside in those you hate: It resides instead in those who make you hate.

David R. Hoffman is a retired civil rights and constitutional law attorney.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana is experiencing domestic terrorism based on hate. Here's how.