Love, Hate, and the Human Condition

I just finished a new book, “Day of Tears” by Julius Lester - a novel in dialogue that represents the feelings of a number of different characters surrounding the event of one of America’s largest slave auctions. It’s the first of 16 other books that I’ll be reading this semester for a class that highlights race in children’s literature. And what a palette it will express, for race is not an issue of only black and white, but also the many other colors that define human culture. And our country is just that  - a brilliant prism of culture. But we didn’t start out that way and to study the history of race in America is to glimpse at the darkest emotion that lies inside the human condition.

I spent a great deal of time over Christmas break studying WWII and Vietnam, namely the pacific chapter with the Japanese and the Holocaust. As I studied the atrocities committed by humans to other humans; the senseless killing; the total disregard for human life, I couldn’t help recognizing my comfortable disposition, aiding by a reclining chair and fireplace. But also, receiving a life filled with unconditional love from my family and friends. I’m surrounded by people who would die for me and I for them, yet there was a time where 10,000,000 people of varying races were murdered in Nazi death camps. America has it’s fair share of atrocities, too… we split up families and deemed other humans as not being human, selling them off as slaves. Of course, lets not forget the Native Americans, Manifest Destiny, (check out “We’re Still Here”, an American Experience doc on Netflix) and the imprisonment of Japanese American’s during WW2. Nor shall leave out the Rape of Nanking or the Armenian Genocide. Google “history of genocide” and you’ll see that it’s apparent that hatred and killing is part of human nature. One could say that to be human is to have the capacity to hate - and we all have it inside us. I could only hope that if I were born into a slave owning family, or born into the Nazi regime that I wouldn’t have taken part in such hate-fueled atrocities. But for most of us, that is likely not the case. We are, unfortunately, a product of our environments.

But while I do believe that hatred is a part of human nature, I also believe that love has just as much and, in many cases, far greater capacity within our being. It is so easy to focus to hate - and hate only curates more hate. But in between the world’s greatest atrocities are traces of love. And it always has the opportunity to grow, flower, and overcome. A weak fire will extinguish in a storm, but a strong fire will continue to grow stronger and spread further, despite the prevailing winds.

This is why I have faith in human nature, but I do believe that we harbor both the capacity for great love and great hate. Recognize hate at its roots and smite it. Embrace and share love relentlessly. The great philosophical leaders and founding prophets preached just that. Humans digested it and made with it what they wanted, for the better or the worse.

Be thankful that you live in time where you can be friends with anyone you want, regardless of skin color, sexual orientation, or societal status. We’ve still got a long way to go, but indeed we have come a long way.

Have a great Martin Luther King day!

with love,

joe hertler

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I didn’t want to bog down this essay with historical and factual jargon, so here are a few great documentaries and books that I’ve read over the last two months that I highly recommend.

“Auschwitz” Miklose Nyiszli
“What it is Like to Go to War” Karl Marlantes
“Night” Elie Wiesel
“Day of Tears” Julius Lester

“The War” – Ken Burns
“We’re Still Here” – American Experience