Hate and American X

I just finished watching the movie American History X. I have mixed feelings about it. I think that I liked the movie a lot, but I hesitate to say it because of what the movie is. What the movie is hate personified in such a real way that it is sickening. I think that I liked the movie though because it portrayed hate the way that it must be portrayed.

            I like the way that the movie ends with Danny saying, “hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. Its just not worth it.” That is the way the movie portrays hate, which is how it must be portrayed. Was the movie an exceptional story that would only happen in the most outrageous of situations? Yes. Do those situations occur in real life? Yes, but I will never accept that my world can be a world that would ever allow the events that take place in the movie to occur. The only way in which things like the prejudices and violence in American History X can occur is in a place which hatred exists.

            Hate is a force, which can arise in so many situations. Environment, prejudices, conflicts, politics, emotion, and religion all can create or birth hatred within one’s heart. Hatred, real and deep hatred develops deep within someone before it is even noticed. In the movie it shows that its not even just anger that creates hatred, but it grows from ideas and actions taught to us, which are exemplified during times of uncontrollable and illogical anger.

            Many times I would never focus on anger, hatred, malice, because they aren’t things that I like to dwell on. You may say that I hate hate, but in the past couple hours since watching the movie I have been trying to understand hate, and I don’t want to come at it from a love perspective, because I feel like I always try to look at things from the optimist side of things. I really want to try to understand hate because as I mentioned earlier I will never accept my world to allow hatred to manifest itself like I see it in the world today.

            I feel as if my ignorance of hatred comes from my inability to stay or even be mad. I think that it is a learned ignorance in me through being raised shown only love; I was never paralyzed by anger or hatred. I was never given the opportunity and I was never put in the situation where I could be hurt to the extent of hatred, which is paralyzing.

            I see around me what people might call “hell on earth.” I live in a town which recently (within the past 10 years) was almost completely destroyed by a volcano, and what was not destroyed was and is continuing to be manipulated by the ongoing conflict (some still call it a war) among the people of the area. Yet through all the destruction, all the lives lost, all the poverty, all the struggle, and all the hopelessness, I see very little hatred. So what is hatred, and why does it exist in this world that I call home? How can I rid my home of this disabilitating state?

            In American History X, and what I can see a lot of in American society is that fear and anger cripple people with hatred. I think to myself where does this fear and anger come from? The answers, which become known to me through (not true, but to some extent true) stories such as the movie American History X, or even one of my favorites, Crash. This fear and anger come from the preconceived notions of what we don’t know (ignorance), the misinformed assurance of those notions (media, politics and religion), and the absence of resources and motivation to overcome that fear and anger (laziness).
            In the world there are so many examples of people who take what they hear and write it on their heart with permanent ink. Examples are seen in many people’s religious beliefs (which has nothing to do with their faith) and in their social expectations. When these beliefs and expectations that one holds so dear are challenged and discredited is when anger arises and a person can be blanketed with the darkness of hatred. Closed-mindedness fuels hatred.

            I feel that hatred manifests itself not only where love has been subdued but where thinking stops. Perfection is not the only thing that comes from clear eyes and a full heart. When your eyes and mind are clear you are able to think rationally and critically. If a person can think with an open mind, a clear mind then they will never be closed off by anger and hatred. If a person can have a heart full of love then hatred can never make manifest within their being.

            Hatred not only paralyzes life, it destroys it. Hate is destroying the life of our planet. The heart and mind of humanity is closed and clogged with the anger that can only create hate within the being of us all. Humanity must open its mind and heart to the love and knowledge that can abound yet only when it is allowed to make manifest.

“Hate is baggage. Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time. It’s just not worth it... “We are not enemies but friends. You must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, they must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell and again touch as surely they will be by better angles of our nature.”- Danny from American History X

Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. –MLK

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it”- MLK