The terrorism at the Boston marathon got me thinking about hatred. From the outside, the terrorist brothers looked like Americans, dressing like everyone else, participating in sports, and hanging out with friends. Their inside personalities were a different story. Apparently these brothers had been taught to hate. Years ago, Rogers and Hammerstein explained hate simply in their song, "You've Got to be Carefully Taught." The lyrics say you need have to be taught to hate and fear others, taught to "hate all the people your relatives hate." The lyrics of this song seem to apply to the Boston terrorists. Someone, or a group of people, taught them to hate the nation that welcomed them, gave them asylum, and in the case of the younger brother, awarded him a scholarship. Still, these young men were seething with hatred and building bombs to maime and kill. The Watertown, MA Chief of Police thinks the young men intended to set off more bombs and kill more innocents. As Americans, I think we need to become more aware of the hatred in our midst.
I was a very young child during World War II, yet I remember the slogan, "Loose lips sink ships." The slogan was on a poster and the posters were everywhere -- in grocery stores, on store fronts, and lamp posts. Our new slogan has become, "See something? Say something." This isn't a time for political correctness. Rather, this is a time for Americans to take care of each other, be alert, report unusual/odd behavior, take cell phone photos, and use social media. Instead of teaching hatred, we can teach fairness, respect, and tolerance. We can come together as a nation and cherish the freedom we have.