Hate, From a Distance

I've spent my entire life not caring about what Bette Midler thought on any subject. But, in this age of instant information, the ramblings of an elderly New York woman, using the fool's microphone that is Twitter, caught my attention. The alleged entertainer fired up about Joe Manchin said, "What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate, and strung out." She apologized a few minutes later, and so, with the spirit of the grace of and kindness of our Lord, I'll forgive her insult. But it can be instructive to learn from other people's mistakes, so we avoid making them ourselves.

Don't let your mouth run ahead of your brain online. I'm sure Midler thought she was making a brilliant point but didn't realize her contempt for her fellow countrymen would be poorly received. "He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace," Proverbs 11:12. It's malicious to hate people you have never met based on stereotypes, but it's the work of a fool to let everyone know. Jesus said, "for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Don't get caught up in the Two Minutes of Hate and let the media drive you to despise other human beings for their financial gain. Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Besides that, it was a poor tactic. Proverbs 18:19 says, "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle." The worst way to win someone to your way of thinking is by insulting him. Once you've left the arena of ideas and entered the playground of childish insults, you've ended any chance of convincing them of their error or winning them to your side. Are you in a heated discussion and trying to persuage someone you are right? You might be able to land a few zingers and win a battle, but they'll close up like a castle, and you've lost the war.

Midler doesn't want the country to be "backward." The Bill she wanted passed included expanding taxpayer-funded abortion. In her mind, progress includes ending the lives of inconvenient baby humans and making me pay for it. Is that moving forward? If so, no thanks. Backward is the right move if you are heading off a cliff. West Virginia has lots of problems, but Midler doesn't have the answers. If progress means treating people you disagree with politically with hatred, then I'm happy here in The Mountain State.