Hate comes in many forms. Attempts against people's lives because of who they are. Attempts to take away people's civil rights. Attempts to harm people who think differently than you do, believe differently than you do, or behave differently than you do.
One example of hate has been captured on video by LiveJournal blogger "theremina". Come over the fold to see what the Yes on 8 crowd looks and sounds like from the point of view of their opposition.
"theremina"'s story and the video of the people who screamed at and assaulted her is here:
http://vimeo.com/...
My thoughts follow.
First, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That kind of outright, in-your-face hate is something that I've rarely had to deal with and it always destroys me when it happens. The only time I've ever had it directed at me - apart from my abortive attempt to phonebank against 8 - was when I went to my first Gay Pride festival and had to see the anti-gay protesters on the corner as we walked past them.
Second, I think that theremina was incredibly brave to stand up to these people.
Third, I think that some people need to be arrested for assault and battery. Does anyone have any ideas about how to track them down so they can be charged?
Fourth... I don't know what to say fourth. All I know is that this is documentary proof of the hate we face from the wingnuts, who want to take away our rights to love whom we love, believe what we believe, and live the way we live because they can't tolerate our difference. What's even more frightening is that they can't stand to have their hate documented. They attack anyone who disagrees with them or even passively records their hatred.
I'm sickened.
As a sociologist, I'm supposed to explain people's behavior. That's my job. Usually, I can do that. But right now, I'm so shocked that I can't think what would motivate non-insane people to do something like this. I don't have a pat, tidy explanation dealing with in-group and out-group boundaries, or critical conflict theory about the empowered versus the powerless, or a criminologist's perspective on this kind of protest as a political crime against the disadvantaged. I'm just sitting here wondering if I could be that brave in the face of hate, and I honestly think I would fall short.
This is a very disjointed diary, and I'm sorry about that, but I think it's important that people see this and spread the word.
NO ON HATE. NO ON PROP 8.
Tell your friends. We MUST beat this thing.