What Lies Behind Love And Hate

Being on pilgrimage in Jerusalem -- God's city 0f peace, his people's city of war -- kept me from commenting much on politicians' differing reactions to the Jan. 8 Tucson attacks. But I've read nothing more apropos that Maarja Krusten's reflections at NixonNARA about the president's eloquent speech on Jan. 12:

Love, friendship, pride in mission, many positive elements bond people. And sometimes, unfortunately, so do hate and resentment and grievance. I’ve often wondered about people who exude a sense of "I can only be somebody if I consider you to be nobody." The President of the United States reminded us yesterday that that is not the only way to roll. The thing to do is to think about what lies behind both love and hate and to remember that there are many ways to show love of family, friends, colleagues, and country.