In my travels around Huntingdon Valley, Pa I have noticed that after the election of Donald Trump signs started to appear on some lawns.  It’s main message states “Hate Has No Home Here”.  Underneath that statement are several sentences written in different languages and being a typical American I am not bilingual to the extent of reading sentences but it is a safe assumption that it is repeating the same phrase.  When I first saw the sign I pondered the phrase and the wording and thought there was something odd about it.  For such a lovely sentiment it is stated in a very negative manner.  And those who have had the pleasure of reading my “Ryans Rant” written for my co-workers know that I know a thing or two about negative writing.

“Hate” is a word that is closely associated with evil.  We have been conditioned to consider “hate” as the ultimate condemnation.  The media would have you believe we are surrounded by and about to be overtaken by “hate” groups (always anybody to the right of Bernie Sanders) but I have found that the biggest haters are those who throw that label around at others with such ease and with the self righteous arrogance that they usually accuse Evangelicals of possessing.  Common sense points out that if one “hates” hate and those labeled as “haters” then one has become a member of a “hate” group.  It is pretty easy to understand I think.

Hate is just an emotion and everyone who breathes has hate somewhere in their character.  I freely admit that I hate.  I am a hater of long standing.  Do I hate people? No.  I admit that I come close to it with liberal democrats but I stop short.  Do I hate different cultures?  Some come to mind but the cultures that I speak of are not the cultures that people first think of when they hear the term culture.  The cultures that are imposed upon or promoted as a panacea to unsuspecting people are way up there on my hate list.  The progressive socialist culture that has been  foisted upon this Nation during the past 125 years probably tops that list.  Does that mean that Bernie Sanders should hope I am not driving a car on the street he is crossing? No.  I would do no physical harm to that shyster or any of his cross eyed followers because as Americans they have a right to believe any idiotic idea and even “hate” others for theirs; I know it is a crazy notion but I am stuck on this Liberty thing.  The people who place these signs in their yards I am sure are for the most part good people who see that sentiment as a “righteous” and they are letting their neighbors and anyone else know that they do not accept the supposed values of the Americans who voted Donald Trump into office.  They are controlled by their emotions as most democrats are unfortunately and they rely too little on reason.  It is a common imbalance but a dangerous one when applied to politics and political action.  People led by emotions are very easily manipulated and led by those who are at the other end of the spectrum.  Look at any mob action and you can see it.  If not kept in check a society ends with the actions brought on similar to the French Revolution.  We had a slight taste of that last summer here when we went through the crisis of the statues and leftist groups used helpless memorials made of stone and metal to show their upset and hate at an election that they did not like.

The second sign that was produced in response to the child like “Hate” sign states that “Love Lives Here”.  It is followed with “Love of God, Family and Community and The U.S. Constitution.”  If one is honest, this sign would be declared the winner if only for being a more open and positive message.  Unless of course one does not believe in those values.  The progressive left democrat party clearly has left those values behind.  This is not to say that the individual citizen who identifies as a democrat is a progressive leftist and in fact most are not.  The democrat party leadership is however and have left those values behind as have many in the republican leadership.

As positive as the “Love” sign is it too as an emotion can be carried to extremes.  History shows that “love” of country can be exploited by political leaders and some religions even today exploit the “love” of God.  There is a thin line that separates love and hate and it is the same thin line that is between sanity and insanity and that thin line is called reason.  Reason is the ability to think in a coherent logical manner and that immediately puts reason at the top of the enemies list for progressives and most religions.  Which is enough for me to understand that it is good.  It was the Age of Reason that threw the shackles off mankind that were placed there by religions and kings.  With the concept of liberty came the changes to man’s economic condition.  It was not an overnight happening and almost as quick as these concepts took place the old guard took different forms to keep man subjugated.  Religions attacked reason as being anti God and establishment political operatives grabbed onto the use of envy and fear to cloud the use of reason and it continues today.

Reason is a gift from God to mankind.  It is up to us to apply it but like everything in life it must be balanced.  We have the world going against us in that regard but it is not impossible to achieve; just difficult.  It as achieved in at least one household in Huntingdon Valley.  I passed a home everyday that displayed a “Trump for President” sign during the election period.  Within two weeks the “Hate Has No Home” sign appeared next to the Trump sign.  A short time after that the “Love Lives Here” sign appeared next to the “Hate” sign.

That is balance.