Hello Everyone, Welcome to the podcast “Close to the Bone.” I’m Carl Vreeland.

Before I begin, I’m excited to announce the launching of my new website, which took place last week on January 23rd. The domain name is carltvreeland.com, that’s my name including my middle initial. On the site, you’ll find a page to the podcast, a blog page, a link to my new YouTube channel, 12 Steps to Heaven, in which I speak about alcoholism, drug addiction, and depression, and such. There are also streaming Yoga classes and classes for download, and much more. Please have a look, there’s lots of free and low-cost content. OK, back to the podcast. . .

This is episode #20, entitled, Hate is Hate is Hate.

Martin Luther King Jr. refused to live with hate in his heart. He knew better. He didn’t hate racists. He saw them as human beings who were suffering, for they lived with hate in their hearts. He didn’t hate the politicians and leaders whom were obstacles to the Civil Rights Movement. He didn’t hate white men. He didn’t hate America’s past. For if he did, he would have distanced himself from his heart, from love, and from God. He would have willingly drank the devil’s poison, as it were. More than that, the Civil Rights Movement would have been unsuccessful.

When will we learn that hate breeds hate. There are no excuses or exceptions to this notion. Whether it be a greedy, selfish government leader, a racist neighbor, or an opinionated work colleague, no one else’s behavior should be an excuse for us to be hateful, uncivil, disrespectful, resentful, and retaliatory. It is unwise, it is unspiritual, if you will. We cannot willingly let people, events, and circumstances compromise our integrity and turn us hateful. By doing so, we destroy our usefulness, our inner-peace, and our soul. Moreover, we cannot wait until things go our way in the world, we cannot wait until a leader is impeached to let go of our anger. This way of being takes us off the spiritual path, and it steers us away from a higher purpose. We cannot wait fours years, living with anger, resentment and hate toward a leader, hoping for the next election to go our way so we can live in peace. See, resentments are progressive, much like alcoholism and drug addiction, in that, overtime they become more rooted, they get a stronghold on us, and they do long-term damage to us, and everyone around us. Hence, healing then becomes more of an arduous and lengthly process. And the divide between our brothers and sisters, who see the things differently than us, becomes wider and stronger.

So, what can we do to avoid another four years of hate and division? Well, we must let go of our resentments, we must pray for our opponents and forgive them. And we must forgive ourselves as well; for hating. You might be thinking, “Well, I have every right to hate!” Sure, but remember; hate is hate is hate. When you live with hate, it’s like, again it’s like drinking poison. You are letting someone else or some thing steal your peace. Yes, you have every right to hate, that is, if you want to imprison yourself in chains of anger and bitterness.

We must get off our high-horse, stop self-righteously and hatefully shouting at others, “You are bad, you are wrong, you’re a racist and you need to stop being a racist!” How is this any different than the racist you are screaming at? Just a racist may hate you, you hate racists. You have hate in your heart just like them. And having hate in your heart doesn’t stop them from being a racist, it prevents you from enjoying life, and it does harm to you and others. We must stop the cycle of hate. When anger comes, when resentments crop up, when hate comes, when feelings of revenge arise, we must nip them in the bud. We must let go and forgive. It’s up to us to put an end to the hate in the world. Indeed, it’s up to everyone, but it starts with us.

We cannot wipe out racism, or convert a racist by way of hate, by way of belittling and demeaning and demonizing. Again, hate breeds hate. Truth is, we are more likely