In response to the recent letter by Anita Gaul about the indecent acts that were directed at her and fellow Democrats, I can’t help but wonder why hate?

I have not done extensive study on world religions, but I have learned about a few, and they all seem to have love and compassion as core values. So, I ask where’s the love – love your neighbor didn’t have an exception that I recall. In fact, aren’t we called to love those who are outcasts more?

Bring them into the fold perhaps — I doubt any of the people driving by the DFL events were successful in changing hearts or minds.

Let’s talk about hate in our community. It’s here at least that is what it looks like to me when I hear or see things similar to the acts describe by Mrs. Gaul (just in case you are wondering she is not the only witness to these acts).

In talking about hate, I automatically think of racism — antagonism against those different in race. I have heard white people say that America is not racist any more — that things have changed. And I believe that is what they see. The problem is that often we see only what we are looking for, limited to where we put ourselves.

So the question is where do you put yourself to see how people different than you are treated?

I did not put myself at any political event so I would not know personally, if there was hate, discrimination or antagonism. My environment is safe and welcoming because I keep myself among family and friends. However, I am not blind to the racism and hate that exist because I expose myself to the world by reading the newspaper, talking and listening to others who have different experiences with the world than I do. I search out information from news sources, books written by individuals as well as scholars and I push myself to look for opportunities to connect with difference. What do you do?

Learn something new every day is a moto I remember from childhood and that I still try to accomplish. This is not limited to the vocabulary words in the Reader’s Digest because I am genuinely interested in people and learning to be a better more compassionate person.

This requires me to admit that my experiences are limited — I don’t know everything. I challenge myself to seek out other experiences, ideas and perspectives different from mine in order to grow intellectually and learn about more people than just my inner circle.

My parents, God rest their souls, wanted me to be the best that I could be and never stop learning. I want that for my children and I want that for all of us. Don’t you?

— BC Franson is a member of the social science department at Southwest Minnesota State University