“ Growing up, my Mom told me “You should never use the word “hate”.”

Sincere thanks for sharing this, Mr. Woolley. Though I was raised in rural South Carolina, I have distinct memories of two words that would draw immediate (even painful) response for their use within our home; ain’t and hate. (Even though this was late-1950s SC, the word that seems to be missing was simply not part of the language used in our home in my youth (or after, other than very rarely for teaching right from wrong, the power of words, and the equality we should all have been sharing, but didn’t.) That, unfortunately, changed later as I ventured out and became forced to attempt to understand how two seemingly identical (beneath the skin) people could be considered, and treated, so differently.) Sorry to ramble so, but I fear I don’t express this quite as I wish, no matter what words, or how many, I may use.

All these years later, I still have something living in my head that remembers to be careful of the use of the word “hate”, and to always be aware of how powerful it can be. (Ain’t never caught on either, but that’s a different story.) However, like you, there are times when its use seems damn near impossible to avoid.

Sir, can you imagine a world where Pre-Indict Drumpf had been raised by your mother, or mine? It can bring some degree of peace within my heart to imagine a world with one less of Drumpf’s “best words” being used so cavalierly to cause harm to the innocent. (As another disabled person (living within minutes of where Drump’s disgusting disability insult was originally uttered) I can imagine easily the karma of “I don’t know what I said! AHHH! I don’t remember!” being some of Blimp-Boy’s very own, best (and most frequently used) words, as he faces a multitude of judges determining a suitable fate.)

Thank you, sir.