Hate is a Strong Word

I thought of the soaring, rocking, arena-ready chorus to this song late last year, but busy college semesters, family vacations, and mental health struggles resulting from tough times postponed my completion of the rap verses, bridge, and altered final chorus until recently. The lyrics relate to how I have been upset that, with tragedies and injustices happening around the world, many people in activist spheres are acting more out of a drive to seek revenge and win political games that actually wanting to bring people together to find solutions and seek justice and peace. These people stereotype some of the very people who, if they could take up a different tone, could become friends and allies. They also relate to how people in my generation feel like we have a lot of weight on our shoulders to change the world for the better, and how it is important to remember to take time for pleasant rest and activity if we are going to do so. The title speaks to the fact that I have been taught, since I was a young child, that hatred of anyone, no matter who they are and what they have done, is not foundational to building a better world.

“Hate is a Strong Word”

They tell us to hate those we don’t know

To the “others” our faces cannot show

But how does this mindset let the world grow?

This place can get me feeling so low

We generalize, we stigmatize

We pass on these “truths”, make people close their eyes

We got a lot of people saying what they wanna’, wanna’

We got a lot of people not doing much to stop the drama

We flip through our feeds, quick catchphrases rise

We see graphics that make fun of those who try

To say something different from our ideology’s line

Apparently, deep conversation and nuance ain’t fine

I gotta’ say, what happened to the Golden Rule

Treatin’ others how we’d like to be treated, we learned it in school

I agree that we have to stop the hate

But being this harsh just gives the hate more bait

See that person you are targeting

Has a different frame of reference, let’s start bargaining

Focus, with friends, on the heart inside

Person to person, that’s how you see who’s kind

They tell us to hate those we don’t know

To the “others” our faces cannot show

But how does this mindset let the world grow?

This place can get me feeling so low

We theorize, we see the prize

We plan on a just world for all, no matter their size

But there’s a lot of people doing what they wanna’, wanna’

But there’s a lot of people inflicting so much trauma

We’re feeling all the world’s weight on our shoulders

We see the breaking point’s passed, here come the boulders

I understand how all these feelings come

The last generation wants us to fix what they’ve done

The pressure is high, and righteous anger

Is natural when someone is putting you in danger

Some people really should change their views

If you don’t know what I mean, just look at the news

But I’d hope that reconciliation

Is what our movements bring to this nation

The core value of helping those who wrong and suffer

To this world, us young voices must offer

If you get tired

Of social media’s mire

Sit back, practice self care

You don’t have to leave it all to bare

Take a walk outside

Bask in life’s sunshine

When you stop scrolling, lying in bed

When you say hi to a friend instead

You realize the wonder of being alive

You recharge, so you can strive

For the future’s right way

You can’t do it all today

Should we cast off those we don’t know?

Well I hope for a diverse glow!

And fresh mindsets that really try

To let human potential reach the sky!