From Baltimore Spencer: The Irony of Hate

We may never know what triggered James von Brunn’s hatred. The 88-year old Maryland man has been charged in the death of 39-year old security officer at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. In time we may have the answers. But we may never know what triggered his actions; equally important, we may never know what triggered his hatred towards other races and ethnic groups. His life - as we know so far - a WWII Navy veteran, worked in St. Louis and NY in advertising, and tried to make his life as an artist. But something went rotten inside of him some 40 years ago. He saw the world as Us v. Them, a divisional war of the races. He spoke out against the various non-White races and ethnic groups through voice, print and Internet. Only when he crossed the line and acted upon his hate was he arrested in the past, charged and sentenced for his crimes. All these past decades: shouting out minority views of hate as a member of a majority race, and no one listened, no one acted; and then, today, still shouting out for anyone to listen, but as a member of a minority race.

But for most of the time, he just spouted his hatred - as it is his inalienable right to do so - but the irony is the very people he attacked also defended his right to spew his vulgar hatred. There’s no forgiveness for his actions. There’s no tolerance for his hate. But we cannot deny the right to express his opinion through voice or word. von Brunn tried to change the world through the illogic of hate, chosing a coward’s way of expression through base emotional response, one that creates division over unity, terror over tolerance.

We cannot silence von Brunn-types for their opinion, nor can we move them to some island where they can live their lives out. We must fight the hate and the lies that von Brunn espoused. It’s a perpetual fight but a necessary one for us to remain free people.

The world may seem upside down for some. For me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Related articles

• Holocaust museum closed in tribute to slain guard (cnn.com)
• Do Americans have an identity crisis when it comes to race and ethnicity? (scienceblog.com)
• Holocaust Museum shooter James von Brunn had history of hate (seattletimes.nwsource.com)