"America Haters"

Ever heard someone call another an "America Hater?" I've heard that my share of times. Why do people resort to this kind of speech? Is there just one group of people who are typically classified as being "America Haters?"

The fact of the matter is almost anybody can be see as an "America Hater" by one or more specimens. It all deals with how each and every one of us perceive America and what we hope to see in the future. For those that see it as the "White man's land," they will be prone to calling anyone an "America Hater" if they see the land as one of diversity and equal opportunity. The same is true if the tables are turned. Those that see America as a land of diversity may refer to those who claim it's a "White man's land" as being "America Haters." The same trend can be seen when it comes to issues like guns, religion, capital punishment, political affiliation, amongst many others.

Not to sound too biased, but I do notice these remarks more from hard-core conservatives than liberals. Why? Well, because, for the most part, if someone is liberal, they are pretty tolerant people. They're more apt to accepting differences and change than conservatives. Because of this, many times, they're less likely to refer to others as "America Haters," because of their political affiliation, religion, or other beliefs. Many times, conservatives are less tolerant of such differences. Just look at the leading spokespeople for both sides of the political spectrum. Who is more prone to calling others "America Haters," Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, and Rush Limbaugh or Al Franken, Michael Moore, and Keith Olbermann? The four conservatives I listed have been much more notorious for this and other insults as opposed to the three liberals I mentioned.

Just a couple nights ago on the television show "Boston Legal," William Shatner's character (Denny Crane) referred to his opposing attorney as being unpatriotic and an "America Hater" for the simple fact that he disagreed with an American foreign policy. I find that this is common amongst hard-core conservatives. For some reason, to question our government or any decision made by them (especially if they're Republicans) is to be disloyal, unpatriotic, and an "America Hater."

Sharing, expressing, and having differences in opinion is what makes America beautiful. Whether you're conservative, liberal, somewhere in the middle, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent, we all share this land and have the right to perceive America as we so please and have the right to envision the future of this country in however manner we see fit. The only "America Haters" I see are those that call others "America Haters" for having a difference in opinion.