On love, hate and political tolerance

Donovan Emerson’s letter published in the Nov. 23 Daily Inter Lake raises an important question — when does human rights advocacy itself conflict with the respectful tolerance of others?

Mr. Emerson seems to suggest that love requires that we sit quietly when hate is propagated lest we ourselves become guilty of intolerance. Until manifestations of hate rise to the level of “violence” or denial of “access to resources,” he urges, they are merely “ideas” of which we, in love, should be tolerant.

Our society’s laws recognize that there is a form of speech that is not merely a communication of thought: When speech is designed to incite violence, prejudicial action, or intimidation against people on the basis of their gender, ethnicity, religion, race, disability, or sexual orientation, it is wrong.

Love must be tolerant. Love must listen to and respect divergent opinions in the marketplace of ideas. It is equally true that love must not fail to confront conduct, including hate speech, that threatens to tear the fragile fabric of respect upon which society depends, and in which each of us maintain our personhood.

I do not know if Richard Spencer has crossed “the line” from merely expressing ideas of “European” cultural integrity to the kind of destructive hate-mongering espoused by the Ku Klux Klan. I do know that responsible members of society will hold that line. To do so is not intolerance but an act of love to protect the weak and disfavored, and secure their ability to participate in our society with the full measure of human dignity.

Mr. Emerson has usefully reminded us that to achieve love we must act with love. It is not the work of love to label enemies so we may justify doing them wrong. Love’s work includes tolerance and healing. It also includes unyieldingly addressing wrong.

The city of Whitefish and the community it governs have been asked to address, through law and solidarity, a wrong in the form of hate speech that would incite violence, prejudice and intimidation directed at a person's intrinsic characteristics or personal faith. They need not demonize Mr. Spencer to do so. But address it they should. It is what love requires.

Allan M. McGarvey is an attorney in Kalispell.