"THE PERIMETERS OF HATE" -- AN EXCHANGE!

AN EXCHANGE WITH REFERENCE TO “THE PERIMETERS OF HATE”

James R. Fisher, Jr., Ph.D.

© November 3, 2008

“I will tell you what to hate. Hate hypocrisy; hate cant; hate intolerance, oppression, injustice, Pharisaism; hate them all with a deep abiding hatred.”

Frederick William Robertson (1816 – 1853), English clergyman

A WRITER WRITES:

Jim:

I have read your message in its entirety and I agree with most everything you said. If you’ve been reading the “memories” emails, I got sucked in and could not resist fighting back. No one seemed to speak up and I had to do it!

You know…. I am a liberal democrat and I am not ashamed of it but I also agree that both parties need to wake up and realize we need to get rid of the “hate messages”. I don’t believe in the mud slinging…it does no good.

I am reading The American Presidents: Biographies of the Chief Executives from Washington through Clinton (eighth edition) by David C. Whitney and revised and updated by Robin Whitney.

When I can’t sleep at night (on occasion) I read this book. I find that the scandals and mud slinging went on since Jefferson, Hamilton and most recently read about Harding and his two lady friends on the side and all the corruption that he didn’t seem to know was going on in his cabinet.

There has been lots of intrigue and human failings in the past presidents. They were human and as you rightly stated, we are all blaming someone else for the present problems and want someone to say they can fix it.

We need someone to say we all need to sacrifice. Obama has begun to touch on this note recently. I too see a decision maker and a thoughtful person who I feel won’t get us involved in something without considering all options and consequences. I hope I am right.

I hope Obama makes it to the Presidency. One thing I hope for is that we will show the world that America can elect someone from our minority. I think we will grow in the sight of the other nations of the world for that reason alone. I hope others read your notes about “hate”.

Carole

DR. FISHER RESPONDS:

Carole,

I am somewhat of a statistical nut. Numbers have always fascinated me.

When I was a practicing industrial/organization psychologist, I used psychometrics as much as possible to corroborate or refute my empirical hypothesis.

There is a saying, "Statistics don't lie but liars keep statistics."

There is some truth to that as a famous study called "The Bell Curve" by Charles Murray Richard Herrnstein confirms. They found whites superior in intelligence and capability to other races especially blacks. In my own experience, data empirically derived or from experience, I have found little evidence of this. In fact, some of the most brilliant people I've known are African Americans.

That said you are the only one I have heard from with this missive. Statistically, that suggests people are (a) too busy; (b) overwhelmed with all the political hype; (c) somewhat intimidated with the prospect that hate might just be a factor in their decision making, especially in terms of presidential preference; or (d) simply deleted it once it came up which, of course, is their prerogative.

I'd like to tell you of an interesting endorsement of Senator Barak Obama that you may have missed. It is another one of those "Forrest Gump" connections that I have.

When I was a young man, and lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, I was in the "Great Books Club" of Broadripple, a suburb of Indianapolis, where we met at the library.

This past Saturday I saw an editorial by William D. Ruckelshaus, who was chair of that little study group of about ten people so long ago. I only knew the man from that group, and in no other way. But I did follow his career.

Bill Ruckelshaus was involved in a rather famous event in our American History known as "The Saturday Night Massacre."

It was a bloodless affair during the Watergate fiasco, but turned out to be quite significant.

On Saturday, October 20, 1973, some thirty-five years ago, President Nixon forced the resignation of Attorney General Elliot Richardson, and had the Special Watergate Prosecutor, Archibald Cox fired. Richardson had refused to fire Cox.

Bill Ruckelshaus, who had been Director of the FBI before becoming Deputy Attorney General under Richardson, tendered his resignation but was fired before it reached the president's desk. The event for all intent and purposes ended Nixon's presidency, forcing him to resign from office.

Ruckelshaus also served as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

I mention all this about Ruckelshaus because an editorial by him in The Tampa Tribune, Saturday, November 1, 2008, says similar things to what I say in my missive, ending with this line, "This is what is at stake in this election, and that is why we are endorsing Senator Obama as our best hope of achieving that goal (of credibility in the world)." Like me, Ruckelshaus is a lifelong Republican who has made the switch.

We will know soon who our next president will be. You voted your conscience, as should every American. I am proud of you for that. Voting is a privilege that no American should take lightly.

Be always well,

Jim