In reflecting on how certain advocates of Confederate heritage respond to criticism of their beliefs, understanding and representation of history, and so on, I am always somewhere between amused and bemused when I hear the claim that their critics must hate them (and the South). All this talk about “evilizing” brings a smile to my face, but leaves me scratching my head.
It would be a useless exercise to state that I do not hate these people with whom I disagree. That would not change their minds at all on this subject. But I am struck by their need to believe that they are hated. Frankly, that would be an excessive expenditure of emotional energy on my part that would be totally unwarranted.
Crossroads 