Term of the Day: HATRED

Imagine being a grandmother who has her daughter's son over on mornings during the summer.  Your grandson is thirteen years old and is autistic.  One day, a letter arrives in the mail.  When you open it and read it, it is about your grandson.  The author has a problem with your grandson, but expresses this problem in more terms of flat-out hatred and heartlessness with a clear lack of understanding.

And this is how the letter reads:

In addition to being the grandmother, imagine being the child's parents and how you'd feel:

The author of this letter is clearly misinformed, overflowing with hatred, and empty on compassion.  How that person can feel comfortable to not only write the letter, but to actually send it is beyond my comprehension. I want to take some time with specific elements of this letter, although I will begin by saying the whole letter is nothing but hate speech.

"Discard the Defective Ones" Syndrome
(aka "Ew, They're Icky" Syndrome)
(aka "Human Race Purity" Syndrome)

The author herself clearly has an inability to deal with a child with autism being in her midst.  Although the term "dreadful" is used to describe the sounds that the boy makes, it would seem more likely that having someone who is not "normal" is what's dreadful to the author.  I would suggest the statement about how her "normal" children are scared is really camouflage for her own fear.  If her children are truly scared, a wonderful educational opportunity to overcome hatred exists, which the author is incapable and/or unwilling to pursue. 

The mentions of moving clearly translate to the author's lack of desire to confront her own feelings, and wanting the boy removed from the neighborhood as the solution.  The suggestion of euthanasia for the boy means, for the most part, his existence is wrong and ending his life is "the right thing".  (Anyone heard of racial cleansing?)

"Insults Equal Intelligence" Syndrome
(aka "Insults Equal Strength" Syndrome) 

One of the major rules of hatred and hate speech involves putting down your enemy/aggressor/problematic person(s) so that they seem less of a person than you, maybe even less human than you.  Thus, the use of such terms as "idiot", "dope", "retarded", and "wild animal", in addition to equating the boy to an animal (read as "sub-human") by suggesting letting him run around park trails and living "in a trailer in the woods" shows that the author believes these heartless insults are big enough and powerful enough to get this family to move.  It is similar to the propaganda put out during World War II by the Nazis equating Jewish people to rats.

"Permanency Should Result in Futility" Syndrome

I would say that this could be applicable to a terminally ill patient, qualities in a partner or spouse being intolerable and unchanging, or a supervisor treating someone unfairly on a regular basis.  In this instance, it is applicable only in the author's mind.  Addressing the boy's autism being a lifelong condition, the author is correct.  However, the author takes that truth and twists it into justifying an alleged uselessness of the boy, even adding "take whatever non retarded [sic] body parts he possesses and donate it to science".  Syntax error aside, the boy's condition is equated to the boy being no different than an old car that is only good culling spare parts. 

"Right is Wrong" Syndrome

The author questions, "What right do you have to do this to hard working people!!!!"  The family has every right to do what they need to do for their autistic son.  There is no right for them to do whatever to others, and it would appear they are not behaving that way.  Behaving perfectly within their rights is wrong in the author's eyes.

"There's More of Us Than You Think" Syndrome
(aka "You're Outnumbered" Syndrome)

More often than not, when someone makes a statement along the lines of more than me, I'm not the only one, we all, or all of us, or when they pat themselves on the back by saying no one else has the guts to say this, the odds are really good that they are the only one who feels that way.  If they are, in fact, not the only one who feels the same way, it is an even surer bet than it's neither "everyone" nor a majority.

"Correctness is Mine" Syndrome

The author clearly feels she is the only one who knows the correct way to handle this situation... which doesn't even need handling.  The example of this is the suggestion that the parents and grandmother "deal with it...properly!!!!"  I have two words to that point: They are!

"Cowardice is Conviction" Syndrome

Instead of the author providing her address or adding her name to the letter, she thinks the letter itself shows her conviction.  Notice that nowhere in the letter does the author state any fear of retribution.  In reality, the lack of any identifying information, aside from a concocted monicker, shows cowardice on the part of the author.

"I Know You Are But What Am I?" Syndrome

So, the grandmother -- which is where the boy stays on weekends during the summer -- is being selfish?  No, the author is! 


The police are searching for the author of this hate speech letter.  I do hope they find the person who wrote it.  When the identity of "One pissed off mother" is revealed, let's see that same bravado from her.  I doubt we will. 

Terry