Hate literature

Klan literature was widely available where I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, though Des Plaines was not integrated until long after I moved west in 1971. Hate groups are rarely active when they have no one close by to hate so the presence of their literature was a bit unusual. Repeatedly exposed to hideous drawings and prose, I vividly recall distorted portraits of black men with gorilla bodies.

Hate literature is returning in a big way. Recently someone sent me a two panel affair; First Lady Michelle Obama was on one side, an ape on the other. I don't know where the "artist" found portraits of Mrs. Obama and an anthropoid with similar expressions on their faces, but he did - Photoshop, maybe. I have never otherwise seen the First Lady scowl; she seems quite even tempered. The effect of comparing her to a monkey was chilling and brought back memories from my teens. One cannot shred or burn an Internet message so I deleted it without comment, forward or response.

Just yesterday I received more examples of the same. One featured an essay by a respected female scholar of Islam condemning the actions of "radical Muslims." Joined without notice to her article was a second piece, by a different author, predicting that in 20 years Muslims will have sufficient numbers to elect a president. The notion that four to seven million Muslims in the United States today will grow to numbers that large and then vote as a unit is ludicrous. More insidious is the absence of "radical" in the second message, an attempt to vilify all Muslims, not just those who are radical terrorists. The scholar's words were used without permission to introduce hate literature; one cannot sink much lower than that.

Earlier I received another Internet piece that similarly demonized Muslims, those who seek to build a religious building near Ground Zero in New York; that essay also linked patriotic American Muslims with radicals and probably arouses the same fears in peace loving Muslims as spurious writings about Muslims are meant to arouse in Christians. Both deserve censure.

I also received a cartoon showing four dogs; according to the caption their owner has enrolled them in a welfare program (their first checks are promised for Friday) because they are lazy, expect free health care and food, and do not know who their fathers are. I object; for one thing, I have been closely associated with people who were saved by welfare and then went on to productive lives. They were not lazy, did not seek lifelong handouts and knew quite well who their fathers were. They had experienced hard times and needed some help; comparing them to dogs is cruel, unfeeling, unfair and nasty.

Only one more quick one - a phony application for a California driver's license by Jose Ramirez, or some such Hispanic name, in which the applicant appears as a bandito, with sombrero, spread teeth, wicked smile and two bandoliers of ammunition. I suppose this has to do with immigration laws in Arizona. I have many Mexican friends; I extend my apologies to each of them and offer up this column in their honor.

I have been told on a number of occasions that if "you don't like it here, go back where you came from." I say to all purveyors of hate - we don't tolerate that kind of crap around here. Please go back to where you came from and do not pass Go and do not collect $200, especially if you are on welfare.

Tim Hunt, the son of a linotype operator, is a retired college professor and nonprofit administrator who lives in Hayden with his wife and three cats. He can be reached at linotype.hunt785@gmail.com.