Hate Thought

I grew up prejudiced.  I’m not ashamed to admit it.  My dad was a country boy, and my mom was raised much the same.  I don’t know if either of them ever personally knew a black person.  My dad was always telling us “black” jokes, subtlety explaining that they were inferior, even though he had no first-hand information.  I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw Dad interact with a black man.  I was about ten and we were fishing in a public lake.  There were a few “Negroes” (that’s what we called them outside our home--the nice version of what Dad called them in our home) fishing near us and they noticed that we were catching a lot more fish than they were.

“Hey,” One of the black men yelled to my dad.  “What you usin’ for bait?” 

I stood stunned as Dad walked over to the “Negro” and showed him the dough-ball we had made out of Dad’s special recipe.  Dad gave the man a wad of it and showed him how to put it on the hook.  To our delight, the old boy (that’s what Dad called him later) started hookin’ some catfish.  We spent the rest of the afternoon cheering each other on.

As we walked away from the fishin’ hole, Dad stopped and gave the man all of the fish we had caught.  He told the man that he didn’t want to clean ‘em!

On the way home I asked him why he had given away our fish.

“Well Dave,” Dad said. “Most of those blacks are poor and they have lots of kids.  He probably could use the extra fish for his family.”  Dad had seven mouths to feed, but felt sorry for this black man he had never seen before. 

We cooked hot dogs on the grill that night.  My dad was prejudiced, but he wasn’t a bigot.

I used to tell “West Virginian" jokes.  Those were the only real “dumb” people we sophisticated Ohio boys had ever heard about.  (If you get a divorce in West Virginia, are you still brother and sister?)  It was funny.  It made us laugh.  Although we said unkind things behind closed doors, our parents made sure we never treated anyone with disrespect in public.  They taught us the importance of human dignity.

When will we come to understand that your character is revealed by what you do, not by what you think?

Get a few beers in me, (I don’t drink anymore) and all of a sudden the booze would start repeating things I had heard decades ago.  It is hard to get away from learned stereotypes, especially when you are sauced-up.  Who hasn’t said something he regretted later?  Loose lips, sink ships.

Here’s the way I see it.  Mel Gibson got drunk and the booze started talking.  To me the lack of character was revealed by how much he drank, not by what he said.  “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matt 12:34)  There's lot’s of evil stuff lurking in our hearts and sometimes booze loosens the lips.  Gibson said some offensive things, but he didn’t harm anyone.

Let’s face facts.  There is a strong Jewish influence in Hollywierd.  When was the last nice movie they made about Christianity?  The loony left is always calling us names.  I don’t demand an apology from them.  Thoughts don’t scare me, but actions do! 

I don’t care what they think or say about me! As my dad always said, “It’s a free country.”  Then, Mom would encourage me with that familiar ditty, "Sticks and stones my break my bones, but words can never harm me!"  

No, what someone says about me rolls of my back.  What scares me is the guy who says he likes me, but spends all of his time trying to bring me down.

Sort of like the NEA.  They SAY they are for education, but really, they are for teachers.

It wasn’t until I became a coach that I really began to work with blacks.  Some of my greatest players were black.  They made me look really good.  Funny thing is, because of the way I was raised, I always gave the black kids a little break.  I remembered that my dad had told me that blacks had a harder life.  I knew football was the only chance some of them had to make it out of the projects.  My dad’s prejudice taught me that.  I turned his prejudice into compassion.

God certainly has a sense of humor.  My beautiful wife’s mother was born in the hills of West Virginny.  She always joked that she lived so far back into the hills that the sunrise didn’t show up till sundown! I can’t figure out if she was smart or dumb.  After all, her smart daughter married me--and no, we aren’t brother and sister!

We are told in the Bible that you shall know them by their fruits.  Sometimes it’s hard to be nice to people, especially when they haven’t been nice to you.  That is the mark of character, treating someone decently, when you don’t think they deserve it.

So, now we know that Mel Gibson was raised to hate Jews.  I wonder if any of the Jews in Hollywood hate Mel?  Are they still mad at him for making The Passion of the Christ without their approval?  They say they are tolerant.  They say they are for diversity. They say they are for peace.  But deep in their hearts, they hate Christians, and all that Christianity stands for.  The difference is they just don’t say it.  No, they smile at Mel, as they cut off his legs, with hearts filled with hatred.  But they say all the right things…

Funny, isn’t it…  Rep. Cynthia McKinney SAYS she loves cops. Don’t worry that she slugged one.  Don’t judge her by her actions.  She loves them.  She really does.  Don't you know that its words that count, not actions?  She SAYS she loves them.

We spend time at our local abortion clinic.  Sometimes because of our efforts, a young woman changes her mind and chooses life for her child.  Nothing makes the escorts at the clinic angrier than a woman who walks away.  They SAY they are for choice – yea, right – until a mother chooses life.

The ACLU SAYS they are for liberty; in fact they used the term in their name.  But they are for tyranny.  They want judges to make the rules.  As they fight to destroy all semblance of Christianity from America, they tell us they are fighting for our liberties.  They SAY all the right things.

Politicians SAY they are for the little guy.  Does anyone really believe that?  Don’t you wonder what Hillary thinks that she does not SAY?

Freedom of speech is a God-given right.  Speech emanates from thought.  So thought is also a God-given right.  But thoughts are a dangerous thing.  They can break out into words at any time.

Words are not crimes.  Thoughts are not crimes.  Actions are crimes.

I forgot one part of the fishin’ story.  As my brothers and I rode home from the lake with Dad that day, after he had given food to a black man that his own family could have eaten, he couldn’t resist the thought that came to him.

“Hey boys, did you hear the one about the two black guys…..”

It’s what you do that counts.  Not what you think. 

Your conduct reveals your character.  Please don't let those Hollyweirdos, your local politicos, or the ACLU and their judges tell you differently!

By Coach Dave Daubenmire Email: coach@ptsalt.com Click here for bio and archived articles