Two major forces contribute to hate: racism and inequality
The connecting line between addiction and hate, according to Dr. Gabor Maté, is trauma.
Two major forces contribute to hate: racism and inequality.
"The research is absolutely clear," Maté says. "The more inequality in a
society, the more hate, the more dysfunction, the more mental illness,
the more physical illness." It should come as no surprise, then, that we
see more addiction and more mass shootings since "the inequality is
rising all the time." Violence against racial, ethnic, or religious
groups "is a manifestation of a society that foments division amongst
people and sets people against each other."
We can reduce the harm of hate by not letting it boil over. We can vote
for legislators who will enact gun laws to reduce the harm in those
moments that it does. And we can create an environment that allows
parents to be there for their children emotionally to prevent trauma —
that includes paid family leave and stopping the fetishization of hard
work.
Both hate and addiction are a manifestation of a society that is ill,
disconnected, and traumatized. It is an indictment of American culture
and society that anyone finds relief by picking up a rifle and driving
to a synagogue. To fight hate, we need to change our culture and
society.
That's a big task, but Maté believes it is possible: "It's going to get
worse before it gets better, but in the long term, I don't have any
doubts."
Source: How a traumatized America finds relief in hate | Opinion
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