Why do so many on the left accuse conservatives of “hate?” When the late Charlie Kirk is smeared as “hateful” by his alleged killer, media personalities, politicians, and others, it suggests they view a significant number of Americans as “hateful,” too. After all, Kirk’s views on marriage, transgenderism, affirmative action, and more are mainstream among many conservatives.
Attacking character rather than ideas is an age-old tactic. It’s easier to call someone racist, sexist, or fascist than to win a policy debate. It also creates an emotional response and unites supporters around an enemy. It silences, delegitimizes, isolates, and demonizes the accused.
Many fall for the tactic (the accusers may or may not believe their own accusations). More than half of liberals think it is “hateful” to say “that transgender people have a mental disorder,” according to polling. Just under half think it is “hateful” to say “that homosexuality is a sin,” and a third think the same about saying “that illegal immigrants should be deported.” During the 2024 presidential election, several people in my neighborhood put out signs, next to ones supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, stating: “Hate Has No Home Here,” then listing Democrats’ priorities. Another neighbor’s sign said “Hate Won’t Make Us Great.”
Conservatives and Republican leaders can always do better at calling out and objecting to these smear tactics. It’s un-American and destructive to our social fabric to treat disagreement as hatred.
Eighty-four percent of Republicans identify as Christian, along with 58 percent of Democrats. Thus, many conservatives and Democrats purport to follow Jesus, who summarized the greatest commandments as, first, loving God and, secondly, loving “your neighbor as yourself.” He even said we should love our enemies. Although Christians know they fall short, they should also know their main goal in life is to love and serve others as Jesus did.
Jesus also said that Christians can expect to be hated for their beliefs; this is a spiritual and a rational battle. While conservatives can improve in how we communicate that our policies are meant to help all citizens, including women, minorities, and LGBT people, it’s important to remember that we could communicate as supremely as Jesus did and still be hated. However, that does not change the fact that conservatives’ views on marriage, transgenderism, abortion, race, and more are based on reason, science, economics, and the Bible — not hate.
It Isn’t ‘Hateful’ to Love People Differently than Democrats Demand
Conservatives’ belief that transgenderism is wrong does not mean they hate trans people. Many on the left believe that accepting someone as “transgender” is loving and tolerant. Conservatives believe people cannot switch their sex with surgery and hormones — and science backs them. It is not compassionate to let people, especially minors, make poorly informed decisions with lifelong consequences. It is not kind for doctors and pharmaceutical companies to push highly profitable drugs that research has shown create many health problems. The best way to help gender-confused people is to lovingly show them how to love themselves as they were created. It’s to give them the truth, mental health counseling, and encouragement to question the sources pressuring them to question their identity.
It is also not compassionate or kind to force females, especially underage girls, to share locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports with biological males identifying as “trans.”
Similarly, believing that marriage is between a man and a woman is not hateful. Our country is founded on freedom of religion, and many conservatives believe the Bible is the infallible word of God. Conservative families don’t want beliefs contrary to biblical teaching pushed on their children in public schools, entertainment, or elsewhere — they want to be left alone to live according to their values.
Minorities, the Poor, and Immigrants
Conservatives are also accused of racism. The Republican Party was founded in the 1850s as an anti-slavery party. While there are undoubtedly some racists on both sides of the aisle, the Republican Party’s policies are not racist. The parties’ disagreement is over which policies truly help people, no matter their skin color, to gain the education and jobs they need for a prosperous life. As one example, the left’s policies are hurting children — high school seniors’ national test scores in math and reading are worse than ever, no doubt thanks to policies that allow students to skip homework, act out with no repercussions, and more.
Conservatives care about the poor. In fact, research suggests conservatives are overall more charitable than liberals, but, again, they believe in different economic policies to create prosperity. For example, many conservatives believe that private companies, which have to compete and make a profit, are better than the government at creating jobs. They believe people should have to look for work while collecting Medicaid or unemployment benefits, and that they will be happier being able to provide for themselves rather than depending on government benefits.
Some might think it’s kind to let millions of people immigrate to the U.S., but conservatives believe in helping the poor through other means, such as addressing the root causes of their immigration — wouldn’t most people want to stay in their home country if its problems could be fixed? The whole world can’t immigrate to the U.S., so helping the rest of the world should be done through foreign policy. Given its limited resources, the U.S. should help the people most in need. Citizens should decide through the political process who can immigrate to our country. Conservatives also believe in upholding the law, which protects us all.
Pro-Lifers Have Science and Reason on Their Side
Conservative beliefs on abortion have nothing to do with hate. They are founded on reason. Conservatives believe in helping expectant mothers in need. But they also believe an unborn child is not part of a woman’s body for her to decide what to do with — in fact, that’s science. From the moment of conception, the zygote has its own unique DNA structure, is alive and growing, and is equipped to become a mature human being. An unborn child is a separate, individual human being with its own rights. In a truly free society, one person cannot be free to take another’s liberty. Laws often restrict an individual’s rights, including the right to hurt another person or infringe upon another’s rights. Just because the unborn child can’t survive without its mother doesn’t logically mean the mother should be able to take the unborn child’s life.
Democrats are supposed to be the ones who are “liberal,” one definition of which is being willing to understand and respect other people’s opinions, “especially when they are different from your own.”
A Change.org petition circulated before Kirk’s death called to “Stop Charlie Kirk From Spreading Hate on Utah Campuses.” Apparently referring to Kirk’s conservative beliefs, the petition suggested an event featuring Kirk would be “hate disguised as debate.”
According to investigators, Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s alleged assassin, texted shortly after Kirk was murdered that “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” He accused Kirk of hate because his own hate clearly blinded him to the truth. But Kirk knew some people are still willing to truly hear and understand the other side.
