‘Hatred is taught’: Why do so many people hate one another? Jesus taught Christians to love and promote peace, but Gisele Barretto Fetterman, second lady of Pennsylvania, an immigrant from Brazil, discovered virulent hatred first-hand yesterday

Gisele Barreto Fetterman, wife of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman

Photo: Washington Post

… hatred emanates from fear, and the only antidote to fear is faith

As I wrote a while back, Jesus preached that we should love our enemies and even pray for them. However, in the real world in the United States of America, virulent hatred reigns supreme right now. 

That is sad, but first, a quick review, and then a look at what happened to Ms. Fetterman near Pittsburgh yesterday, something that shocked and frightened her. 

Words of Jesus

Love of Enemies.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’c

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,

45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Matthew, Chapter 5

Unfortunately, hatred in our country is at a fever pitch, and perhaps it will eventually die down somewhat, that is not the case today. 

Background of Gisele Barreto Fetterman

Ms. Fetterman was born in Brazil, but her family immigrated to America to avoid the strife and violence in Rio de Janeiro. They initially lived in poverty in New York City because they were undocumented immigrants, and eventually they moved to Newark, N.J. 

She received a green card in 2004 and became a citizen in 2009, one year after marrying John Fetterman, who was then mayor of Braddock, Pa., but now is the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. 

Gisele Fetterman loves her country and tries to preach a message of hope and joy, but her experience at an Aldi’s store near Braddock is one that went viral on Twitter. 

Details of the hatred — the “N” word

The Washington Post interviewed Gisele Fetterman today about the incident, something that a brown-skinned woman from South America realizes can happen — though it never has in person previously,

Normally, state troopers accompany Pennsylvania’s second lady whenever she leaves the house. But on Sunday, when Gisele Barreto Fetterman realized it was her last chance to get golden kiwis on sale at her neighborhood grocery store, she decided to run out for a few minutes on her own.

While she waited in line, she said, a woman recognized her as the wife of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) and began yelling insults at her, including racist slurs.

“She said, ‘There’s that n-word that Fetterman married. You don’t belong here. No one wants you here. You don’t belong here,’ ” Fetterman, who was born in Brazil, said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Upset and shaken, Fetterman managed to film the woman accosting her again outside her car. She posted a video of the abuse to Twitter Sunday night, along with a description of what happened.

Fetterman, 38, said she has been threatened and insulted before, but never in person. “The fact that she was so comfortable and bold to just do it to my face with an audience … that was really scary,” Fetterman said. 

Jaclyn Peiser, “ ‘Hatred is taught’: Pennsylvania’s second lady films a woman’s 

racist attack at the grocery store.” Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2020

As Christians, we know that such behavior is something that God would condemn, and that it violates the precepts of love of joy that Jesus spoke about in his ministry. 

Racism is rampant, but as I asked last week, “Why”?

Overcoming fear and then receiving hatred

As an undocumented immigrant, the Barreto knew that they could be arrested and sent back to Brazil, but so their lives were filled with fear,

“It was a really long time of really living in the shadows and being really scared of every knock at the door,” she said. “To then being at a place where I’m so grateful that I can vote and that I get called for jury duty and I can finally belong to this country that I love so much — to then having these moments where I completely feel unwelcome all over again and scared."

Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, October 12, 2020

How to we learn to hate?

I talked about this earlier, and Gisele Fetterman said it in her interview. Hatred is learned behavior. Someone has to teach another to hate. 

The musical “South Pacific” dealt with this hatred and prejudice in the 1940s and 50s. The lyrics from Richard Rodgers are worthy of review today since they reflect so well on what Matthew has been saying about Jesus’ message in the Sermon on the Mount,

[Verse 1]

You've got to be taught to hate and fear

You've got to be taught from year to year

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught

[Verse 2]

You've got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made

And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade

You've got to be carefully taught

[Verse 3]

You've got to be taught before it's too late

Before you are six or seven or eight

To hate all the people your relatives hate

You've got to be carefully taught

Richard Rodgers, “South Pacific.”

Hatred has to be carefully taught, and people who go to the end of the lives with hatred in their hearts are very sad examples for us. 

Why do we hate? Generally, the answer is fear. The fear of so many in the U.S. is that blacks and immigrants are taking over the country, which they believe to be a white domicile. 

The only way to eliminate fear is through faith. We have to follow Jesus’ example and words and ask God to give to those whom we despise the same things that he would give to us. 

That is hard, but it is the only way to overcome fear and love our neighbors as ourselves.