If we have lost the art of loving in our nation, we must reap the fruits of violence.

   In our words, there are echos. They bounce around in the minds of those who process them.
   And, not always with the desired effect.
   I think of the attacks on President Trump, and how he is accused of fomenting Cesar Sayoc to violence. Now, I retract from the thought of laying the president to blame for Cesar Sayoc. I do think that too much of a blame game.
   But, the same, I think we should be mindful that all we say has consequence. And, that if we speak of violence, it can spawn violence. And, that if we even so much as utter words of hate, it can lead to violence. Words that inflame, can inflame to violence. Any hateful word, or any intolerant word can prompt someone to violence.
   That might not be what we intend, but it is what we reap, the same.
   So, all the hateful things Trump has been known to say? And, what of all the hateful things uttered by us, on both sides of this Republican/Democrat divide? What of such seemingly innocent words, calling people out for being "stupid"?
   Do not they incite? Do not they inflame? Do not they stir us to anger one against another? And, when you have fomented hatred, you have fomented violence.
   Rather than looking at President Trump, we should look at ourselves. Few of us there are who are not castigating, deriding and tearing at those on the opposite side of the political aisle.
   If we would have less public violence -- fewer shootings, and fewer mass murders  -- one thing to do would be to be civil in all we say. Words of hate stir up feelings of hate. They breed hate. And, those infected by the hatred become more inclined to violence.
   And -- mind this -- the target of our words is not always the one who ends up being hated by our listener. We may be ill-mannered towards one person, and our listener ends up being ill-mannered toward another. If we say all Democrats are stupid, it brings a feeling of hatred into a person's heart, and that feeling of hatred can be transferred to other targets.
   In other words, hatred can be non-directional. Once you have created it, you cannot control it -- it goes the direction it will.
   If we have lost the art of loving in our nation, we will reap the fruits of violence. And, so it is, we stand where we stand.