“For through violence, you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence, you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence, you may murder a hater but you can’t murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that.”
I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
UPDATE: Edited above to reflect the real quote said by MLK jr. in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Page 249)
On being duped: I think sometimes, when something just makes sense in an emotional, in your gut kind of way, the logic of facts and fact checking can easily get thrown out a window. When there’s a tide of people telling you, “Look, I understand how you feel because I feel that way too,” it’s easy just to say, “I’m glad someone does,” without really caring about the hows and whys. It’s why the Internet is constantly criticized for its speed of misinformation. However, how powerful is it to find others so quickly who make you feel less alone? That must count for something right?
(If all else fails, always check Reddit. Or, you know, the Atlantic.)
