Contempt

I love this word. It carries so much spit. It is perfect. 

Unworthy. Worthy of scorn.

It is perfect because the people I feel contempt for are the ones so desperate to be adored by everyone. Yet they do nothing to deserve adoration.

Contempt it is. 

For having not one ounce of integrity. For actually not caring about anyone else. For being so cruel. For their racism. Hate. Domination. Misogyny. 

I can be compassionate about their brokenness, ignorance and all other contexts that brought them to such a mean place.

But for their actions against other people, creatures, our Earth and future, I hold them in contempt.

“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist” – James Baldwin

When you are cheering for the oppression of others, when you seek to deny humanity and the right to exist, I hold you in contempt.

Does my contempt change anything? Not in isolation. But when there is collective contempt for cruelty and hate, then we have a movement.

Photo January 23rd, Article written January 23rd, 2025.