I think the main argument of Chen’s work is that when we dehumanize a common enemy or a hate group, we lose any chance of making the world a better place. Chen would probably agree with the statement “you can’t fix hate with more hate.” Meghan Phelps-Roper admitted that it wasn’t the people who yelled the loudest or sent the most messages or tried to block every picket that got through to her. The people who changed the mind of a woman firmly planted in her religious beliefs were those who treated her with compassion and humanity and were willing to listen to what she had to say even if they vehemently opposed it. To show that love can help can change anyone’s views, Chen emphasized the extreme hate present in the Westboro Baptist Church. Its members were openly anti-Semitic, homophobic, and celebrated terrorist attacks and natural disasters. However, when people were able to see past these negative qualities and recognize the humanity in every member of the church they actually gained progress in converting their twisted views. People like C.G. and David Abitbol had enough room in their hearts to accept these once wicked people, and as a result they definitely made the world a more welcoming place. Chen’s lesson for us can be simply put as “no matter how different we are from one another, we must recognize the humanity in every person if we wish to make a positive impact in their life and the world around us.”
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