West Virginia is making national headlines again, and it is still for the wrong reasons.

Charles Dickens once wrote that we are all “fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” This short passage, though originally part of a monologue about Christmastime from “A Christmas Carol,” can be taken to heart year-round. We could all benefit from understanding its message that people are all the same, all destined to the same eventual fate, and we should treat each other as equals all the time.

One person who could especially benefit from this is West Virginia Republican Delegate Eric Porterfield. His recent comments comparing the LGBTQ community to the Ku Klux Klan have sparked numerous debates and calls for him to resign. Also, in a recent interview, Porterfield alluded to drowning his children if they ever came out as gay or lesbian to him. 

It is commanded in no religion, creed or doctrine to hate our fellow man, or fellow travelers to the grave, if you will; rather, love seems to be a fairly universal commandment. If Porterfield is unable to love those whom he disagrees with, he should, at the very least, be able to tolerate them. His intolerance leads to disrespect and unfairness. People are allowed to disagree with how others choose to live their lives, but they should never hate or slander them. Porterfield could learn from this as well. Especially as a politician. Politicians are elected as representatives, but who is Porterfield representing? 

“The LGBTQ is a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan, without wearing hoods, with their antics of hate,” Porterfield said. 

This is still America, the greatest country on Earth, and he is entitled to freedom of speech and his opinions, but there are many things wrong in this statement. Most are obvious and do not need to be further dissected here, but another error comes from Porterfield’s claim that the Ku Klux Klan is no longer modern. No, Porterfield is surely mistaken if he thinks the KKK has diminished even slightly. They are still spreading their own messages of hate, sometimes accompanied by violent actions, which sounds more like political terrorism than what Porterfield accuses LGBTQ community of. Even if white supremacists do not identify with the klan directly, they still have many of the same values; values that the LGBTQ community surely does not share. Instead of killing, the LGBTQ community wishes to not have their members killed by those who hate them. Instead of oppressing the freedoms of minorities, the LGBTQ community looks to secure freedoms for themselves. 

On the other hand, many of the commenters on social media in opposition to Porterfield reduce themselves to attacking and insulting his appearance. For one, Porterfield is blind. For another, what do his looks have to do with is statements; what does making fun of him accomplish? It is just another example of intolerance and hatred, although on the opposite side. It is okay to disagree; Americans have disagreed with one another since the start of the nation, but it must be done in a respectful manner. That is the only way any positive outcomes, agreements or changes can be accomplished. Attacking Porterfield’s looks will not change his mind and gets us nowhere.

Hate and intolerance are like fire; they cannot be fought with more of the same.