...most likely they don't. Hate you, that is.
I mean... they could. Maybe you're an asshole. Maybe you let your dog defecate on their lawn and there are little yellow dead spots all over the place and their kids step in it and drag it in the house and the car, and nearly everywhere they go it smells like dog shit - then they might.
But more likely than not, if you don't do the above - or any other number of asshole-ish things - they don't.
How do I know? Well, in truth, I guess I don't. I'm just guessing.
However, I think it's an educated guess. I base my assumption on several factors, not the least of which is my daily experience as a construction worker. I meet a lot of different people in my line of work; characters of all different convictions, creeds, and colors. And in my 20+ years in this industry I have met very few who, once you get to know them, despite our disparity of background or beliefs, display the disdain for the different one might expect if they bought the lie the media is spoon-feeding us regularly.
I considered giving some examples here… but is that even necessary? I mean, honestly – open up your favorite social media platform and just scroll down for a minute. Wherever your personal convictions lie, take notice of the articles/memes/headlines denigrating the “other side.” They’re not hard to find. We are inundated with the shit. Spend enough time reading the clickbait headlines, and you’ll find everything on the spectrum from “those who believe (x) are idiots” to “those who believe (x) deserve to die.”
Such an onslaught of hatefulness inevitably begins to take its toll. View such content day after day after day… and eventually you’ll begin to believe it.
But do you really?
Do you really believe that the fellow human being sitting at the red light next to you… who, like you, has hopes and dreams for the future… who, like you, has struggles that at times seem insurmountable… who, like you, only wants the best for their loved ones…
Do you really believe they hate you? or you should hate them because of your ideological/political differences?
…especially considering that the similarities far outweigh them?
I don’t. I don’t buy it.
I don't care what kind of the-spoon-is-an-airplane-open-up-the-hanger games the media plays... I ain't taking the bite.
My suggestion is you shouldn’t either.
My suggestion is to take a little time to actually talk to someone who differs from you ideologically - one on one, face to face. Spend some time honestly getting to know them and why they feel the way they do. If you do – and here comes another assumption – I’m going to guess you’ll find you don’t really hate them… and neither do they, you.
Hell... you might even find you (perish the thought!) like each other. Wouldn't that be horrible?