I've recognized within myself the capcity to hate recently.

It's been quite a revelation.  I'm still exploring these emotions that I've been feeling, but I'm pretty sure they're hatred.

Let me explain: a couple of years ago, my friend purchased a pit bull puppy from an Airman.  The puppy had had it's ears clipped, to make them stand up (a procedure I disagree with, but that's neither here nor there).  By the Airman (who shall be referred to as asshole from here-on out).  He cut off this dog's ears with a pair of household kitchen scissors.  The wounds got infected, and the dog almost lost it's ears.  Asshole admitted to doing it, but because my friend (who was a little timid) was afraid to report asshole or give out his name to the vet, no action was taken.

Asshole got court martialed a couple of weeks ago.  He kicked and stomped on some kid's face in a bar fight in town.  He admitted that he did it in his statement to the police.  His momma hired him a civilian lawyer, the military prosecuting attorney was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and asshole walked.

I saw him at the pool the other day.  I found myself wanting to spit on him.  I wished that he would fall in the deep end of the pool next to me, and be unable to swim....so I could just paddle away and watch him drown. I imagined the sound those puppies made when their ears were being cut off.......

I've never really hated before.  I've disliked immensley, I've had disdain for.....but hatred?  This is a whole new ball of wax for me.  I'm not sure how to deal with this emotion, where to put it.  I have a good ability to compartmentalize  my emotions, to put them into little mental boxes, shut the lid, and leave them there.  If I have to, I can mentally sit on the lid of the box to get it to close...but this hatred refuses to be boxed up.  It's spilling over into other areas.  I'm starting to think that what I've been feeling for my moron neighbors is hatred.  I'm starting to think that there are people here who I might actually hate, even though I don't know them very well.  I think I hate what they stand for, what they say, even how they say it. 

I'm going to have to get a grip on this hatred, before it gets a grip on me.