I think a lot of that all went away over the years. I recall a lot of idiotic thoughts people had up north as well as down here in the south during my childhood. Even Swedes against the Norwegians, vice versa, et al. Today, you don't hear it as much. I guess those people are too old and stay at home or have passed on or it isn't 'politically correct' to espouse such nonsense anymore.



>>>>>I'd propose a scale - how different does the other need to be from "us" to be hated. I've seen obvious outbursts of hatred just because I had longer hair. I've also heard of cases where any minor difference could tick people off (ordering wrong kind of beer, having wrong license plates).
>>>>
>>>>Would you assume that there are cases when 'outbursts' may have valid reasons?
>>>
>>>I can understand anger and rage. Even hatred against the perpetrators of previous crimes.
>>>
>>>Hatred against people who are just different is beyond me.
>>
>>Sometimes it may depend on definition of 'difference'. Are criminals just different? If yes, one cannot hate them. What if some guy goes out without pants and use your car as a toilet place? Should you consider him different?
>
>That's why I'd propose such a scale. It would be interesting to find out how much is enough to provoke a reaction in various areas.
>
>In some places people hate each other when they've subscribed to a different brand of the same religion, or when they speak different dialect. In some other places such differences don't matter.
>
>As for the vandal in your case, I'd surely try to get him to pay handsomely for what he's done... but I'd have to know why did he do that before I'd decide to hate him or to just pity the fool and maybe vent my anger.