They'll get you sued for sexual harassment and wreck careers if you give one in the work place.
Doesn't matter if it's a same-sex hug or not ... Hugging gets you fired, sued and placed on the sexual predator list.
My friend Millar Fuller gave a hug to some volunteer in his office at "Habitat for Humanity" which he founded ... building houses around the world for those who had none ... developed the concept of "Sweat-Equity" meaning if you can't pay for your house with money, work with us and pay in sweat ... was a devoutly Christian man who started his path with the only Prophet Southern Baptists ever produced ... Clarence Jordan.
Everyone from former Presidents to Nobel Prize winners helped him build houses for people who didn't have one and ... was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He housed more people than anybody ... ever!
But Millard gave a hug and it got him fired.
Devastated, he rallied and started the Fuller Center for Housing and continued building houses for people who don't have one.
"Our conclusion was that Millard was a hugger and was misinterpreted, and some people went out of their way to make something big out of something that wasn't really that big," said John Wieland ... who I also knew ... and was on the Habitat Board at the time.
Millard and I hugged on numerous occasions and I never felt sexually threatened ... though there was some peace that surpasses all understanding.
Millard died several years ago, never fully recovered from hugging.
The last time we were together was in Atlanta to receive awards and recognitions for housing people who didn't have a house.
He was sad ... his head was down ...as we sat at the head table with 8 others ... and when my name was mentioned ... he looked up and our eyes met.
He stood ... and I stood ... and we hugged in front of a thousand people.
"You alright?" he whispers in my ear.
"Yeah," I whisper back still holding him, "it's good to see you again."
"You too," he says letting me go.
"Yeah," I smile.
"Love you," he says placing both hands on my shoulders.
I cry ... and mumble, "Love you too."
And the world's not as nice as it was when Millard was alive ... and before we starting killing huggers.
