Allowing people to get away with hate crimes in the form of ethnic cleansing behavior, coordinated harassment, embezzlement, manipulating children and radicalizing their followers to act is tantamount to lawlessness. These behaviors seem grotesque and something rare but not far from how it works in various form for many Americans. In Michigan, we don't track hate crimes well, have a difficult time investigating the full crime and its associated factors, and often don't act when its needed to act. We can change and improve that to create more stability for everyone.
There are those who stand up to hate and many good law enforcement officials that know the difference. There are others who should have never been hired, should be removed, and their backgrounds/complaints investigated. I'm thankful for the good officers who know the difference and hopeful our government will hold to account the bad officer who felt its ok (immunity) to engage in alleged criminal behavior (by the accounts of community members).
We want to understand the full scope of behavior and not ignore those behaviors we would only expect to see in the ravaged lands of third world conflict. We are struggling all over our country grasping and handling these issues appropriately. There are times when we should hold people accountable and times when we should simply create boundaries. What we can't do is pretend such behavior doesn't happen or it will rear its ugly head down the road.
These were not people who were upset. These are people who went beyond rude behavior and into coordinated, planned aggression that focused on intimidation and could have in more than one case led to violence. They discounted the life of children and in turn have little remorse for the damage they have done. It is learned patterned behavior from years of high school bullying. While this may appear "normal" to some people, this would be seen as criminal and dangerous in standard moral value systems (assuming justice is standard and has virtue-Socrates).
Why we must investigate and hold to account hate behaviors on a local level? Without investigation and accountability (as a general rule), our nation will be turning a blind eye to serious criminal behavior that will likely cause a major societal riff that won't be mended through "blah blah blah" political rhetoric. I think people are becoming disillusioned (the polls seem to be moving in that direction) with the talking about liberty and not acting on fundamental core values of our country. Time will tell.
The risks of not acting:
1.) Social Learning: We have taught others involved that such behaviors are acceptable, unlikely to be fully investigated, and that some people have more value to this country than others. We place a subconscious value of the lives of different people and different children that has nothing to do with their real value to their community and country. As people nestle into their culturally and ethnically homogenous groups they learn from each other and have a difficult time understanding and working with others (I wonder where that trend will end).
2.) Societal Instability: If this goes on long enough and is a shared experienced among a large section of society that will create doubt. When you look back to ancient Egypt when Moses was forced to secret away with his Jewish followers, Bosnia War, inter fighting in Iraq, Darfur genocide, they all have the same hate based behavior in common. One must only look at some of the sociological polls and how there is serious mistrust of institutions and what steps our leaders should take to restore that.
3.) Economic Calamity and Collapse: We are a large state (and country) and much of our population isn't fully performing because the environment hasn't been ripe for maximum human development (i.e. education system or access to opportunity). Stepping up to hate will signal this/our population that we are a single nation with central values that apply to everyone. If we are to develop powerful human capital in this country we must ensure that everyone can reach for the same fruit. Governments job is to create an environment where people can progress and earn based on their own skills, abilities, and knowledge.
While Asian Americans have been the target in recent weeks they are not the only ones who suffered from hate inspired violence. When our government officials do not take hate behavior seriously and let criminals walk without full accountability (with wisdom) then we know we are risking starting the beginning of the end of our great republic. Trust in our institutions requires investigation crimes and creating a sense of "universal justice".
While accountability doesn't always mean jail or criminal prosecution it does mean taking to account one's behavior. They must own and deal with these issues so that they no longer continue to be a risk to others. That may be prison time or that may be counseling; each situation is unique. It is about offering a sense of peace and justice not only to the victims but also to reorient bad behavior to a pro social end. We can't have a rehabilitation system that doesn't seek to rehabilitate.
Watch the video on attacks on Asian people. We could deal with these issues early by investigating the full crime of perpetrators, allowing for flexible local punishments, and tracking the behavior for research and investigation. Unfortunately, with our dividing political environment and shifting values (some becoming darker and some becoming more illuminated) we may not be able to stop hate incidents until we understand the gravity of the serious of choices that leads to dissolution.
I wonder if is ready to deal with hate and better secure a future for ALL of our children? If the goal of government is economic and social prosperity then we might want to finish the work our generation was expected to complete during our lifetimes. Passing laws that help researchers track, investigate, rehabilitate people who engage in hate behavior (mental health, misdemeanor, felony) before it becomes a bigger issues is important. Some problems work themselves out naturally while others will create insurmountable rifts. This is more than a diner squabble among family members.
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