Extremism has grown and I believe to be a two part issue that includes #1 Lack of Laws and #2 Lack of Moral Fortitude. They are both related in one way or another. Understanding the nature of extremism and how it works would liken it more to moral fortitude based in moral conscious. Understanding value systems would lead to laws that encourage people to get help or face the consequences of the intentional destructiveness of hate.
#1 Lack of Laws: The legal system struggles with extremism. Extremists often work in the subtleties of the law. Without actual physical attack they are given lots of leeway. If you were ever on the receiving side of hate that might include things like lost opportunities (local college who indicated I was more than qualified but when they found out I was the guy the HR manager's friends didn't like so she completely ghosted me as a candidate. Its illegal but generally unenforced and requires an investigation.), group aggression (multiple people causing problems, antagonism, sticking their noses in the air when they see us, restricting local engagement, creating toxic environments, etc...), lack of respect for life (Leaning on, using, and involving kids that led to one's injury. Yelling out "your fathers a bitch" to kids. That includes false police report and spreading dangerous rumors to encourage a level of ostracization and potential violence. There was a general lack of consideration over everyone's rights; except their own needs.), breaking down of the local legal structure and protections (Followed home by an officer, pulling kids over in an unmarked car, potentially coaching their group of friends on how to "get" someone, hand on gun, and lack of objectivity that encourages a situation where these officers {one's within the group. Not the other officers in the area and whom I believe are trying to do the right thing} can't be trusted to fulfill their duties without bending it to their social networks {Looks like a dominant personality manages their social affairs.} I could be wrong but I have a red flag now with any questionable behaviors of anyone associated with that group. The closer one is to the group center, the lower the objectivity.) and financial gain (Much of the behaviors seem to stem from missing money and not wanting an audit. The audit may never have been conducted and they were able to use a level of aggression to circumnavigate what would be reasonable and perhaps required. There also appears to be future financial gain of such behaviors. It is now one of the least of concerns but a moral point. I don't think that is right and there should be laws to protect people. This isn't the first time we have seen excessive greed and manipulation in our country.).
We need new laws to ensure we are holding people accountable for their behaviors and stepping back to see the totality of those behaviors and their incentives. The birds eye view helps show how they are working within a group and have used that group for their own advantage (The group members don't see themselves that way and have become accustomed to perceiving themselves as the social pulse of the area. Bullying is something I suspect they have done in the past without account stemming all the way back to their mediocre sport playing days in highschool. Most are very good people but there is a percentage that feed off of each other in a way that limits their critical thinking. Many of the rest follow blindly and don't have the personal strength to step outside their networks.) Most of the group members don't appear to want to risk crossing the boundaries but will play near those boundaries in order to please their social networks (Throw some alcohol in there, someone gets frustrated with life, or I walk into an event and we may find those boundaries decline again. I will not be deterred in any way but I also understand how things can get out of control if one person throws the match in the wrong circumstance. When people hate they look for those wrong circumstances to light those fires. Their rage consumes their wits.) Without appropriate laws we create a breeding ground where hate can incubate until it one day crosses the line....but who cares right (We may need laws that apply nationally and locally)? 🤷
#2 Lack of Moral Fortitude: If any of the above is true in any way shape or form I would think that a level of moral conscious would kick in. This is where we get into dicey issues about how we perceive people and their rights (Rights as the new dirty word in some circles.). No one has apologized, there doesn't appear to be any level of correction, and I'm not sure if there was any level of accountability. I do believe someone told them to stop acting that way for fear of being held to account. The good news is that I don't see it as my failure so I think my conscious is clear. I believe many have tried to do the right thing but if the laws and morality are not matched we will find ourselves here again (locally, nationally, wherever). Its hard to say what the right answers are.
Extremism has grown for many different types of reasons such as not understanding it and not having the tools to deal with it. Unfortunately, the "targets"/victims, etc. are the ones who have to find ways through the mess as the laws haven't caught up. We even have Supreme Court Justices (and other judges, governor, politicians, etc..) that have become targets of extremist behaviors and yet we have not taken the necessary steps to take action (Proactively the Counseling and Tracking as one method. There are likely others.). We must wait reactively for someone to cross the boundaries when they have walked right up to it and consistently displayed their willingness poke at those boundaries in a way that heightens risks.
Accountability doesn't always mean long prison sentences (or even any prison sentence at all in many cases). In most cases, extremism is a mental health issue. However, for some people it can be a serious mental health issue that risks others. I believe there are people who intentionally use other's mental health issues like a tool to intimidate/bully people (i.e. intentionally spreading false information and encouraging to attack others.) in a way that it creates a context for violence (Think of flying monkeys and narcissism). Hence, what I have experienced and have been talking about for the past few years seems to have similar strains in other such behaviors within the country (They aren't the same focus/issue but they share similar characteristics.). Whether we are at the capitol, in our hometowns, or just upset at someone there is always the risk that a person could go too far. How we hold to account those who intentionally created those risks is an important question we will likely be forced to tackle on a national scale (even if we do so in an empathetic way).
Let us look at the situation with Rep Dan Crenshaw and ask ourselves how we got here where anything goes in politics? A Republican, military veteran, and someone who is willing to compromise on gun laws now a target of a Proud Boy extremist network in the U.S. Didn't people go overseas (this war, past wars, etc..) to protect those fundamental rights (There is a difference between freedom of speech and freedom to use speech to incite hate)? We are now dealing with new types of issues and we are currently unprepared. One's loyalty and serving their country doesn't seem to matter to these people. Domestic extremism isn't something new but it is growing at an alarming rate and we are not sure how to respond. We will need our judges, politicians, and local law enforcement to understand and act on it. All the tough talk and yet we buckle to a little pressure. There is something called honor, duty, and loyalty to the Constitution. He doesn't even have a Muslim sounding name and mixed race kids! Geese! Let us keep it classy peeps!
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