If you have ever been targeted by a hate group you will begin to understand the need for new laws that protect people from wanton aggression. When it comes to race and religion it can be easy to sweep up entire institutions and personnel in a way where critical thinking becomes difficult and the laws are easy to pervert (It has happened at various places in history). For those who have faced such venom there is a path through the fog.
FBI reports there has been an increase in hate crimes and we still continue to struggle with some of the fundamentals of how to hold such groups accountable. Free pass is never acceptable form of abatement for bad behaviors. It leads to a repeat of those bad behaviors at other times in history. Solutions are often hard to find when the political spectrum is toxic.
Once you and the people you care about become targeted or put in harms way by intentional destructiveness you become aware of how few protections you have at that time (That can change.). When the law becomes perverted and basic human rights are stripped you also realize that you must stand for something greater than yourself to reorient values. The fundamentals are being shaken and social contracts broken. You have a responsibility to glue them back together for everyone else and the next generation.
A few ideas....
1.) Research the facts and truth. Stay close to the truth so if someone questions you can can give honest answers. Its ok to make mistakes in chaotic situations but do so with the attempt to take the higher ground for win-win situations.
2.) Don't be blinded by popularity, skin color, religion or familiarity. Ignore false forms and impressions. Much of our world is subjective to explain objective things (Not going too far into philosophy here.).
3.) Universalize your values to apply across all Americans so as to find what connects us together. Our root values as a nation and people.
4.) Focus on the big national goals and not on local politics. We have a responsibility to build a fair society and make it the most effective society we can.
5.) Role reverse and ask yourself what it would be like if it was you. Empathy has great power for understanding.
6.) Consider the long-term picture if such groups are able to pervert local life. There are others who feel the same and are concerned over bad behaviors that have been ignored, unknown, or swept by corruption under the carpet.
7.) Make sure your anchored symbols are not ethnocentric but American/Democratic in origin.
8.) Focus on moral conscious of law and truth. Find the higher power.
9.) Accept that you, your children's life/ rights no long exist beyond cold hard legal realities. i.e. salivating to get the chance. (At least at that time but it does change.).
10.) Core group members will spread as much hate as they can to encourage clan/group behaviors and limit their responsibilities. (Some will posture violence but it only takes one to move beyond posture).
11.) Don't do what they want you to do such as being provoked into an argument so they can justify escalation of aggressions. Keep your head high and step back. Hold your ground, don't show weakness, but do not respond tit for tat. Just walk away and if they follow you then they own that.
12.) Be aware that some in law enforcement will do the right thing some won't (Look at their core values and "souls" to determine how they will act under different situations.). Most did the right thing once they found out they were manipulated but a few persisted and that opened a potential can of other unknown corruption (From other areas. Its a type of thinking.).
13.) Go loud and repeat it over and over until someone gets enough integrity to stand up for some basic principles. There are others out there that have values as well and get the bigger picture.
14.) Just like all toxic people perpetrators will escalate before they break. They will break and that will happen when they have exhausted their resources and can no longer avoid fate. All the doors are closed and they are trapped to accountability (Different levels for different people. Because I'm empathetic I would opt for mandatory mental health. )
15.) You can win but you will need to make it all the way through all the distorted values, false beliefs, and misalignment of legal structure. Be persistent and focus on the bigger picture.
16.) If you make it to the other end you have a responsibility to encourage betterment so not only teach others but encourage a higher functioning society (Its risky but its a duty). Allegory of Cave.
No comments:
Post a Comment