Sometimes we feel like if we don't acknowledge something it will all go away by switching our focus (Sometimes it does if it is a minor issue and unrepeated.). That isn't always the case. Small mistakes made in earnest are different than intentional mistakes done with malicious intent. When we are able to differentiate between intentional and unintentional we make a small step forward in knowing how to put our society back on a healthy track. Placating bullies, bigots and corruption doesn't do anyone any good as it encourages unhealthy adaptations to personal (individual choice) and societal (collective choice) that leads to repeat of such behaviors (Perhaps on a national level...oops sorry...that would never happen! 🤷).
There is an appropriate amount of legal/enforcement/social pressure that obtains the highest immediate and long term results. Too light and it looks like a wink and nod and too heavy it looks like political anger. Using the right tools at the right time is called wisdom and having a moral conscious is standing up for larger and more important things because we live in a collective. We know that society must continue forward through learning and development thorough the prism of good values. People sacrifice because they believe in something greater then themselves and that is what adapts each generation.
I'm not going into all the details why some aggressive behaviors should be illegal (Depends on what we think the purpose of law is), have malicious intent and are rooted in distortion and bigotry. As a basic value system children should be protected, religion sacrosanct under the law, and coordinated aggression with a mixture of corruption worthy of disdain. We have options to walk the talk in our values while recognizing some of the mistakes we have made. We are imperfectly perfect through our ability to learn and change.
We are no longer in a position as a people and nation that we can accept bullies, bigots and corrupt behaviors in a way that we hope would lead to reasonable outcomes. It is a sign of moral decay and ignorance spread among those who struggle with independence of thought. It is an old stain that we never took the time to clean. As time goes on it looks worse, collects more dirt, smells more and becomes increasingly embarrassing against the shroud of gleaming white purity we shrouded ourselves in (i.e. lack of self reflection, casting stones, and wrong orientation in intentionality.).
These were the lessons we should have learned from society, our past, and our possibilities to make ourselves a stronger people. We cannot afford to give free passes to bullies, bigots and corruption at least they someday become common practice and impact the viability of our national unity and trust in our institutions to live by a higher moral code. It is more than the seemingly insignificance of each of our lives/incidents (even more seemingly insignificant if your wrong type of person).
I have no doubt our towns and nations will overcome challenges like this. We will because we know what the right path forward is but we are too afraid to believe in it and stand up for it until it is common knowledge to do so (Mocks at our self interest). As a society we can change, learn from our histories, develop something new, reconcile the differences, and heal our wounds. Mostly, we can give to our grandchildren and finish the business passed (passing the baton...don't drop it.) from our parents of developing something bigger than us (or our generation) where the streets are again paved with gold and every man/woman earns based on their own merit.
Of course we can choose to do the opposite and the jury is still out on that one. 😏
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