Most of you know my family and I have been targeted by a group of people whom I have no issue with but who owe blind loyalty to certain members of their social networks (They became an easily exploitable tool because they already held preexisting bias that could be radicalized. A small minority of members with corroded values could influence a much larger group to become supporters on one level or another. It isn't unique because its my family but it is unique because its a good example of how things might sort of work on a real granular level within our American communities. If it is true and common it creates system risks to democracy.)There are things I learned beyond the awareness of how quick you can spread rumors and act against "worthy" targets (Think back to when we did this at other times in history. ie. Tulsa massacre, Nazi regimes, Rwanda, Bosnia, Confederate south, etc.., There are lots of them. Its called scapegoating and its dangerous and immoral. Its when the rules and laws are thrown out the window in preservation of a misaligned social order often based in perceived superiority of aggressors. The problem is that superiority is more a function of delusion than fact While they cannot compare on this level we can say that the same underlining mechanics are at play and with continued free hand someday we may find such behaviors growing. In many ways, I suspect if I was a different person it would have turned out worse and no one would have said a word. As of now it looks like most people know different aspects of what happened but everyone is now silent; spite a few who as of a few months ago continued to cause problems.). The power of words can be wielded to resolve issues if we hold closely to truth or they can be destructive when we cling to the profane and immoral (Notice how proper use of words can can create positive change while negative use of words can destroy. Our institutional leaders should know the difference between constructive forces and intentional destructive forces. They are not that complex in terms of intentionality. One doesn't need to be a genius to know the difference between love and hate and how they are mirrors of each other. Until we have insight into hate we won't be able to resolve future issues as they arise. Let us get to the process of learning. This is a good opportunity to tackle the free pass shortsightedness, improve the overall system while at the same time helping those who caused the problems.)
Active Support of Hate: These are the individuals who launched their hate network for social and financial gain. They were embarrassed about their behaviors in the past (long stemming issues of spreading rumors and acting in personal and financial self interest) and tried to keep them hidden by projecting onto the targets. Long stemming racial and religious concerns resurface and become a decisive break (You have to protect our children and draw lines no matter how many people line up to get involved. Notice this word destructive. It confuses some of our politicians, judges and leaders as to how behaviors are inherent in each of us and there is no superiority based social structure but only superiority when the poo poo hits the fan and people can't rely on those social networks to support them. ). Some of the members of this clan acted on hate and were more than willing to violate laws (in many ways unaware of the law but their conscious should have guided them to a higher order.) in their attempt to cleans their community. Anyone within the system could be an active supporter of hate that includes, police officers (The vast majority are not like that.), college administrators, attorneys, and just about anyone else (While it has social roots it is still an individual choice to oppose wrong doing, step away and engage.). Such people are willing to act on their hate even when their behaviors are are grotesque (Remember they knew they were immune before they started. It would indicate a prior discussion and agreement on how the cleansing would occur and under what mechanisms. It appeared to have a smirky strategy that involved preplanning.)
Passive Support of Hate: These are the people who may know the behaviors were wrong but feel great social pressure to be participants in a community cleansing. They may be the ones who know it is immoral, don't want to get involved, but will make decisions to support their subconscious bias. They may or may not know always be aware of their feelings but through winks and nods, be transferrers and manipulators of false information and in turn give the social cues its ok (That may include judges, people who support hate but aren't aggressive themselves, those who know its wrong but agree with the premises, etc.. They are not evil people they are just people who have their own beliefs and when they can support those beliefs without doing anything that would get them in trouble they will do so. The more sociably acceptable and normalized these behaviors, the more like you will find passive support turning into active support. This is why a free pass is the wrong approach and leaders must use their moral conscious.)
Indifference to Hate: There are those who are indifferent to hate. They don't have the experience and have not been on the receiving side of hate. They just don't understand how distorted hate and ostracization is and how crimes are often swept under the carpet. They don't know it can break the very fabric of society and likely will be the one thing that will push this country into second place (i.e. hyper politics, unaccounted hate, and perversions of law to protect networks, lack of opportunities, active harming of "less worthy" communities/people, etc.) They just don't know what they don't know and you can't really blame them. Is just not their issue until it becomes their issue and they may not understand what all the hub bub is all about (Hope they don't have a future child or grandchild that people in society love to hate and watch how quickly they will be aware of the bankrupt values of others. There are a few others familiar with who have had similar experiences like people screaming racial slurs under their windows and engage in acts of intimidation. All ok I guess if your a "local".).
I would add Afraid To Oppose Hate: There are those who know that hate is wrong but they don't feel the social and personal power to stand up against it. In this case there were lots of people who knew what was going on and many didn't say a word. Some were extra polite and engaging (The good people). They also knew it was a large group of blind monkeys (they likely didn't know that term) acting unfairly and immorally against a family. They also knew the perpetrators and their histories of rudeness, loudness and "better than you" attitude but they know the consequences of having a moral conscious at the wrong time so they choose to be silent.
Our laws may be written universally but it is often up to others to administrate those laws and they may have issues that they also are also struggling with. Sometimes they may not have the right information (intentionally false, hidden, covered, or misrepresented investigations and information), they may not have the knowledge to decide wisely (perhaps they don't understand hate.), or perhaps they may have their own political, religious and ethnic leanings (lacking impartiality based on closeness of social connection or affiliation with certain characteristics.). Or maybe there is something that we can't see from where we are at and in turn must be open to many other explanations (Always be open to alternative perspectives).
The problem is that allowing certain behaviors to stand unaccounted does weaken our democracy as the laws and rules that were to apply to protect all of us is used as personal clan law to protect some of us at the expense of others. What happened here was highly immoral and dangerous. It was beyond sadistic and opened a major crack in society by exposing the hidden bigotries that were just beyond the surface (If you study language long enough you can follow the logic and underlining assumptions to understand the essential values of the group. An important question becomes now that they know they have these bias how will they act after? That would be a defining moment on who they are. So far it looks like the answer is also apparent. You can read a group language study HERE. Politics isn't just politics. There must be an anchoring to shared values and that is our freedom of religion and freedom of speech within the Constitution.) There were indications that it has happened at other times to other people and there was an attempt to shield those who did it against account or correction (See how behavior is repeated and spreads. Few people have the capacity to chart their own course. Most just follow pre-existing patterns of behaviors based in culture, family, and understanding. See Freud and Markov). That creates a long term risk against the target family (and others this group doesn't like) as behaviors have become increasingly normalized and protected as "acceptable" ways to deal with non-locals (Locals not defined by genetics in the area i.e. Native American or history i.e. longevity of family lineage in area but by which people this group likes or doesn't like. It takes sacred things and gives those who do not have the capacity to understand them and have a history of violating them the power to decide the lives of other Americans. Its grotesque against some very basic rights. Yuck!)
If any of this is true even on the smallest level it would be a pretty big concern in a nation that is moving toward a higher state of development of a universal democracy with global appeal. If it is not a concern it is a hint that we are either stuck in our lower performing national development and/or a sense that democracy is backsliding (There are some international reports that we are backsliding.) Because we have seen this in history we must always guard against legal games that deplete the connection between morality and law (i.e. moral conscious and the poorer reflection in law. This is where the proof is in the pudding. It is either ok or perhaps its not ok?) as well as hold tightly to the rationality of law (theory and applied).
You have to decide, just like the people who supported hate, what type of person you are, what do you believe, what is your future for America, and who is invited to build our nation. If you are the type that America seems like is only for some then you might want to ask what happens if someone like you becomes powerful and can make decisions over others without checks and balances; even if your not qualified to make decisions. Read the ethics of might over right and its existential risks. Ask the initiators whether they feel remorse and embarrassment over their behaviors and if it seems like they will be chastised they will say nothing but as soon as they get within their clan it's all high fives. ...and then we should ask ourselves what values we should support as a people? Then our actions, choices and values become apparent. Thank God there are still people who believe in freedom and justice. For me it was a defining moment.
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