The Deadly and Disgusting Side of American Populism

Donald Trump calls it “nationalism,” notwithstanding that word’s deeply racist history. The NRA screams about the fundamental right of all Americans to bear arms under rather odd interpretation of the Second Amendment, rather clearly skipping over that “well regulated militia” part of that Constitutional right. The American political scene has turned into a perpetual Jerry Springer show; name calling, insulting verbal assaults often followed by fisticuffs or worse, making up “facts” and then assessing blame on the innocent for one’s own stupid choices are the new normal. Hate and blame have escalated first to anger – especially among Trump’s base constituency – and then to uncontrollable rage.

Combining an undercurrent designed by the President for his own aggrandizement – blaming anyone who disagrees with him, substituting insults, braggadocio and shoot-from-hip blame-laden sloganeering instead of carefully configured policy planning – with a nation of almost as many guns in civilian hands as people (including well over 15 million AR-15 assault rifles according to the NRA) – and guess what you get? The November 14^th Los Angeles Times examines a just-released FBI report for the answer:

“Hate crimes rose in the U.S. by more than 17% in 2017, fueled by increases in attacks against religious and racial minorities, according to a report the FBI released Tuesday [11/13]… It is the biggest annual increase in reported hate crimes since 2001, when attacks on Muslims surged in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, and the third straight year that hate crimes have gone up.

“The count, which drew on data submitted by more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies, documented a total of 7,175 hate crimes in 2017. The tally was 1,054 higher than the year before. It included a 37% increase in anti-Jewish crimes, a 24% increase in attacks on Latinos and a nearly 16% rise in crimes against African Americans.

“In California, hate crimes increased by more than 17% to 1,095, while Los Angeles showed a 16% jump to 263. Race-driven crimes were the most common in the state, followed by attacks on sexual orientation and religion.

“In a statement, acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker said the report was a ‘call to action — and we will heed that call… The Department of Justice’s top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes… They are also despicable violations of our core values as Americans.’

“The report is the first federal calculation of hate crimes that largely took place since Donald Trump became president. In his nearly 22 months in office, Trump has repeatedly defended himself against accusations that he has emboldened hate groups with his rhetoric and policies concerning immigrants, Muslims and others.

“In his first year, President Trump faced criticism for being slow to condemn high-profile attacks against minorities, relenting only after intense public pressure. Incidents included the fatal shooting of an Indian immigrant in a Kansas bar by a man who yelled, 'Get out of my country!’; a rash of bomb threats against Jewish community centers; deadly stabbings of two men who defended women from racist and anti-Muslim threats on a Portland, Ore., train; and a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that the president said included ‘some very fine people on both sides.’ Assailants in each case have faced federal or state criminal charges…

“Another factor that makes it [hard] to analyze FBI data is the changes in the bureau’s hate crime categories since the report’s first release in 1992. The FBI defines a hate crime as a ‘criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.’ But crimes against Hindus, Sikhs and Arabs have been counted only since 2015.

“The FBI’s data also conflict with the Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey, which estimates there are 250,000 hate crimes each year. That count doesn’t include intimidation and vandalism incidents, which are included in the FBI’s report… Another problem is that victims don’t always call the police.” Remember that the FBI is part of Trump’s Department of Justice.

It’s not just about deadly shootings. It’s also about graffiti, vandalism, arson, extreme language, discrimination, assault and down and dirty intimidation. And what’s obvious, it’s about our increasing tolerance of hate groups, extreme and outlandish language, without the slightest attempt at civility. Online anonymity, fake news abetting false blame, and the enabling social acceptance that is all around us – pointing to Donald Trump for justification – have turned a welcoming nation built by immigrants and people of all racial, ethnic and religious groups, a melting pot or lettuce bowl made great by the mixture of ideas and competencies, into a country of hateful nationalism.

How do you feel, really feel when you see a black teenager in a hoodie walking down the street towards you? When you view a photograph of a Muslim on a prayer rug? What do you do when you see a story about an unarmed black driver shot under some police officer’s mistaken belief he was a threat? Or the closing of a voting both in a black neighborhood with the only alternative in a lily-white neighborhood miles away? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? If you think you think you should do something but don’t, you’re definitely part of the problem. And right now we need to defuse, shake hands, mend fences and prioritize tolerance and equality.

I’m Peter Dekom, and as much as aggregate statistics are relevant, the solution absolutely resides at the smallest, most humble level: individuals relating directly to other individuals.