Stand
Up Against Hate and Intolerance
I
must admit that I never saw a Trump election victory coming. I refused to
believe that so many of my fellow citizens would buy into his hate filled and
fear-mongering messaging or fall for the greatest con since P.T. Barnum. But it
is what it is.
With
no one left to blame, the new world order of the Republican party now owns
whatever comes next. I still fear the worst and take no comfort in Trump’s
command for his supporters to stop the hate crimes, especially given his pick
for Senior White House Counselor, Steve Bannon, who is a self-proclaimed
racist, misogynist and anti-Semite.
With
no real agenda of his own, Trump will gladly take whatever House Speaker Paul
Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell serve up and sign it into law.
One can only hope they temper the urge to completely dismantle the progress
made since the Great Depression. The signs are not encouraging and I fear
Social Security and Medicare will be among the first legislative casualties.
The
message that hate is the order of the day continues to spark unacceptable
behavior towards those made out to be responsible for our lack of “greatness.”
Hate speech, neo-nazi graffiti and white supremacist rantings are being widely
reported. The Klu Klux Clan will hold a victory rally later this month. Talk of
a mandatory Muslim registry with Japanese World War Two internment camps serving
as prescedent runs rampant. With an over zealous evangelical Vice-President
elect ready to attack the LBGTQ community with conversion therapy and roll back
same sex marriage victories, many fear for their safety and the safety of their
families.
So
where do we go from here?
All
of this forces a necessary discussion in communities across the country. Is
this what we really want to have happen where we live, go to school, attend
church and raise our families or do we want something different?
Several
campaigns have sprung up to address these concerns. One has people willing to
stand against hate and intolerance in all its forms wearing safety pins. The
pins are a visible symbol that the wearer is an ally to those made fearful or
attacked in our current climate. We stand ready to intervene when we see
inhumanity visited upon another person. We will record and report those who
attack and shelter those oppressed with kindness. We will say no to hate and
intolerance and try to defuse emotional situations with kindness and
redirection.
The
safety pin became a symbol in Britain of solidarity with and protection of
immigrants who were being attacked after the vote to leave the European Union.
Locally,
some are opening their businesses and homes as Safe Spaces for those subject to
hate and intolerance. Soon you will begin to see Safe Space signs in windows so
that those in fear know they have someplace to go for help, comfort, referrals
and assistance. In community Safe Spaces, all will be respected and treated
with the dignity they are due as fellow human beings without regard to gender,
sexual orientation, race, immigration status or other targeted minority status.
Safe Space providers will not accept hate or intimidation in their businesses
or homes.
Choosing
to provide a Safe Space or wear a pin will hopefully help send a message that
we build a nation based upon dignity and respect for all and not by giving into
fear of the “others” who can conveniently be blamed for what ails our
society. Having Safe Spaces will lead to
a discussion of what kind of society do we want to share with our neighbors and
the rest of the world.
If
you want a Safe Space sign like the one above, I can send one to you for your
window. They print up nicely on photo paper. If you want training in how to be
an effective ally to those in need, let me know and we can let you know when
the training starts. You can reach me by email at waringfincke@gmail.com
Anyone
can wear a pin or provide a Safe Space. You just have to care about your fellow
human beings and be willing to help those in fear or in need.
Waring
R. Fincke is a retired attorney and vice-chair of the Democratic Party of
Washington County.
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