School and church shootings against minority groups; bomb threats against state capitols for laws passed; murder threats against judges and lawmakers; a legislative war against women’s health and children.
The list is nauseating. And the list keeps growing longer.
When did America become such a hate-filled country? When did we start to ignore the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everyone? Or is that an ideal for only a few?
It seems to have kicked into full gear about 10 years ago when minority groups began to emerge as a vocal force in this country. Because the ruling majority did not understand them, the backlash became loud and clear: We don’t want you.
Yet it was Republican President Ronald Regan who said one minority, immigrants, are the backbone to American business interests. Immigrant labor is willing to do the work so many American citizens were not willing to do but is necessary for profitability.
A 2017 Pew Charitable Trust study shows most immigrants hold jobs such as food product inspectors/agricultural workers, plasters and stucco masons, drywall workers, sewing machine operators, tailors and dressmakers, and household workers such as housekeepers, gardeners and nannies. These are generally low-paying jobs with most workers employed in the private sector.
The proliferation of shootings and threats against racial and other minorities — and now including judges and legal professionals — along with other hate crimes has increased at a frantic pace until now we almost expect to see/hear about more in the daily news reports. The Justice Department reports hate crimes have increased yearly since 2008, especially against race/ethnic groups, alternative sexual orientations, religious groups, gender/gender identity, age and disability groups.
Perhaps most confusing to me is the legislative attack on women’s health, forcing women to carry a pregnancy (even if the fetus is not viable), but then virtually ignoring the needs of those children once they are born.
Both CNN and The Guardian have reported how physicians are leaving Idaho because they cannot in good conscience always follow the draconian laws concerning women’s health. Idaho already has a healthcare shortage — ranking 49th in the country for active practicing physicians — to have physicians leaving is making the overall crisis even worse.
Research shows many women who are forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy also tend to be poor, then raise the children in poverty. To have those same legislators who required them to have the baby (as in some states) then deny them access to free or low-cost federal food programs due to politics makes it seem to the women the legislators hate the children. It is truly an oxymoron.
As the shootings, threats and intimidations against minority groups continue, it begins to say more about the majority or those in control. What it shows is Americans no longer care about people, only about a personal or political agenda to help a select group.
It reminds me of a quote by educator/labor historian Brandon Weber: “If you think you love freedom but don’t care if it applies to everyone, what you actually love is privilege.”
What we are doing with this is killing our own democracy through hate disguised as personal freedom. As a purported Christian nation, this makes no sense. For two millennia the Christian ethic has been one of compassion, yet it is being turned on its head because of intolerance, hatred.
The legislatures are wrong, information about diverse groups does not create the problems; not understanding other cultures and people createsthe problems.
If people better understood the backgrounds of different cultures and groups, bridges could be built instead of walls; communications could flourish instead of forced silence and intimidation.
For generations, America was the country people would turn to for help because we at least gave lip service to caring, a trait of compassion admired around the world. Today, we have turned too far inward in what appears to be an implosion of self as we ignore the freedoms of many fellow citizens.
Freedom creates an environment for privilege. Privilege seems to have become the desire, not freedom.
Tallent was a journalism faculty member at the University of Idaho for 13 years before her retirement in 2019. She is of Cherokee descent and is a member of both the Indigenous Journalists Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. She also writes for Faith and Values News (favs.news).
