We have greater and lesser responsibilities to society. Those who engage in hate and corruption (and protection thereof) have used their positions to further the lesser in society at the expense of the greater. Because power is a sacred oath and should be used for the purpose of good we must ensure there is more integrity where protections and support for behaviors that are antithetical to ethical, moral, constitutional, and human rights. It is a duty and oath for people to always push society to grow and develop to its highest state and removing and correcting poor behaviors is important.
The Greater and Lesser Responsibilities:
Failure to correct is a sign that a system has become weaker and has become increasingly compromised in terms of its values and orientation (That is any system on the planet) When there are aspects that function for personal, religious, social, and political gain while neglecting the greater good of society it creates a net negative and steals from our shared futures. Tackling extremist leaning corruption and violations of civil/human rights is central to our national identity and long-term growth.
Those that cause these issues appear to have less commitment to the rest of the nation (can augment with the term society) because they have allowed ulterior factors into their decision making (Trace back the logic of why they would free pass criminal behaviors if they are against certain type of people based on superficial reasons no matter the race or religion we are all free and I stand by that.). Worse, if they are in positions where these distortions can continue to infect the rest of society we have risks that will continue into the future. The wake of prior victims and their complaints seem to fall on deaf ears.
(What I find interesting is that hate has few bounds. The people have such little experience in life seem to know all the answers and know things of which they have no experience. Its an observation on the deep distorted identities of those who create these stories, those who join the hate group and those who protect such behaviors. The more different a person the more they can justify their hate with likeminded homogeneous followers. While the report discusses one common type it really can be any race or religion. Understanding the Psychology of Hate)
This study is sort of interesting because you can see the self interest in corruption and you can see how poor values and beliefs are often precursors to bigger issues (Failure to uphold our most cherished laws and values comes from many compromises along the way.). If people become corrupted, power oriented, arrogant, etc. it creates a profile of those more susceptible to these dark arts. Notice also they seem more prevalent within organizations that lack accountability. You can trace back poor values and behaviors when you have enough information and fully grasp the depth of such partisan corruption. The cognitive psychology of corruption Micro-level explanations for unethical behaviour
The Example:
In this hypothetical example for learning purposes only I have been using, someone wanted something and spread hate rumors among their large homogeneous friend network and corrupted officials to put pressure to cleanse the person and their family out of "their community". Threats of violence, attempts at violence, enrichment of perpetrators, damaging kids, defamation, putting people in dangerous situations, elder abuse, and lots of other behaviors were the result highlighting some important divisions in values (Dark triad behaviors impact any arenas of life such people touch.). Even though they are now seeing these divisions grow broadly they lack the insight and wisdom to sew it back together. Solutions don't come from self interest or political gaslighting.
Some people including those we see as authorities rolled their eyes....but why?
Potential violations could include using position to silence political expression (freedom of speech), direct retaliation against legitimate community concerns, corruption, targeting based on race (civil rights), targeting based on religion (freedom of religion), involving minors, threats of violence implied and direct, misuse of official equipment/position, and more. Justice became a dirty word. It comes from seeing others has half citizens and dehumanizing them in word and action. As a people the vast majority are against these things but the few seem to create most of the problems and do most of the damage to society.
To further this silly over the top extreme insane example....
Other victims of corruption came forward and were quickly retaliated against. The community began to rally but had to press against corrupted officials. In this example, the victims still deal with hate networks and the perpetrators were given a wink and nod free pass. Documented complaints were quickly rejected to protect the clan network and perhaps some of the crimes they committed. Meaning, some officials were aware during and after and refused to hold the perpetrators to account indicating that their duties to society/community/nation were not their primary concern (In theory).
Institutional trust declined and continues to decline. The solutions are still being formalized for such behaviors and dereliction of duty.
The problems were there in the past, it caused problems in the present and it will continue to damage the community in the future unless there is reform and change. That will require commitment to a higher moral order. One must question the commitment to our oaths and values when there are intentionally two different rules and systems for different people. It becomes clearer that some get free passes and some have their rights quickly violated thus making sharp divisions in society.
Listening to Hate Rumors:
One should wonder what created all these flying monkeys and hate based corruption. It appears based in their social networks mixed with ethno-centric misperceptions of how low others are. When challenged they turn to bullying and threats of violence and that behavior is supported and protected by some officials. Maybe even alot with no accountability whatsoever. The brazen un Americaness of the behaviors opened a can of worms. Its hard to put the genie back in the bottle when people are so reckless and sure of there self-confirming superiority. In this example it was a lie upon a lie to circumvent what is a moral duty.
Let us pretend they had a history of treating others differently and hate supporters were allowed to behave anyway they wanted with complete immunity in the past. A type of lawlessness. Let us say that they had little oversight and did these things to others at different times and places. Hate violence would become a useful temporary tool that was wielded against fearful victims to silence them. The facts, evidence, witnesses, and laws make no difference. The rumor mill runs all things!
Those tools are weak and can be easily broken. They are short term solutions can highlight, not mask, the issues at hand. It likely had a counter effect in this hypothetical example.
Those that listen to these rumors and act on them risk breaking the law and becoming wrapped into a hate network that could have legal consequences (As soon as we get everyone from every party and background to stand for our shared oaths and universal free democratic society). If we consider that poor behaviors occur in a social context and in turn that social context furthers a hate agenda then it is natural to seek to resolve and hold to account those who further their distorted social perceptions on conjecture (Rise of Hate Crimes Remember that we should make no distinction on race and religion.).
Do people who willingly listen to hate narratives/rumors and then act on them in a way that damages institutions change? What are the long term costs? This study seems to highlight the issues we face when we are not able to correct or find a course in which to navigate the bigger ship. The Polarizing Impact of Political Disinformation and Hate Speech: A Cross-country Configural Narrative
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." If there are places where that is not true, we must correct. It is of greater importance than the lesser personal, religious, political, social or racial considerations. Not all people believe that or stand by it. We need to encourage and bring forward leaders who do.*This article is a thought experiment on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the commitment to democracy. It is meant for illustrative learning purposes only and one should take it with a grain of salt. By exploring these hypothetical situations we begin to see possible solutions to bridge the gaps in divergent perspectives.
