Extremism and hate are dangerous in our society and seem to be a supported activity within some social networks within our communities. While extremists, and their supporters, don't often feel that they are doing anything wrong, they rip at the foundations of what keeps our country intact and moving forward. Extremism is often mixed with other issues such as culture of bullying, official corruption, systemic bigotry in hiring practices and greed/fraud. It is a comingled factor that draws justification from other distorted viewpoints (...in and out of social network.)
My family and I have been the target of extremism ranging from stalking, threats, rejection from opportunities and ostracization. Those that normally would have not engaged in these immoral and illegal behaviors were either silent or forced through power dynamics in their social networks to quickly align themselves to key perpetrators (Not all but the pressures for conformity in this mediocre and now old sports group is high.)
Having a large group of hate supporters chase you is one thing but when those beliefs/values reach into some local law enforcement it is a sign that corruption is breaking down the backstop of judicial protections. That is the real danger of extremism is that it becomes supported by officials and begins to erode the foundations of our democracy. It turns the legitimate into the illegitimate (I say that as a Conservative. My conservative values believe that all men/women are created equal and it is darkness in societies that treat people differently.).
Let me go a little further in my discussion. I also volunteer within the organization and it appears there was a legitimate attempt to ostracize, remove, defame and hinder that volunteering by a few law enforcement officials. Before you get excited, I'm very much a supporter of law enforcement when they are doing the right thing. I got their back and have had their back in other places! When a few members engaged in illegal and corrupted behavior I will push for accountability because I have greater responsibilities to society (I become more concerned about supporting the institutional value.).
I think the integrity of our institutions is important. While most of the officers and departments realized they were duped/misled/lied to that department which was closely embedded and associated with extremism supporters did not (If I were an officer I might be more upset at the people who lied to me then the one's who are helping me see a better way forward.). Without accountability and a full investigation the few corrupted officers will continue to pose a risk to the community, its future viability, and visitors to the area (There have been multiple prior complaints by different people in the community that appear to be uninvestigated. Its an isolated community so there is little oversite from state and federal entities. Some improper behaviors have grown in that void.)
As a society we have an obligation to investigate legitimate concerns of targeting, extremism and what appear to be threats of intimidation/violence against the "other" (...in this case Muslims which they have no problem calling crazy and terrorists. Of course they neglect the rights of children and the patriotic leanings/serving of one's country. In other words, they are acting on self-induced behaviors not actually associated with the target. The catalyst seems to be simply difference/"other" and maintaining of social position.).
There are a few things that I had hoped to accomplish....
1.) Provide an opportunity for the initiators of the rumors and catalysts for extremist to self reform and get mental health help. (Because of lack of education and distorted sports culture the perpetrators may be prone to accepting these distorted beliefs. It isn't an excuse for them but it does parallels what we see in other similar groups. It was a chance for learning so they can live healthier and happier lives.)
2.) Create a framework for hometown extremism and how to handle it. I have been looking/studying this stuff for a long time. As a nation we need better ways of dealing with hometown hate (It is important to remember that until our capital was attacked we had a hard time seeing the dangers of extremism and ant-Americanism among members of our community that on the surface looked like us. Its a mental framework that allows us to "see" and then act early to intervene.)
3.) Allow good officers and departments with integrity to learn from their mistakes to make them stronger and more effective. (I support officers 100% and I support legitimate complaints and opportunities for change 100%). Self reform is often the best way to deal with these issues as long as everyone is focused on their same goal (If your one of the good officers please feel free to say "hi" as you might find I'm pretty cool. I like officers and have done my best against crimes in other places. Take a chance!)
4.) Continue to engage with the community in a positive way to show they can accept differences, provide economic opportunities for locals if possible (Why I started looking at clusters more than a decade ago to provide locals in my community and country economic opportunities. Dang! Dirty Evil Muslims! 🤷), help my community through firefighting and other positive, engaging acts (There was an attempt by some officers to stop that.....and that hasn't been fully resolved yet.), and develop a framework for tackling hate/extremism in other hometowns throughout the country (MI. Hate Laws).
5.) Ensure that local institutions (i.e. higher education and others) don't allow their HR departments to determine that "qualified" candidates are people that fit within their social groups and ethno-centric viewpoints. They have an obligation to fulfill their missions and values without key individuals distorting their recruitment practices (Without change I feel a full EEOC investigation into hiring practices might be helpful in adjusting some of their policies.)
6.) There may be a few more points but I got other stuff to do today. .
What happened here can't be sugar coated and it can't be swept under the carpet. It has been a few years since it started and the behaviors never truly died down. They just took different subvert forms. While the social group is no longer willing to engage in coordinated intimidation tactics a few of the officers have picked up the cause and continue to engaged in corrupted practices in hopes of "getting the Muslims" and looking good to people within their social networks (I suspect there are some legal reasons as well.). While they have not been successful thus far that doesn't mean I won't be pulled over on a lonely dark road someday (They should be mindful that there will be people out there that will ask questions. My goal is to learn, share, create positive engagement and not be "cleansed" out. Remember there is a lot more to this including pulling over my children in an unmarked car. My kids were targeted for bullying with false information. No one in this country has the right to say these behaviors are "ok". We need, want, deserve, and will support a free nation. An investigation will help clear the mud.)
Why do I persist? Because I think that we are one nation, one people, and the future lies in tackling these problems to create national unity (Path-Goal). My kids and your kids (any race and religion) should be able to walk freely in any town in this nation without the fear of aggression or corruption. Freedom is an American thing!
(A helpful hint: The next time you hear a "juicy" rumor about "those" people {any race or religion} make sure you consider the source and think before you act.)
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