It has been stated repeatedly in news accounts of the "misguided hatred" shown by the shootings of 6 Sikhs at their gurdwara in Wisconsin by a neo-nazi who was a former member of the U.S. Army. It is not "misguided hatred". There is nothing misguided about this gun violence. It is simply hate. And every time it happens, it is said to be an isolated incident. It is not isolated. It happens constantly in our country towards various ethnic groups that are considered to be "different" from most Americans.
The day after the Sikh shooting, an Islamic mosque was burned to the ground in Missouri, after the first arson attempt to do so failed on the Fourth of July. In May, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, Tennessee was denied an occupancy permit and a Federal District Court had to overrule the denial, thus allowing the opening of the Center for the start of Ramadan. In August of last year, a former TSA employee (federal Transportation Security Administration) pleaded guilty to a hate crime for assaulting an elderly Somali man because he thought he was Muslim and yelled at him to go back to Africa. In February of last year an Arlington, Texas man pleaded guilty to the Church Arson Prevention Act by setting fire to a children's playground at a mosque. Three Columbia, Tennessee men pleaded guilty to spraypainting swastikas and "white power" on a mosque, and set an arson fire that burned it down. A man pleaded guilty to sending email and voice mail threats to the Director and staff members of the Arab American Institute in Washington DC. A Burbank, Illinois man pleaded guilty to blowing up a van of a Palestinian family when it was parked in front of their home. A man pleaded guilty to throwing a "Molotov Cocktail" at the Islamic Center of El Paso where children were playing, but luckily it did not ignite. In Sacramento, CA a man pleaded guilty to shooting and wounding a Sikh postal carrier. In Salt Lake City, a man pleaded guilty to pouring gasoline on a wall of a Pakistani-American restaurant in an attempt to burn it down. There have been hundreds of violations of discrimination in education, employment, housing, public facilities, public accommodations, and religious land use throughout the country.
All of these and more can be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. None of these were misguided. They were "guided" directly against people who do not look like us, whose religion differs from ours, who are what??? Trying to practice their religion? Trying to carry on their home country's traditions? Trying to cook their traditional foods?
These were acts of hate, and they are all too common in our society. I suppose I should be happy that my Grandmother was not assaulted for baking Croatian nutrolls, or my grandfather was not shot at for playing bocce, or my aunt was not attacked for cooking pierogies at the SNPJ club.
It is hate that is destroying communication and understanding of our fellow citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment