Commentary by Khari Brown and Ronald Brown in Sojourners examines the increasing connection between religion and support for QAnon. In a report release in May 2021 by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), 15 percent of Americans agree with QAnon allegations "that government, media, and financial worlds in the US are controlled by a group of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who run a global sex trafficking operation." There's a statistic from the study that's hopeful, 82 percent of Americans disagree. What is disturbing is 23 percent of white evangelical Protestants, core Republican Party constituents, are QAnon believers.
To paraphrase Mr. Rodgers, can you say False Prophet?
Baptist churchgoers in Missouri shared Facebook posts that claim Democratic party leaders are sexually trafficking and eating children.
Pew research went over data from 2020 and 2021. There is considerable evidence that most individuals are more likely to challenge the conspiracy theories when they attend places of worship where clergy emphasize racial justice, democracy, , and scientific reasoning. Worship attendees who heard sermons supporting Black Lives Matter, 83 percent said QAnon is bad for the nation. Of those who heard preaching that identified Donald Trump's claims about election fraud as false, 64 percent held an unfavorable view of QAnon.
The commentary concludes, clergy and their pulpits have a critical role in encouraging Americans to think critically about conspiracy theories that damage our democracy and cloud our understanding that we all are created in God's image.
There's a United Way blog with eight things we can do personally to end hate. The blog was published to promote Nelson Mandela Day.
Racial inequality and injustice were hiding in plain sight. Racism is now laid bare by a global pandemic and recent police violence in the U.S., South Africa, and throughout the world. "The systems and policies that cause health and economic disparities sprung from and are entrenched by the deep and enduring legacy of racism."
Mei Cobb's blog came up with eight actions we can take to inspire change.
Read to understand the history and impact of racism.
Support anti-racism organizations.
Advocate for laws that dismantle barriers to economic opportunity.
Volunteer to improve the health, education, and financial stability of people living in poverty.
Use your influence within your workplace and other organizations to address racial inequity.
I would add another. Never give up.
Seems pretty simple. What's in our way?
We can only control what we do, how we react. Don't expect change overnight. Don't expect immediate change from others. Focus on their actions, their policies, not the person. Once you confront the person, the anger escalates. These nine actions are starting points. All are calls to action.
What happened in Buffalo was all about hate and rage fed by politicians who feed off fear and prejudice. Their power depends on it. So far, it's working. Some 35 percent of Americans—including 68 percent of Republicans—believe the Big Lie, pushed relentlessly by former President Donald Trump and amplified by conservative media, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. They think that Trump was the true victor and that he should still be in the White House today. Sarah Longwell/The Atlantic April 2022.
The lies about the election are only the surface. Dig a little deeper and you will find bigotry and hatred fueled by Trump's rhetoric. The outcome is violence.
The NYTimes says over the past decade, the Anti-Defamation League has counted about 450 U.S. murders committed by political extremists.
Of these 450 killings, right-wing extremists committed about 75 percent. Islamic extremists were responsible for about 20 percent, and left-wing extremists were responsible for 4 percent.
Nearly half of the murders were specifically tied to white supremacists.
Replacement Theory
During his Ohio speech, Salon reports Trump amplified his white supremacist race-war fantasies, which are clearly derived from the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory and fears that white people somehow face extinction at the hands of Black or brown invaders. Trump has now fully mated the Big Lie claim that he is still the "real" president of the United States with white identity politics and grievance mongering:
"The very same people who piously claimed to be defending democracy are the ones throwing open your borders, surrendering your sovereignty, defunding your police, prosecuting your politicians — like nobody's ever seen before, by the way… desecrating your laws, crushing your wages, diluting your vote, and handing your country over millions and millions of illegal foreign nationals — illegal aliens, I would call them — all without your consent.
You haven't consented to that. On top of that you, had a fake, phony election….
But no matter how big or powerful these corrupt radicals may be, you must never forget this nation does not belong to them. This nation belongs to you. This is your home. This is your heritage, and your great American liberty is your God-given right." Donald Trump
Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong. Anger can be a good thing. It can give you a way to express negative feelings, for example, or motivate you to find solutions to problems. But excessive anger can cause problems. https://www.apa.org › topics › anger
Hatea hostile emotion combining intense feelings of detestation, anger, and often a desire to do harm. Also calledhatred.
Hate crimes are any felony or violent crime based on prejudice against a particular group. They are prejudice's most extreme expression. Compared to other crimes, hate crimes have a broader impact on victims and communities because they target core aspects of identity. https://www.apa.org › topics › hate
Stoking the fires of hatred is the main focus of Trump's rallies, where he espouses the replacement theories spewed by the gunman in Buffalo. His hatred resulted in the slaughter of ten innocents. The killer was disappointed. He wanted more.
We, in the media, need to help people connect the dots. Ignoring the obvious will result in the further rise of the narrative embraced by so many of Trump's followers. An obvious question for Republicans, do you think our children should be exposed to The Great Replacement Theory (GRT)? Are you willing to speak out against Trump's use of GRT to fire up his base?
It can motivate us into action, making changes for the greater good.
We should all be angry. Anger has a long history of bringing about positive change; but, in addition to being angry, I'm also hopeful. Because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The downside is when anger slips into rage. A certain amount of self-awareness can help keep from losing control. Anger is a very strong emotion. The loss of control leads to regrettable circumstance.
10 tips to tame your temper (Mayo Clinic)
1. Think before you speak
In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret.
2. Once you're calm, express your concerns
As soon as you're thinking clearly, express your frustration in an assertive but nonconfrontational way.
3. Get some exercise
Physical activity can help reduce stress that can cause you to become angry.
4. Take a timeout
Timeouts aren't just for kids. Give yourself short breaks during times of the day that tend to be stressful.
5. Identify possible solutions
Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand.
6. Stick with 'I' statements
Criticizing or placing blame might only increase tension. Instead, use "I" statements to describe the problem.
7. Don't hold a grudge
Forgiveness is a powerful tool. If you allow anger and other negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.
8. Use humor to release tension
Lightening up can help diffuse tension. Use humor to help you face what's making you angry and, possibly, any unrealistic expectations you have for how things should go. Avoid sarcasm, though — it can hurt feelings and make things worse.
9. Practice relaxation skills
When your temper flares, put relaxation skills to work. Practice deep-breathing exercises, imagine a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase, such as "Take it easy."
10. Know when to seek help
Learning to control anger can be a challenge at times. Seek help for anger issues if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do things you regret or hurts those around you.
Anger Can Motivate
Those seeking justice can use anger to motivate change. A good example is the Civil Rights Movement.
7 Benefits of Being Really Mad (PsyBlog)
1. Being really mad is a motivating force
You sometimes hear people talking about using anger as a motivating force by ‘turning anger into positive energy’.
2. Really mad people are more optimistic
It may sound like an odd thing to say, but angry people have something in common with happy people. That’s because both tend to be more optimistic.
3. Anger can benefit relationships
Being really mad is a natural reaction to being wronged by someone else and it’s a way of communicating that sense of injustice.
4. Anger provides self-insight
Being really mad can also provide insight into ourselves, if we allow it.
5. Getting really mad reduces violence
Although anger often precedes physical violence, it can also be a way of reducing violence. That’s because being really mad is a very strong social signal that a situation needs to be resolved.
6. Anger as negotiation strategy
Being really mad can be a legitimate way to get what you want.
7. Angry music is calming
Extreme music — like punk, heavy metal, death metal, emo and screamo — can actually have a positive, calming effect on anger (Sharman & Dingle, 2015).
Realizing the cause of your anger can transition to, "Something has to change."
We (The Advisory Commission for Persons with Disabilities) will be speaking with law enforcement this evening about interactions between the police and with people with mental health issues. It isn't just autism. Among the other disorders, Personality Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Psychotic Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Impulse Control Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Mood Disorders.
"More than 1 in 5 people fatally shot by police have mental illnesses, according to a Washington Post database of fatal U.S. shootings by on-duty police officers. Since 2015, when The Post launched its database, police have fatally shot more than 1,400 people with mental illnesses. Angela Kimball, national director of advocacy and public policy for NAMI, said she believes the numbers are so high because people in mental health crises do not always respond in ways officers want them to. "Police are trained to respond to a situation with a goal of protecting public safety and their own safety," she said. "They are used to using interventions that are designed to contain somebody that is perceived as a danger." Kimball said that during mental health crises, the presence of police officers, coupled with the uniforms and shouting, is quite often "counterintuitive" and that it can lead to tragedy. Many law enforcement agencies use the "Memphis Model" for crisis intervention training, or CIT. Kimball said the program requires about 40 hours of training in mental health diagnoses, drug use issues and de-escalation tactics. "It's really more of a concept of community engagement. Part of it is about law enforcement developing those connections with homeless shelters and with community mental health systems like hospitals so that everybody is working together," Kimball said. Last year, the FCC designated 988 as a nationwide number for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services and is set to go live in July 2022. Kimball said the number will be a good alternative to 911 because "there's a mobile crisis team of behavioral health professionals who can help defuse the situation, connect people to treatment and get them on a path to recovery."
Autism Speaks came up with these guidelines:
A person with autism might:
Have an impaired sense of danger.
Wander to bodies of water, traffic or other dangers.
Be overwhelmed by police presence.
Fear a person in uniform (ex. fire turnout gear) or exhibit curiosity and reach for objects/equipment (ex. shiny badge or handcuffs).
React with "fight" or "flight".
Not respond to "stop" or other commands.
Have delayed speech and language skills.
Not respond to his/her name or verbal commands.
Avoid eye contact.
Engage in repetitive behavior (ex. rocking, stimming, hand flapping, spinning).
Have sensory perception issues.
Have epilepsy or seizure disorder.
If a first responder is able to identify that a child or adult may have autism, he or she can then respond in a way that best supports the individual.
When interacting with a person with autism:
Be patient and give the person space.
Use simple and concrete sentences.
Give plenty of time for person to process and respond.
Be alert to signs of increased frustration and try to eliminate the source if possible as behavior may escalate.
Avoid quick movements and loud noises.
Do not touch the person unless absolutely necessary.
Use information from caregiver, if available, on how to best respond.
General training guidelines*:
Law enforcement agencies should proactively train their sworn workforce, especially trainers, patrol supervisors, and school resource officers, to recognize the behavioral symptoms and characteristics of a child or adult who has autism, and learn basic response techniques.
A training program should be designed to allow officers to better protect and serve the public and make the best use of your valuable time, and avoid mistakes that can lead to lawsuits and negative media scrutiny, loss of confidence from the community, morale problems, and lifelong trauma for all involved.
A good autism recognition and response workshop is designed to inform law enforcement professionals about the risks associated with autism, and offers suggestions and options about how to address those risks.
UPDATE
The training officer that said he was willing to go over their protocols for dealing with people that have emotional and mental challenges could not attend our meeting. He gave us thumb drive with his presentation, but that left us with more questions than answers.
